Every story on the wire.
4,050 items
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.
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.
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.
How a vague headline ignited a Champions Cup storm that wasn't really there
Brenden Nel argues the Champions Cup exit story was built on almost nothing — a paraphrased aside in one Afrikaans piece — and that SA Rugby's deep financial and structural investment in the EPCR makes any such exit illogical, while pointing out that the most vocal critics conveniently ignore the structural inequities within the competition itself.
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.
Giteau Law debate flares as Mo'unga eligibility row divides All Black voices
Parsons draws a line between backing a Giteau Law and supporting a narrow eligibility carve-out for Mo'unga specifically — the distinction matters as NZ Rugby wrestles with whether their contracted fly-half can face the Springboks this August.
Former Junior Bok Janse van Rensburg called into England training squad
Former Junior Springbok centre Benhard Janse van Rensburg has been called into England's 42-man training squad, with residency eligibility kicking in on 8 July — ruling him out of the Springbok Test but freeing him for the Fiji match the following weekend.
Rennie's word for his All Blacks reset: 'Brutality'
Martin Devlin reports that Dave Rennie has told New Zealand media his All Blacks reset centres on 'brutality' over flair — and that Rennie privately selected Richie Mwanga for the tour opener despite NZR eligibility rules blocking him, a conflict Devlin says NZ rugby has yet to resolve.
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.
Jobb's hunger hasn't cooled after four straight titles
Sebastiaan Jobb reflects on a remarkable personal turnaround — from red-card misery and squad omissions to four consecutive titles — and makes clear the Blitzboks aren't treating the final two European legs as a lap of honour.
Sharks' youth injection is meaningless without a proper pre-season
JP Pietersen's late-season youth selections have given the Sharks something Plumtree never had — a viable pre-season nucleus not yet consumed by Bok duty. The piece argues the club must resist the Currie Cup temptation and protect that pre-season window to make the youth injection actually count.
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.
Jobb's hunger still burning despite four consecutive titles
After being dropped for Dubai and Cape Town and carrying the baggage of two red cards, Sebastiaan Jobb overhauled his lifestyle and clawed his way into the Blitzboks' most successful squad in history — and he's not done yet.
Jobb's hunger drives Blitzboks into European finale
Jobb reflects on the mindset shifts and lifestyle changes that turned a frustrating Blitzboks career into four consecutive trophy lifts — and why he's not easing up heading into the European World Championship finale.
Rudolph outshines Springbok-laden Bulls squad again as Nortje leads dominant Benetton demolition
The Bulls beat Benetton 45-19 at Loftus, with Jeandre Rudolph rated nine out of ten after winning four turnovers and making a game-high 12 tackles, again outshining his Springbok teammates. Ruan Nortje was close behind with a dominant all-round display, while Sergeal Peterson scored twice and Embrose Papier impressed on the back of his alignment camp call-up.
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.