Find players, teams, stories.
Full-text search across every published story plus direct lookup on all seeded players, teams and competitions.
Alexander kills Champions Cup exit talk — but the load problem hasn't gone away
Alexander has dismissed Champions Cup exit talk as 'hogwash', but the load-management crisis driving the speculation is very much unresolved — the piece maps the competing pressures on SA Rugby heading into the July workshop.
Nell savours breakthrough Blitzboks season as title race reaches climax
Jayden Nell has reflected on a debut international season that saw the 22-year-old finally break into the Blitzboks side after three years of injury setbacks. The former Hoërskool Durbanville outside back scored his first try in last weekend's tense quarter-final victory over Spain in Valladolid as South Africa head to France this weekend leading the HSBC SVNS World Championship with one tournament remaining.
Nell savours breakthrough Blitzbok season as title bid reaches Bordeaux
Jayden Nell heads into the Bordeaux SVNS tournament — his fourth consecutive start this season — having scored his first Blitzbok try in Valladolid as South Africa carry the series lead into the final event. Donavan Don has joined the squad as cover for the injured Dewald Human.
Defence coaches are the IPL's bowlers — and Sacha's injury is a reminder of rugby's brutal attrition
Rich argues that Nienaber and Edwards are collateral damage from rugby's structural shift toward high-scoring attack — not personal failures — and draws the IPL bowler analogy to explain why defence coaches are being unfairly measured. He also unpacks Sacha's injury in the context of rugby's brutal attrition rate, and makes a case that the Bulls have the easier semifinal path to a potential Cape Town final.
Kriel unbothered by year-round rugby grind — but the calendar debate rages on
Kriel shrugs off the 11-months-a-year grind while SA Rugby battles New Zealand's resistance to a global calendar overhaul — the piece maps both the player reality and the political impasse.
Nienaber the Sacrificial Lamb? Lekker Rugby Pod Makes the Case Against Leinster's Boardroom Politics
The Lekker Rugby Pod argues Nienaber is being made a sacrificial lamb for Leinster's failures, with Leo Cullen — not the defence — identified as the real problem, and a possible early return to South African rugby floated.
De Villiers focused on Leinster semi-final as Springbok talk grows
Stormers loose forward Paul de Villiers, among the URC's top defenders this season, says the focus is entirely on Saturday's semi-final against Leinster in Dublin, setting aside growing talk of a Springbok call-up for the Nations Championship.
Jackman: Nienaber was right, coherent — but the coaching structure raises bigger questions
Jackman rates Nienaber's press conference as coherent and factually grounded, but his breakdown of Nienaber's described role — coordinating logistics rather than owning the game plan — raises pointed questions about where strategic accountability actually sits in the Leinster coaching structure.
Jackman backs Nienaber: 'He had his facts' — and the press conference revealed something bigger
Jackman validates Nienaber's press conference as coherent and largely correct, then offers a pointed structural critique: based on Nienaber's own description of his role, nobody at Leinster appears to be co-ordinating the overall game plan — which, Jackman argues, shows on the pitch.
Kriel vows to stay at Yokohama until he wins the JRLO championship
Jesse Kriel has committed to staying at the Yokohama Canon Eagles until he wins the JRLO championship, dismissing reported European interest, while reflecting on a difficult season in which he served as the club's first foreign-born captain. Eagles teammate Faf de Klerk, meanwhile, has departed for the Cheetahs after four years in Japan.
Van Rooyen finds silver linings after Lions' 59-10 playoff hammering by Leinster
Ivan van Rooyen says kicking errors gifted Leinster the platform for a 59-10 demolition of the Lions in their debut URC playoff appearance, but pointed to the squad's youth and growing Springbok presence as grounds for optimism heading into the off-season.
CANAL+ confirms RWC 2027, Women's RWC 2029 and URC broadcast rights for Sub-Saharan Africa
CANAL+ Group has secured broadcast rights for RWC 2027, Women's RWC 2029, the Junior World Championship, and the Pacific Nations Cup across Sub-Saharan Africa via SuperSport, and has also renewed its exclusive multi-year URC deal.
Nell savours maiden Blitzbok season as squad targets SVNS title in Bordeaux
Jayden Nell is set for his fourth consecutive SVNS tournament appearance in Bordeaux this weekend, having scored his first Blitzbok try in last week's quarterfinal win over Spain. Donavan Don has joined the squad as cover for the injured Dewald Human, with South Africa leading the overall SVNS World Championship standings heading into the final tournament.
Stormers face Leinster semi-final without Feinberg-Mngomezulu after costly Cardiff win
The Stormers travel to Dublin for their URC semi-final against Leinster on Saturday without Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu, who suffered a serious ankle injury in the quarterfinal win over Cardiff, with Seabelo Senatla, Ruben van Heerden and Dan du Plessis also in doubt.
Umaga wants the All Blacks feared again — and Rennie's the man to do it
Umaga admits the All Blacks have lost their shine and outlines how Rennie's leadership culture — and Savea's role as a players' voice — aims to restore it ahead of a season that ends with four Tests against the Springboks.
150 caps, one goal: Grobbelaar wants a Murrayfield final
Grobbelaar reaches 150 Bulls caps in the URC semifinal against Glasgow — the piece looks at what he brings, how he's processed the pain of previous finals, and why the Bulls scrum could be the difference at Murrayfield.
Nienaber questions his Leinster future ahead of Stormers semi
Nienaber publicly questioned his future at Leinster ahead of the URC semifinal against the Stormers, saying sustained media hostility has left him unsure whether he'll see out his contract — adding a charged backdrop to what is already a high-stakes clash for the Cape side.
Grobbelaar's 150th Cap Means Nothing Without the Win
With 150 Bulls caps on the line in the URC semi-final, Grobbelaar is focused entirely on the result — the feature traces his career, his role in the Bulls' set-piece game plan, and why he's treating Murrayfield as opportunity rather than revenge.
Who steps up at hooker if Marx is seriously hurt?
Marx's playoff injury has exposed South Africa's unresolved hooker depth problem. The piece assesses the full candidate pool — Wessels, Grobbelaar, Van Staden, Venter, Dweba and teenage prospect Mnebelele — and what 2026 might look like as the last real development window before the World Cup.
Nienaber puts his Leinster future on the line over defensive system
Nienaber says he'll adapt his defensive system if it serves Leinster, but warns that if he can't coach the alternative to the highest level, he's not the right guy — a candid statement that frames his entire Leinster future around whether the blitz can be made to work.