Mark Alexander has come out swinging against reports that South African sides are planning to exit the Champions Cup, calling the speculation "hogwash" and lumping it in with equally dismissed rumours of a SANZAAR withdrawal. His position is that the July workshop is about finding a workable load balance — not triggering a competition exodus. But the underlying tension is real: Alexander has been consistent that players cannot sustain an 11-month season, and something will have to shift. His preferred solution is north-south calendar alignment rather than dropping competitions, and he's pushing New Zealand in particular to get on board, with Rugby Australia apparently more receptive. What's also notable is his pointed defence of the URC summer model — he frames it as a success story of adaptation and points to sold-out December derbies as proof that South African fans have bought in. The piece also captures the franchise owners' counter-pressure, with Masotti making it plain that Champions Cup revenue isn't optional for the financial viability of the franchises.
Alexander kills Champions Cup exit talk — but the load problem hasn't gone away
Alexander has dismissed Champions Cup exit talk as 'hogwash', but the load-management crisis driving the speculation is very much unresolved — the piece maps the competing pressures on SA Rugby heading into the July workshop.
Springboks risk losing top World Rugby ranking spot this weekend
South Africa's number one World Rugby ranking is under threat this weekend, with a defeat to Wales in Durban combined with a New Zealand win over Ireland by more than 15 points enough to return the All Blacks to the summit. Ireland can go as far as top spot themselves with a big win at Eden Park and a Springbok loss. Australia, meanwhile, risk dropping out of the top 10 for the first time since the rankings were introduced in 2003 if they lose heavily to Italy in Schmidt's farewell.
Rankings shake-up on the cards: What the Boks stand to lose this weekend
The Boks risk losing top spot to the All Blacks this weekend if they fall to Wales and New Zealand beat Ireland by more than 15 points. Ireland can go all the way to number one, but need a big win and a Bok loss by the same margin. Meanwhile, Australia face a potentially historic rankings low if Italy beat them heavily and other results align.
Boks remain top but All Blacks close gap to 2.90 points after Nations Championship opener
South Africa stay top of the World Rugby Men's Rankings at 93.94 points but New Zealand have cut the gap to 2.90 after beating France, while Scotland climb to equal their all-time high of fifth following a record 47-38 win over Argentina in Córdoba.
Springboks lead World Rugby rankings by 3.61 points ahead of Nations Championship
South Africa top the World Rugby rankings on 93.94 points, 3.61 clear of New Zealand, as the Springboks head into the inaugural Nations Championship. World Rugby has also confirmed the removal of home weighting from the rankings system from 1 July 2026.
Bulls' Dublin humiliation a warning shot ahead of All Blacks tour
The Bulls' Dublin collapse gets a withering post-mortem, but the column pivots quickly to the bigger picture — the Hurricanes' record-breaking Super Rugby title run signals exactly the kind of tempo-driven threat Rennie's All Blacks will bring on their first South African tour in 30 years.