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1,234 items · Springboks · Reports
SA Rugby pushes back on 'erroneous' ticket sales reports ahead of Springboks v England
SA Rugby has formally rejected reports that only 21,000 tickets were sold for Saturday's Springboks v England Nations Championship Test at Ellis Park, calling the claims 'erroneous and misinformed' while reaffirming its target of reaching 91% capacity. The match also sees Rassie Erasmus equal Jake White's record of 54 Tests as Springbok head coach.
Libbok handed Ellis Park redemption chance as Springboks face England
Manie Libbok will start at fly-half for the Springboks against England at Ellis Park on Saturday, returning to the venue where he endured a torrid afternoon in last year's collapse against Australia. With Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu injured and Handre Pollard off form, Rassie Erasmus has backed the creative playmaker to exploit an England side still searching for identity after their worst-ever Six Nations campaign. The contrast between the two sides is stark: South Africa arrive on an eight-match winning streak, while England have suffered four consecutive defeats earlier this year.
Porthen reveals intensity of Bok scrum sessions ahead of England Test
Stormers tighthead Zach Porthen, set for his fourth Test cap against England at Ellis Park on Saturday, says Springbok scrum sessions are deliberately more intense than match conditions, with coach Daan Human pushing props into mental and physical extremes to ensure they are never shocked by game-day demands.
Borthwick opts for Pollock impact role against Springboks at Ellis Park
Steve Borthwick has named Henry Pollock on the bench for England's Nations Championship clash against the Springboks at Ellis Park on Saturday, with Jamie George captaining a side that carries a six-two forward-to-back bench split.
SARU slash ticket prices for Nations Championship opener after 30,000 seats go unsold
SARU has cut ticket prices for the Nations Championship opener against England at Ellis Park on Saturday after more than 30,000 seats remained unsold by Thursday, with standard tickets now starting at R650.
England hand Martin Itoje's lock berth as Pollock benched for Ellis Park opener
Steve Borthwick has named George Martin to fill the void left by absent captain Maro Itoje as England prepare to face South Africa in the inaugural Nations Championship on Saturday. The head coach has made five changes to the side that lost to France in March, recalling George Furbank, Manny Feyi-Waboso and Tom Curry. Northampton's Henry Pollock, despite calls for a starting role, has been relegated to the bench as Borthwick opts for experience in the back row.
Curry starts at 7 as Pollock named on England bench for Ellis Park Test
Tom Curry starts at openside and Henry Pollock is named among the replacements as England, captained by Jamie George, prepare to face the Springboks at Ellis Park on Saturday in their Nations Championship opener.
Borthwick reshuffles for Ellis Park as Martin gets Itoje's number six shirt
Steve Borthwick makes five changes for England's Nations Championship opener at Ellis Park, with George Martin deputising for Maro Itoje and Henry Pollock named among the replacements despite calls for him to start.
Erasmus warns against complacency as Springboks prepare for England at Ellis Park
Rassie Erasmus has cautioned his Springbok side against underestimating England ahead of Saturday's Nations Championship opener at Ellis Park. Despite the world champions winning their past three encounters against England, Erasmus stressed that history shows the visitors can never be written off.
Fassi heads to Japan on sabbatical with Brave Lupus, returns to Sharks in 2027
Aphelele Fassi will join Japanese club Brave Lupus for the 2026-27 Rugby League One season on a Sharks-sanctioned sabbatical, returning to Durban in July 2027.
World Rugby issues scrum-feed directive ahead of Nations Championship
World Rugby has issued a Nations Championship directive to referees on scrum-half feeding angles, Rassie Erasmus confirmed, with Joel Jugte and new scrum consultant Jonathan Humphreys overseeing the communication to teams.
Rassie warns against complacency ahead of England test at Ellis Park
Erasmus, Davids and Stick warn against Springbok complacency ahead of Saturday's test against England at Ellis Park.
Porthen embracing scrum intensity ahead of England test
Springbok prop Zach Porthen, named on the bench for Saturday's Nations Championship opener against England at Ellis Park, says Bok scrum sessions have sharpened him both technically and mentally ahead of his first Test appearance against England.
Libbok relishing England challenge as Boks prepare for Ellis Park opener
Manie Libbok has backed the Springboks to handle a testing encounter against England in Saturday's Nations Championship opener at Ellis Park. The flyhalf praised England's quality and organisation whilst expressing confidence in South Africa's preparation for what he expects to be an epic battle.
Libbok relishing England challenge as Springboks finalise Nations Championship preparations
Manie Libbok expects a tough Nations Championship opener against England at Ellis Park on Saturday, praising Fin Smith as a creative threat while highlighting his well-established combination with Damian Willemse, who earns his 50th cap.
England dismiss IP concerns as Jones and Lewis reunion looms at Ellis Park
England assistant coach Kevin Sinfield says the movement of former colleagues Felix Jones and Joe Lewis into the Springbok setup is simply part of modern rugby, as England head to Ellis Park on Saturday using the Nations Championship to benchmark their progress after a troubled Six Nations.
England deploy hypoxic training and breathwork protocols ahead of Ellis Park Test
England have prepared for Ellis Park's altitude by training with hypoxic generators set to around 3,500 metres — double the Johannesburg elevation — and implementing structured breathwork protocols ahead of Saturday's Nations Championship opener against the Springboks.
Schalk Brits questions Rassie Erasmus' fly-half cover for England clash
Former Springbok hooker Schalk Brits has raised concerns over the absence of a recognised fly-half on the bench for Saturday's Nations Championship opener against England. With Handré Pollard omitted from the matchday 23 and Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu injured, Manie Libbok will start at 10 with limited replacement options should a change be required.
Fassi heads to Japan on sabbatical as Sharks full-back joins Brave Lupus for 2027 season
Aphelele Fassi will join Toshiba Brave Lupus Tokyo for the 2027 Rugby League One season on a sabbatical, having signed a new deal to remain at the Sharks long-term. The Springbok full-back is part of a triple signing alongside Scotland's Jack Dempsey and ex-All Black David Havili, who have both committed permanently to the Japanese club.
Coles relishes Etzebeth and Nortjé challenge as England prepare for Ellis Park opener
England lock Alex Coles has spoken of his excitement at facing Eben Etzebeth and Ruan Nortjé in Saturday's Nations Championship opener at Ellis Park. The Northampton Saints forward, set to deputise for the absent Maro Itoje, described the Springbok pair as among the world's best and views the fixture as an opportunity to stake his claim for a regular starting role under Steve Borthwick.