More pre-season player movements
With the local 2021 season officially starting this week with a series of preparation matches between eight provincial unions, the player transfer market has also kicked into gear.

Battle for Champions Cup places on in Guinness PRO14
Leinster and Munster retained their strangleholds on their respective Guinness PRO14 conference standings and appear to be on course to clash in the final.

Increased rest days confirmed for RWC 2023
Rugby World Cup 2023 in France will feature increased rest periods for all teams after the Rugby World Cup Board, the World Rugby Executive Committee, the France 2023 organising committee and International Rugby Players agreed a ground-breaking package of player welfare principles that will underpin a greatly enhanced match schedule when it is announced later this month.

Call of duty in new role inspires Ngcobo
At the age of 22, Sandile Ngcobo threw his rugby boots in the dust bin and started working with a courier company at OR Tambo International Airport – this despite playing provincial rugby for the Lions at U13, U16 and U18 level before representing them at Under-21 level.

Ulster have little room for error
Ulster’s return to action for the first time in five weeks will leave no room for error as they chase defending Guinness PRO14 champions Leinster in a tense Conference A battle.

SuperSport to broadcast preparation matches
SA Rugby and SuperSport announced on Friday that they will be broadcasting all 16 preparation fixtures live when the local rugby season kicks off next weekend.

Second prize also a win for Blitzboks - Powell
The Springbok Sevens squad planned to test their mettle against a number of Olympic medal contenders in Spain this weekend, but got very good value against the local Stellenbosch Academy of Sport Sevens and a visiting Russian club side, Narvskaya Zastava, in a mini-tournament at Markotter Stadium in Stellenbosch on Friday.

Women’s rugby receives strategic boost
SA Rugby has re-focused its approach to women’s rugby as a major strategic objective for the organisation, Jurie Roux, CEO, said on Thursday.

Hit-out crucial to check progress – Ngcobo
The first organised sevens hit-outs of 2021 bring a huge sense of anticipation and relief as all involved are very keen to measure the progress they have made thus far this year.

Kitshoff and Mbonambi share tricks of the trade with Bok Women
Two experienced Springbok front rankers, Steven Kitshoff and Bongi Mbonambi, spent a productive session with the Springbok Women in Stellenbosch on Tuesday as part of the training squad’s preparations for the Rugby World Cup later this year in New Zealand.