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1,205 items · Springboks
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Sharks lock Ethan Hooker down until 2029
The Sharks have secured Ethan Hooker on a contract extension running until the end of 2029.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.