Every story on the wire.
2,970 items · Springboks
Kolisi and Stick brace for Buenos Aires cauldron as Bok injury returnees get their chance
Siya Kolisi and Mzwandile Stick have warned of a fierce battle in Buenos Aires on Saturday, as Kolisi, Etzebeth, De Jager, Feinberg-Mngomezulu and Van den Berg return from injury for the Rugby Championship clash against Argentina at Estadio José Amalfitani (kickoff 21h10 SA time).
Kolisi and Etzebeth return as Springboks face rankings threat in Buenos Aires
South Africa travel to Argentina on Saturday with captain Siya Kolisi and lock Eben Etzebeth both returning from injury, but the world champions face a delicate balancing act. Rassie Erasmus has prioritised rebuilding combinations over scoreboard dominance, yet defeat at Estadio José Amalfitani would hand New Zealand top spot in the World Rugby rankings ahead of the Greatest Rivalry series.
Kolisi and Stick sound the alarm ahead of Buenos Aires test
Kolisi and Stick return with injury comebacks for Saturday's Buenos Aires clash, warning the squad that a near-home Pumas side with a vibrating crowd demands the Boks arrive with full physical and mental intent — or risk handing Argentina exactly the momentum they need.
Louw starts against Argentina after defying career-ending injury fears
Elrigh Louw starts for the Springboks against Argentina on Saturday after defying career-ending fears following a broken leg and torn knee ligaments sustained in January, with the 26-year-old crediting the motivation of returning to Test rugby as the driving force behind his ahead-of-schedule rehabilitation.
Springboks could surrender World Rugby top spot to All Blacks if Argentina pull off Buenos Aires upset
A Springbok defeat in Buenos Aires on Saturday — by any margin — would hand New Zealand the World Rugby number-one ranking, with South Africa currently holding a 10.83-point buffer that also prevents them from gaining any points through victory.
Springboks face rankings peril in Buenos Aires with no upside
South Africa can gain no World Rugby rankings points from Saturday's clash with Argentina but risk surrendering top spot to New Zealand if they suffer a fourth defeat on Argentinian soil. A loss by more than 15 points would drop the Springboks nearly two points behind the All Blacks, who sit second on 92.28 points. Victory, meanwhile, yields no reward due to the 10.83-point differential between the sides.
Rankings trap: Boks can't gain at the top, but can fall from it
The rankings maths in Buenos Aires is brutally one-sided — the Boks can't climb, but a slip-up against Los Pumas opens the door for the All Blacks to leapfrog them at the top.
Springboks could surrender world No.1 ranking if Argentina spring a shock in Buenos Aires
South Africa's No.1 World Rugby ranking is at risk against Argentina in Buenos Aires on Saturday — a Springbok defeat of any margin hands New Zealand the top spot, while a win yields no ratings points due to the 10.83-point differential between the sides.
Kolisi, Etzebeth and SFM return as Boks prioritise combinations over scorelines in Buenos Aires
Erasmus frames Saturday's Buenos Aires Test as a combination-building exercise rather than a statement win, with Kolisi, Etzebeth, De Jager and Feinberg-Mngomezulu all returning from injury. Argentina's own disruptions — Albornoz banned, Montoya absent, four uncapped players included — add genuine uncertainty. Rugby365 tips the Boks by 15.
All Blacks embark on first full South African tour in 30 years
New Zealand begin an eight-match tour of South Africa on Friday, restoring a tradition dormant since the mid-1990s. Marketed as Rugby's Greatest Rivalry, the venture includes fixtures against all four URC franchises and four Tests against the Springboks, with the final encounter scheduled for Baltimore in September.
SuperSport secures broadcast rights for All Blacks' full SA tour
CANAL+ has confirmed SuperSport will broadcast all eight matches of the All Blacks' first full South African tour in 30 years, covering both the four-Test Springbok series and the URC fixtures, starting with the Stormers hosting New Zealand in Cape Town tonight at 19h00.
Faf de Klerk returns to start as Cheetahs ring changes for Stormers XXIII clash
Faf de Klerk starts at nine for the Cheetahs against the Stormers XXIII on Sunday, with Frans Steyn also reshuffling his midfield and back three.
Mallett: Role clarity is the secret behind Bok depth
Mallett argues Erasmus's rotation policy works not because of talent depth alone, but because every Bok understands their positional role with absolute clarity — a product of alignment camps and deliberate selection of inexperienced teams against quality opposition.
SuperSport confirms broadcast rights for all eight Rugby's Greatest Rivalry fixtures
SuperSport has secured broadcast rights for all four Tests and four provincial matches in Rugby's Greatest Rivalry series, with the All Blacks making their first full tour to South Africa since 1996.
Etzebeth and De Jager return as Erasmus balances Argentina respect with All Blacks preparation
Eben Etzebeth and Lood de Jager will start against Argentina in Buenos Aires on Saturday as they return from injury, with Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu also named in a side balancing immediate objectives with Greatest Rivalry planning. Rassie Erasmus insisted the Springboks would not disrespect Los Pumas by looking past Saturday's fixture, despite mounting excitement over the four-Test series against New Zealand beginning on 22 August. The coach acknowledged the depth of his squad would prove crucial across the All Blacks series, describing it as a war of attrition requiring both nations to dig deep into their playing resources.
Rassie expects fierce grind as inexperienced Boks face Argentina in Buenos Aires
Rassie Erasmus expects a fierce, grinding contest in Saturday's one-off Test against Argentina in Buenos Aires, with both teams carrying limited experience in their selected combinations.
Buenos Aires is a fitness test, not a real contest — but the stakes are high
Rich frames the Buenos Aires Test as a fitness and form audition for Erasmus's returning veterans ahead of the All Blacks series — the Argentina threat is real enough to respect, but the real question is whether Etzebeth, Kolisi, De Jager and Feinberg-Mngomezulu come through ready to front New Zealand at Ellis Park.
Erasmus draws line in the sand: Argentina first, All Blacks later
Erasmus pushes back on Greatest Rivalry hype, insisting the Argentina Test demands full respect while using it as a fitness audition for Etzebeth, De Jager and Feinberg-Mngomezulu ahead of what he describes as a World Cup pool's worth of rugby against the All Blacks.
Greatest Rivalry tour kicks off with a legal fight over its own branding
Meagher's piece frames the Springbok-All Black 'Greatest Rivalry' series through a commercial lens — big marketing, a limited-edition jersey, and a pre-tournament legal battle in South Africa over the series' own branding. Worth reading for the full breakdown of what's at stake off the field.
Rassie backs Rugby Championship shift to February window
SARU and Erasmus are both publicly backing a Rugby Championship shift to February, framing calendar harmonisation as essential to player welfare and competitive integrity — and Argentina's scheduling constraints show exactly why the problem is harder than it looks.