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Nche hails cultural shift as Sharks lead URC standings
Ox Nche has praised the Hollywoodbets Sharks' improved alignment and cultural changes following their strong start to the United Rugby Championship season. The Springbok loosehead, speaking ahead of Saturday's derby against the DHL Stormers in Cape Town, said the Durban side are now translating words into action after structural changes in the off-season.
Lions know a Loftus win sets the tone for a brutal six-game block
With a daunting European tour looming, the Lions know a win at Loftus on Saturday is the foundation everything else gets built on. Redelinghuys unpacks the six-game block ahead and what Boan Venter is already bringing to the set piece.
Nche credits 'action over words' as Sharks hit their stride under Pietersen
Ox Nche credits JP Pietersen's first-year impact for a shift in culture at the Sharks, who lead the URC after back-to-back bonus-point wins, with a Cape derby against the Stormers next up on Saturday.
Springbok and All Black ticket demand dwarfs England's at Twickenham Nations Championship finale
Demand for Springbok and All Black tickets at the Nations Championship finals weekend at Twickenham has exceeded that for host nation England, with both southern hemisphere allocations already sold out.
Bok Women launch 'Make Room for Her' breast health campaign with Project Flamingo
The Springbok Women have partnered with Project Flamingo and Engen SA to launch 'Make Room for Her', a campaign combining women's sport advocacy with breast health action, anchored by a monthly self-check call to action and backed by a visit to Groote Schuur Hospital's breast clinic.
Brown's blueprint: momentum, speed, space — and why South African instincts need rewiring
Brown outlines his three attacking pillars — momentum, speed, space — and identifies the core mindset challenge with Bok players: a deep-seated tendency to run over defenders rather than attack space, something he's been quietly rewiring since joining the setup.
World Rugby bans hip-drop tackle after Springbok coach's input on player welfare
World Rugby has outlawed the hip-drop and knee-drop tackles following recommendations from an expert working group that included Springbok assistant coach Felix Jones. The hip-drop technique, which caused serious leg injuries at the recent U20 World Championship, will be sanctioned with at least a penalty from November 1. The decision reflects growing concern over dangerous tackling methods that threaten player welfare.
World Rugby bans hip drop and knee drop tackles from November 1
World Rugby has banned hip drop and knee drop tackles from November 1, following lobbying that included Springboks coach Felix Jones, after Elrigh Louw spent 10 months on the sideline with a fractured leg and knee ligament damage sustained from a hip drop in early 2025.
Tonyball: Brown's attack philosophy starts with the personnel, not the playbook
Brown explains that his attack approach is built around who's available, then shaped toward momentum and space — a flexible rather than fixed system. Worth reading for the insight into how Bok attack strategy is actually constructed.
Felix Jones helped shape World Rugby's new hip-drop and knee-drop tackle laws
Felix Jones was part of the World Rugby working group that has formalised penalties for hip-drop and knee-drop tackles, with the law changes coming into effect on 5 October and 1 November respectively.
SA Super Rugby return not on table, but NZ relationship 'really tight' — Lancaster
NZ Rugby CEO Steve Lancaster says a South African return to Super Rugby is not being discussed, with SA Rugby committed to the URC and bullish about their current competition structure, while the bilateral relationship between the two unions is described as 'really tight' following the Rugby's Greatest Rivalry series.
Cheetahs snap up Junior World Champion Malgas from Stormers
The Cheetahs have signed versatile back Dominic Malgas from the Stormers. The 21-year-old, a member of South Africa's 2025 U20 World Championship-winning squad, covers the full back three and is a capable goal-kicker.
Nche endorses Sharks' cultural shift as structural changes take hold
Ox Nche has backed the structural and cultural changes at the Sharks, with defence coach Joey Mongalo pointing to the appointments of Rory Duncan as chief of staff and Dave Williams as general manager as the foundation of a more rugby-focused organisation — as the log-leading Sharks prepare to face the Stormers in Cape Town on Saturday.
Tonyball decoded: Brown explains his Springbok attack philosophy
Brown outlines a personnel-driven attack philosophy built on momentum, speed, and space — less rigid system, more adaptive framework. Worth reading for anyone trying to understand the tactical logic behind the Bok attack.
From 'you'll never play again' to Springbok try-scorer: Groenewald's remarkable rise
Anushka Groenewald was told at the start of her career she'd never play rugby again after a serious ankle injury — she's now a 13-cap Springbok Women hooker with her first Test try to her name. This exclusive interview covers her comeback, the pack's growing reputation, and her call to the next generation.
Sharks' blueprint: Starve the Stormers maul at source
Rich argues the Stormers-Sharks derby turns on whether Etzebeth and the Sharks lineout can repeat last January's blueprint — disrupt the Stormers at source and neuter their maul before it starts. He unpacks why the Edinburgh lineout malfunction was more systemic than just Venter's HIA exit, and what Dobson needs to fix.
Sharks' culture shift is real — but the Stormers will be the first proper test
Rich's piece assesses the Sharks' structural overhaul and cultural reset through the voices of Nche, Mongalo, and Lemmer — finding genuine early signs of progress, but framing Saturday's trip to Cape Town as the first real measure of whether the rebuild is more than rhetoric.
Venter relishes personal edge of Jukskei Derby against Bok teammates
Lions loosehead Boan Venter says Saturday's Jukskei Derby at Loftus carries a personal edge as he prepares to face Bok teammates, with the Lions looking to back up nine points from two rounds and repeat last season's win over the Bulls.
Stormers vs Sharks: When the scrum becomes the game
Rich's derby preview makes the case that the Stormers-Sharks scrum battle is the defining contest within the contest — two packs that may collectively outrank most international front rows, led by Nche and Louw, who know each other too well for either to expect an easy ride.
Venter relishing personal edge of Jukskei Derby debut
Venter opens up on his first Jukskei Derby as a Lion — the personal stakes of facing Bok teammates, his quick settling-in at the Lions, and what he expects from a Bulls side built on a set-piece foundation.