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RWC Draw a Farce, Nations Championship Flawed — But Bok Dominance Is the Real Story
Rich argues the Nations Championship has confirmed a clear global top three — Boks, All Blacks, France — but exposes a spectacular flaw in the RWC 2027 draw that will see those sides eliminate each other before the final. He also targets Borthwick's lack of ambition and questions the Championship's travel demands and home-game authenticity.
Six backline changes as Junior Bok Women look to bounce back against USA U20
Groepes makes six backline changes for Friday's series finale against USA U20 in Stellenbosch, with the restructured team aiming to correct a 47-12 first-test loss through tighter execution and sustained pressure.
Rassie signals generational shift with tribute to Springbok old guard
Rassie Erasmus has posted a video tribute to the Springbok old guard, from Paul Roos to Siya Kolisi, describing the post as a thank you and suggesting the team is entering a new generational era.
Fitzpatrick: Beat the Boks in SA and the World Cup takes care of itself
Fitzpatrick argues a Greatest Rivalry series win in South Africa would be the perfect World Cup launch pad for the All Blacks — while rating the Springboks as the clear world number one and questioning how they'll handle that target on their backs.
Back-to-back world champions: The school roots behind SA's historic Junior Springboks
The Junior Springboks' back-to-back U20 World Championship triumph over France in Georgia has spotlighted the school rugby pipeline behind the squad, with players drawn from Grey College, Paul Roos, Paarl Boys', Affies and a dozen other traditional rugby schools across South Africa.
RWC draw a farce, Nations Championship flawed, and Borthwick on borrowed time
Rich argues the 2027 RWC draw has set up a catastrophic bracket where the Boks, All Blacks and France will cancel each other out before the final, while also questioning Borthwick's boldness and skewering the Nations Championship's travel demands.
Erasmus Assembles Full-Strength Squad as Ten Injured Stars Return for Argentina Test
Rassie Erasmus has named a 43-man Springbok squad featuring the return of ten players from injury, including Eben Etzebeth, Siya Kolisi and Handré Pollard. The group, which contains no uncapped players, marks a shift from the experimental approach of the Nations Championship. With Argentina and the All Blacks series ahead, the head coach appears ready to deploy his strongest available resources.
Rassie's squad communiqué reveals more than intended — A-team inbound for Buenos Aires
De Koning argues that Erasmus's squad management decisions effectively confirm Los Pumas will face a near-first-choice Springbok side in Buenos Aires, with ten returning injury absentees — including Etzebeth, Kolisi and Pollard — all needing game time ahead of the All Black series.
Kiss recalls Salakaia-Loto after 'robust conversation' with no guarantees given
Les Kiss has recalled Lukhan Salakaia-Loto to the Wallabies training squad following a 'robust conversation' among his new coaching staff, making clear no player is guaranteed selection ahead of Tests against Japan, Argentina, the Springboks and the All Blacks.
Springboks top every chart — and it's not even close
Planet Rugby's Nations Championship power rankings place the Boks first across every metric — attack, defence, depth — and argue Tony-ball has made them more dangerous than ever. The wider rankings also flag France's depth and New Zealand's attacking reset as the next biggest concerns for the global order.
Full noise: What Erasmus's 43-man squad tells us about Bok priorities ahead of Argentina and the All Blacks
Erasmus's 43-man squad marks the end of experimentation — with key injury returnees and no uncapped players, this is as close to full-strength as the Boks have been since the World Cup. The piece breaks down what the selection signals about lock depth, emerging players who've made the cut on merit, and what release of the five franchise-bound players actually means for their RGR chances.
O'Connor rules out Sharks move as fatherhood keeps him in Australia
James O'Connor has ruled out joining the Sharks, saying his wife's pregnancy brought an end to any plans to move to Durban, with the 36-year-old intent on staying in Australia.
Rassie signals changing of the guard with tribute to Springbok stalwarts
Rassie Erasmus has posted a video tribute to the Springbok 'old guard', from Paul Roos to Siya Kolisi, signalling he believes a generational shift is underway.
Nations Championship Southern Leg: Boks Lead, Japan Shines, Italy Disappoint
Louw's Nations Championship mid-point recap names South Africa the clear frontrunners — on log position, points difference, depth deployed, and records broken — while calling out Italy's collapse, Fiji's underperformance, and the scheduling injustice that saw Japan host Ireland in Australia.
Nations Championship player ratings: Who cemented their place and who has work to do
Planet Rugby rates all 43 Springboks from the July Nations Championship, flagging the front row depth as exceptional, Paul de Villiers as the breakout star, Kriel as undroppable, and Fassi among those who need to sharpen up ahead of the All Blacks series.
World Cup heartache drives Jantjies' push for 2027 Springbok spot
Herschel Jantjies, back in the Springbok fold after nearly three years, says missing the 2023 World Cup squad drives his push for Australia in 2027, with Erasmus naming a 26-man party for the Argentina trip and retaining 15-16 players at home to prepare for the All Blacks series.
De Villiers impresses as Barnes questions Kolisi's Springbok captaincy future
Former England fly-half Stuart Barnes has suggested Siya Kolisi's reign as Springbok captain could be under threat following Paul de Villiers' outstanding debut month. The Stormers flanker excelled in July's Nations Championship victories over England, Scotland and Wales, prompting Barnes to compare him to Ruben Kruger and Heinrich Brussow.
July Nations Series player ratings: Who shone, who struggled, and where the Boks are genuinely deep
Planet Rugby's 43-man ratings from the July Nations series identify Willemse and Kriel as the backs of the series, flags Paul de Villiers as the month's breakout star, and highlights the Boks' tighthead depth as a genuine structural advantage — while Fassi, Tshituka, and Mchunu are singled out as needing more.
Why the Springboks' rush defence may be exactly what the All Blacks want
Ben Smith argues the Boks' rush defence isn't the threat Matfield thinks — their July defensive numbers are well below 2019 standards, and the All Blacks' Hurricanes-influenced attack is specifically designed to punish blitz systems, with Roigard as a trump card the Boks are barely familiar with.
Paul de Villiers has made Kolisi's return a selection headache
Gavin Rich charts De Villiers's rapid rise from matchday omission to Nations Championship standout, arguing his stats across three tests make him nearly impossible to drop — even with Kolisi returning for the All Blacks series.