Every story on the wire.
523 items · Springboks · Reports
Du Toit to captain Springboks as Kolisi and Etzebeth withdraw for England clash
Pieter-Steph du Toit captains the Springboks from the second row after Kolisi and Etzebeth withdraw late, while England lose Furbank to illness with Marcus Smith stepping in to start.
Etzebeth and Kolisi ruled out of historic Ellis Park Nations Championship clash
Eben Etzebeth and Siya Kolisi have been ruled out of Saturday's Nations Championship clash against England at Ellis Park, forcing a significant reshuffle that hands Paul de Villiers a Test debut at No 6 and moves Pieter-Steph du Toit to lock. England are also without George Furbank, with Marcus Smith set to cover fullback.
Kolisi and Etzebeth ruled out of Nations Championship opener against England
Siya Kolisi and Eben Etzebeth are both ruled out of Saturday's Nations Championship opener against England at Ellis Park, with Pieter-Steph du Toit moving to lock and Cameron Hanekom starting at No.7.
Furbank ruled out of Bok clash with appendicitis
George Furbank has been ruled out of Saturday's Test against the Springboks at Ellis Park after being hospitalised with appendicitis, with Marcus Smith expected to fill the No.15 jersey.
Moerat and Kriel head to La Rochelle in nine-man recruitment drive
La Rochelle have confirmed nine signings for next season, headlined by Springbok lock Salmaan Moerat on a three-year deal and Bulls centre David Kriel, with Scotland fly-half Ben Healy also joining as cover for the departing Ihaia West.
Kolisi admits nerves remain as intense as first Test captaincy
Siya Kolisi has revealed he still experiences the same pre-match nerves he felt when first captaining the Springboks against England in 2018. The double World Cup-winning skipper, who leads South Africa against England at Ellis Park on Saturday, believes losing those butterflies would signal the end of his international career.
Kolisi and Stick warn Boks: England will arrive charged up for Ellis Park opener
Kolisi and Stick have urged the Springboks not to underestimate England ahead of Saturday's Nations Championship opener at Ellis Park, highlighting England's backline threat, set-piece strength and the lessons of the 2023 World Cup semi-final as reasons to expect a fierce contest.
Libbok arrives in Springbok camp fresh and confident after Japan stint
Manie Libbok returns to the Springboks physically fresh and as Japan Rugby League One Division Two's leading points scorer, having accumulated 165 points in 14 matches for the Kintetsu Liners, with former Wallaby Will Genia noting the stint also developed Libbok into a stronger on-field leader.
Borthwick backs Pollock to thrive despite expected Springbok attention at Ellis Park
England coach Steve Borthwick has dismissed concerns that the Springboks will successfully neutralise Henry Pollock when the 21-year-old loose forward takes the field at Ellis Park on Saturday. Named on the bench for the Test, Pollock has been targeted by opposition sides throughout European rugby this season, yet continues to shine.
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.