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AnalysisSpringboks

Du Toit wants to earn his World Cup place — not inherit it

Du Toit opens up about feeling unworthy of his 2019 winner's medal and why 2027 is the World Cup he wants to earn outright — with Bath's Premiership run and his Sharks move both framed as steps toward that goal.

Planet Rugby
AnalysisSpringboks

Burger: Roos earns his Bok recall — but the soft-skill weakness is real

Burger endorses Roos's Bok recall but flags a genuine soft-skill concern, while De Villiers uses Papier and Horn to argue Erasmus's selection culture consistently rewards sustained URC form.

Planet Rugby
AnalysisSpringboks

Janse van Rensburg's own words complicate his England call-up

A resurfaced podcast interview shows Janse van Rensburg admitting his kids would question an England decision and that the Boks would mean "so much more" — complicating his already divisive Nations Championship call-up.

Planet Rugby
ReportSpringboks

Erasmus satisfied with alignment camps but warns proof must come on the field

Rassie Erasmus says the Springboks are in a good place after more than 60 players attended two alignment camps, but insists the results must now translate onto the field as SA Rugby prepares to name a training squad within two weeks.

Planet Rugby
AnalysisSpringboks

Du Toit's dream scrum: Marx, Etzebeth, and the Bath culture shift

Du Toit names Marx and Etzebeth as his ideal scrummaging hooker and lock, praises Ted Hill as a 'freak' flanker, and reveals how he imported Bok scrum standards straight back to Bath on day one.

Planet Rugby
AnalysisSpringboks

Du Toit's dream scrum: Marx, Etzebeth, and the Springbok culture he exported to Bath

Du Toit names Marx and Etzebeth as his ideal scrummaging hooker and lock, praises Kolisi's set-piece staying power, and reveals how Springbok scrum standards followed him back to Bath.

Planet Rugby
AnalysisSpringboks

Pietersen sees identity taking shape despite Sharks' playoff miss

Pietersen argues the Sharks' youth-heavy squad is finding its identity despite missing the playoffs, pointing to emerging players and a 54-19 season-ending win as signs of genuine progress ahead of next season.

TimesLIVE Rugby
AnalysisSpringboks

Burger pinpoints the real value of Erasmus's alignment camps for uncapped players

Burger breaks down why Erasmus's alignment camps matter beyond selection optics — the training intensity reset alone leaves a lasting mark on young players, and both Mahashe and Siyaya are tipped for Test debuts.

Planet Rugby
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Matfield backs Van der Mescht for Springbok breakthrough after Northampton form

Victor Matfield has tipped Northampton Saints lock JJ van der Mescht as a potential breakthrough selection for the Springboks in 2026. The 27-year-old, who weighs 145kg, has impressed since moving to the Premiership and earned a place in Rassie Erasmus' alignment camp in March.

Planet Rugby · SA Rugby Mag
AnalysisSpringboks

Matfield tips Van der Mescht as Erasmus's 2026 wildcard

Matfield has singled out Van der Mescht as a dark-horse Bok lock for 2026 — worth reading for the full breakdown of what's caught Big Vic's eye.

SA Rugby Mag
AnalysisSpringboks

Matfield tips Van der Mescht as Bok wildcard — and backs Papier's long-overdue call

Matfield backs Van der Mescht — a resurgent Northampton lock he likens to Snyman — as Erasmus's big 2025 wildcard, while welcoming Papier's call-up and downplaying the absence of veterans like Le Roux as tactical rotation rather than the end.

Planet Rugby · SA Rugby Mag
AnalysisSpringboks

Zekhethelo Siyaya: The Sharks' 18-year-old gem already on Rassie's radar

Zekhethelo Siyaya, the Sharks' 18-year-old back, has turned four URC appearances into a Springbok alignment camp invitation — the piece profiles why Pietersen and Erasmus are already taking notice.

SuperSport Rugby
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Sharks lock Ethan Hooker down until 2029

The Sharks have secured Ethan Hooker on a contract extension running until the end of 2029.

SA Rugby Mag
AnalysisSpringboks

Sharks teenager Siyaya turns heads — and earns a Bok alignment camp call-up

Sharks teenager Zekhetelo Siyaya has turned a handful of URC appearances into a Springbok alignment camp invitation — the piece makes the case that South African rugby has another scrum-capped, sidestepping gem on its hands.

SuperSport Rugby
AnalysisSpringboks

Sharks' 18-year-old Siyaya already on Erasmus's radar

Sharks teenager Zekhethelo Siyaya has lit up his debut URC season with sidestepping brilliance and already earned a Springbok alignment camp call-up — the piece profiles why the 18-year-old is being talked about as the future of Sharks rugby.

SuperSport Rugby
AnalysisSpringboks

Rassie's Nations Championship reckoning: the July squads that will shape RWC 2027

A demographic deep-dive into the seven leading RWC 2027 contenders argues the Nations Championship compresses the selection cycle by a year, placing Erasmus at the sharpest decision point: defend the title with the 2023 spine or finally acknowledge the cost of carrying an ageing pack into Australian conditions.

Planet Rugby
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Alexander backtracks on Champions Cup comments as Sharks owner issues funding warning

SA Rugby president Mark Alexander has retreated from comments that suggested a Champions Cup exit was under consideration, calling them speculation, after Sharks owner Marco Masotti threatened to pull funding if the franchises were removed from the competition. Alexander maintains the core issue is calendar congestion and continues to push for a global calendar aligning the Rugby Championship with the Six Nations — a proposal New Zealand Rugby opposes.

Planet Rugby
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Erasmus honoured with National Order of Ikhamanga in Gold

Rassie Erasmus has been awarded the National Order of Ikhamanga in Gold by the Presidency, with SA Rugby president Mark Alexander offering his congratulations on behalf of the union.

SuperSport Rugby
AnalysisSpringboks

Danny Care takes aim at Janse van Rensburg's England call-up

Danny Care argues that clearing Janse van Rensburg to play for England — at the expense of Ojomoh and Lawrence — undermines what international selection should stand for, with the former Junior Bok's eligibility switch via residency drawing sharp scrutiny ahead of a World Cup cycle.

Planet Rugby
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Leinster forwards coach singles out Sadie as Bordeaux's biggest threat ahead of Champions Cup final

Robin McBryde has named Carlü Sadie among the standout individual threats Bordeaux Bègles bring to Saturday's Investec Champions Cup final.

SA Rugby Mag