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Van Heerden set for first Test start as Stormers move pays off
Ruben van Heerden earns his first Springbok Test start against Wales on Saturday, having been called into the squad as injury cover for Moerat. The 28-year-old Stormers lock credits his move to Cape Town in 2022 as the catalyst for a career that has now reached the highest level.
Rennie plans Bomb Squad trial in South Africa as All Blacks target 6-2 bench split
Dave Rennie confirms the All Blacks will trial a 6-2 bench split during their South African tour, with provincial squads for the first four games already picked. Tupou Vaa'i's shift to blindside flanker for the Ireland Nations Championship fixture has also drawn attention as a potential Springbok-specific tactical move.
England's travel chaos could end Borthwick, while Boks cruise to a clean sweep
England's Johannesburg-to-Liverpool-to-Buenos Aires travel loop may cost Borthwick his job if the Pumas win, while the Boks are expected to complete a clean Nations Championship pool sweep against Wales — a result Erasmus is treating as a stepping stone in his two-week build to the Greatest Rivalry Series.
Quesada ban proves Rassie right as World Rugby's new referee protocols bare their teeth
Quesada's two-match ban for post-match referee criticism vindicates Erasmus's warning that World Rugby's new officiating protocols — which restrict pre-game meetings and limit post-game queries to six publicly visible clips — would breed frustration rather than reduce it. The piece dissects whether Quesada's comments actually crossed a line, and what the ban means for every international coach going forward.
Van Heerden relishing Test debut alongside three fellow first-timers against Wales
Lock Ruben van Heerden is one of four Springbok debutants set to face Wales at Hollywoodbets Kings Park on Saturday, with the Nations Championship home fixture kicking off at 17h40.
Scotland did a Rassie on Rassie — and Burger says the Boks' defence was exposed
Burger, Jean de Villiers and Shimange praised Scotland's quick-tap maul try in Pretoria as a deliberate tactical steal from the Bok playbook, while Burger also raised serious concerns about South Africa's defensive shape — nearly 50 missed tackles and a line that was caught flat-footed at the critical moment.
Was Venter's Wiese launch legal? The moment dividing rugby opinion
Boan Venter's restart lift of Cobus Wiese — where he ran several metres forward before launching him into space, sparking a try — has split opinion on legality. Rugby law experts can't agree, the try stands, but the tactic may face future scrutiny.
Marshall warns All Blacks: Jordan at 14 is a luxury the Boks series might expose
Marshall argues Jordan at 14 is a depth-chart workaround, not a true positional solution — and that the Springboks' aerial kicking game will expose whether McKenzie can hold the 15 jersey under genuine pressure.
Marx backs debutant Sadie ahead of Wales clash in Durban
Malcolm Marx has endorsed Springbok debutant Carlu Sadie ahead of Saturday's Nations Championship clash against Wales at Kings Park, citing their Lions connection in 2019 and Sadie's Champions Cup-winning form at Bordeaux, while cautioning that Wales will demand a full 80-minute performance despite their lowly world ranking.
Barrett-Theron steps away from refereeing after breast cancer diagnosis
Aimee Barrett-Theron, the world's most capped female referee with 52 Tests, has stepped down from officiating immediately after being diagnosed with treatable breast cancer, which she detected through a self-check.
Barrett-Theron steps away from refereeing after breast cancer diagnosis
Aimee Barrett-Theron, the world's most capped female referee with 52 Tests, has stepped away from officiating after being diagnosed with treatable breast cancer, with the 39-year-old confirming she aims to return to the field within months.
Barrett-Theron steps away from refereeing after breast cancer diagnosis
Aimee Barrett-Theron, the world's most capped female referee with 52 Tests, has stepped away from officiating after being diagnosed with treatable breast cancer, with the 39-year-old urging others to self-check following her own discovery.
Marx reveals bicep scare ahead of Wales return at Kings Park
Malcolm Marx has revealed he feared the worst after sustaining a bicep injury during Kubota Spears' Japan League One semifinal in May, but recovered in time to star against England and now returns to face Wales at Kings Park on Saturday.
Barrett-Theron steps away from refereeing after breast cancer diagnosis
World record-holder Aimee Barrett-Theron, the most capped female referee in history with 52 tests, has stepped away from officiating after being diagnosed with treatable breast cancer, with the 39-year-old targeting a return to the field within months.
Was Venter's mid-air launch of Wiese legal? Rugby's latest grey area
Boan Venter carrying Cobus Wiese forward off a restart before launching him into space — leading to Roos's try — has sparked a genuine laws debate. The piece lays out the competing views but reaches no definitive verdict, inviting readers to assess the footage themselves.
Marx warns Boks to expect full 80-minute fight from Wales in Durban
Malcolm Marx has cautioned against complacency ahead of Saturday's Nations Championship clash with Wales in Durban, calling it a "confrontational and physical battle" and saying a full 80-minute performance will be required. The 2025 SA Rugby and World Rugby Men's Player of the Year also welcomed the chance to reunite in the front row with uncapped prop Carlu Sadie, one of four debutants in the heavily rotated Springbok lineup.
Boks targeting a complete 80-minute performance against Wales
Deon Davids acknowledges a clear pattern across the first two Nations Championship wins — fast starts giving way to mid-game wobbles — and identifies integration of less-experienced players under pressure as the central challenge to solving consistent 80-minute control ahead of the Wales clash.
Schalk Burger: Scotland did everything but win — and that's the problem
Burger and De Villiers argue Scotland were the better team on the stats and should have beaten an inexperienced Bok side — but red-zone errors and a familiar pattern of not converting pressure into wins cost Townsend's men, while highlighting genuine depth in Erasmus's squad.
Mike Brown: Springbok depth is 'just mental' — and Erasmus is a 'rugby genius'
Mike Brown calls Springbok depth 'just mental' and labels Erasmus a rugby genius, while John Barclay argues 2027 is already South Africa's World Cup to lose — the piece breaks down why both think no other nation is structurally close.
Keira Snyman named in Junior Springbok Women squad to face USA U20
Keira Snyman, 18-year-old daughter of André Snyman, has been named in the Junior Springbok Women squad for a two-Test home series against USA Women U20 in Stellenbosch, with full internationals Abigail Smit and Zethu Gcaza also included.