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2,991 items · Springboks
Mahashe cleared as Lions manage injury concerns ahead of Leinster quarterfinal
Siba Mahashe has been cleared after a spitting allegation during the Lions' loss to Munster at Thomond Park was found to be unsubstantiated, with the URC citing commissioner ruling no action was feasible after video evidence proved inconclusive. The Lions remain in Dublin ahead of their quarterfinal against Leinster, with injury scans pending on Henco van Wyk, Francke Horn and Ruan Venter.
Contepomi wants to rewrite the Barbarians script against the Boks
Contepomi talks up the June 20 Baa-baas fixture as a genuine contest, not a lap of honour — he wants to reverse last year's 54-7 result and sees Erasmus's serious approach to the game as validation that his side should prepare accordingly.
Kolisi bids Kings Park farewell with a brace as youth-laden Sharks demolish Zebre
A youth-heavy Sharks side beat Zebre 54-19 in their URC season finale at Kings Park, with Siya Kolisi scoring twice in his farewell appearance before returning to the Stormers, while debutant flyhalf Vusi Moyo and fullback Zekhethelu Siyaya further pressed their cases.
Kolisi bows out with a brace as Sharks thrash Zebre 54-19 in URC finale
Siya Kolisi scored twice in his final Sharks appearance as the franchise ended their URC season with a commanding 54-19 win over Zebre Parma in Durban, with André Esterhuizen dominant in the carry and teenage debutant fly-half Simphiwe Vusi Moyo contributing 15 points.
SA Rugby to hold strategic planning session on player welfare amid Champions Cup exit rumours
SA Rugby will convene a strategic planning session before the end of July to address player welfare concerns stemming from the year-round schedule conflict between the URC/Champions Cup calendar and the Rugby Championship, amid rumours of a potential Champions Cup withdrawal.
Ntlabakanye handed 18-month ban ruling him out of 2027 World Cup
Lions tighthead Asenathi Ntlabakanye has been suspended for 18 months following an anti-doping rule violation, a sanction that will keep him out of the 2027 Rugby World Cup. The ban, effective from 13 May 2026, stems from a positive test for Anastrozole and the self-declared use of DHEA. Ntlabakanye has 21 days to lodge an appeal with the Court of Arbitration for Sport.
Stormers stunned at Cardiff as Feinberg-Mgomezulu struggles and Welsh underdogs gate-crash the play-offs
Cardiff's fully-deserved win over the Stormers books their URC play-off spot, with Feinberg-Mgomezulu's error-filled night emblematic of a Stormers side who were outpaced and outworked throughout — and whose second-place seeding now hinges on Leinster's result.
SA Rugby weighs Champions Cup exit as Alexander warns of tough calls ahead
SA Rugby is weighing a withdrawal from the Champions Cup to ease player workload, with president Mark Alexander confirming a July workshop will determine which competitions the organisation retains, as 14 years of global calendar talks continue to stall over New Zealand Rugby's resistance to shifting Super Rugby Pacific.
Bulls face Benetton without Coetzee and Arendse as Pollard, Le Roux return
The Bulls face Benetton on Saturday without flu-stricken Marcell Coetzee and Kurt-Lee Arendse, with Pollard, Le Roux and Louw returning to a reshuffled side. A bonus-point win could move them into the top four and earn a home quarterfinal. Willie le Roux plays his 400th first-class match; Stravino Jacobs earns his 100th Bulls cap.
Du Toit backs England's young tightheads — but says patience is non-negotiable
Du Toit rates Fasogbon and Sela as future Test props but defends Borthwick's patience, explaining why tightheads need careful handling early in their careers — and still backs Stuart as England's best for years to come.
Springboks open inaugural Nations Championship against England at Ellis Park
The Springboks face England at Ellis Park in 50 days to open the inaugural Nations Championship.
Du Toit opens up on battling through rugby's toughest prop depth chart
Du Toit reflects on a stop-start Bok career he attributes to playing in South Africa's deepest-ever prop generation, and details how Erasmus's staff use targeted, low-frequency contact to keep overseas-based players aligned with Springbok systems.
Ntlabakanye handed 18-month ban that rules him out of 2027 Rugby World Cup
Lions prop Asenathi Ntlabakanye has been suspended for 18 months following doping violations involving Anastrozole and DHEA, with the ban running until 13 November 2027 — the day of the Rugby World Cup final — ruling him out of the tournament.
How Welsh Scrums Made Brok Harris — and Why That's Now the Stormers' Weapon
Brok Harris explains how scrumming in Wales retooled his entire technical understanding, and how that knowledge now drives the Stormers' penalty-generating scrum machine — with Sazi Sandi as its most explosive output.
Rassie Erasmus to receive Order of Ikhamanga — South Africa's highest national honour
Rassie Erasmus will receive the Order of Ikhamanga — South Africa's highest national honour — from President Cyril Ramaphosa at an investiture ceremony on 19 May, recognising his role in the Springboks' back-to-back World Cup titles and his contribution to national unity.
Ntlabakanye handed 18-month ban that rules him out of 2027 Rugby World Cup
Lions tighthead Asenathi Ntlabakanye has been suspended for 18 months from 13 May 2026, with the ban expiring on the day of the 2027 Rugby World Cup final after he tested positive for Anastrozole and self-declared use of the anabolic steroid DHEA.
Du Toit: Scrummaging against Ox Nche in training is harder than Test rugby
Du Toit says Bok scrum training — going up against Nche, Steenekamp and Venter — is harder than Test rugby, and breaks down the technical and physical differences between loosehead and tighthead that explain why South Africa's scrum is built the way it is.
Ntlabakanye handed 18-month ban, set to miss 2027 Rugby World Cup
Asenathi Ntlabakanye has been banned for 18 months by the IDHP after testing positive for Anastrozole and self-declaring DHEA use, ruling him out until November 2027 and ending his hopes of featuring at the Rugby World Cup. The Lions say they will stand by him as he weighs an appeal.
SA Rugby revenues hit R2bn as half a billion flows to national teams
SA Rugby's revenues rose 29 per cent to R2bn in 2025, with R500m spent on national teams and record sponsorship income of R739m, though the group still recorded a R40m pre-tax loss.
TMOs are killing the game — and school rugby proves it
A sharp column using the disallowed Mahashe try as the centrepiece of a broader argument that TMOs have abandoned their 'clear and obvious' brief — applied forensic scrutiny to one try while waving through questionable scores elsewhere in the same game. Also covers New Zealand's overseas eligibility self-sabotage and the URC final-round permutations.