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Siya Kolisi of the Sharks, Teddy Williams of Cardiff and Embrose Papier of the Bulls. Following another enthralling weekend of United Rugby Championship (URC) action, here is the Planet Rugby Team of the Week for Round Seven. With a full round of games, plenty of teams are represented but South African duo, the Sharks and Bulls, lead the way with three apiece, while Zebre Parma are rewarded for their superb victory over the Ospreys. 15 Aphelele Fassi (Sharks): The speedster was always an excellent player at club level, but playing regularly for the Springboks has seemingly taken his game up…

Graeme Cattermole has condemned senior figures over the salary scandal engulfing the sport Gavin Mairs A former chairman of the Rugby Football Union has called on the governing body’s chief executive Bill Sweeney, its chair Tom Ilube and president Rob Udwin to resign or be sacked because of the salary scandal that has sparked widespread fury across the game in England. Graeme Cattermole, who was chairman of the governing body when England won the World Cup in 2003, called for their immediate departures in response to Telegraph Sport’s investigation into the crisis that has gripped the game. The senior leadership…

A couple of Springboks are flocking the South African next as they look to play in Europe. Do you think it’s the right move? Springboks ended the year with eleven wins in thirteen. However, with international rugby wrapping up for a few months, it’s time to divert one’s attention to club rugby. Herschel Jantjies and veteran Willie le Roux, who is idling on 98 Springbok caps, are leaving their South African clubs – Stormers and Blue Bulls – to join European sides. French side Bayonne have signed Jantjies, while Le Roux is reportedly heading to Premiership leaders Bath after being…

World Rugby has confirmed a surprise change to the pool format for this weekend’s Cape Town Sevens at the Cape Town Stadium. World Rugby has confirmed a surprise change to the pool format for this weekend’s Cape Town Sevens at the Cape Town Stadium. For the latest rugby news, bookmark The South African website’s dedicated section for free-to-read content A new competition format will see the 12 teams divided into four pools of three teams each. The four pool winners will advance directly to semi-finals and a chance to reach the medal podium in Cape Town. This was NOT the case in Dubai this past weekend – nor last season –…

Orlarst lndo Pirates suffered their fioss of the season in the Betway Premiership, falling 1-0 at home to a determined Stellenbosch side. Devin Titus gave the visitors the lead in the first half, and despite their efforts, the Buccaneers couldn’t find an equalizer at Orlando Stadium in Soweto, where they have traditionally been well-supported by fans. Meanwhile, Mamelodi Sundowns moved back to the top of the league standings after a dominant 3-0 win over Sekhukhune United at the Loftus Versfeld Stadium on Saturday evening. In other Saturday matches, AmaZulu extended their recent good form with a 3-1 victory over Richards Bay…

Kaizer Chiefs News Kaizer Chiefs head coach Nasreddine Nabi has explained the reasons behind Yusuf Maart’s inconsistent performances Kaizer Chiefs captain Yusuf Maart surprised his critics with superb performances last week. Coach Nasreddine Nabi has explained the reasons for his inconsistency. Speaking to the media after Amakhosi’s 2-2 draw against Royal AM last weekend, where Maart delivered another fine performance after his Man of the Match display against Richards Bay last Tuesday, coach Nabi said criticism from fans had hindered the 29-year-old Kaizer Chiefs career. “Yes, I think this is a problem for confidence, for himself,” Nabi said via FARPost.…

MARK KEOHANE urges Springbok fans to celebrate South Africa’s success, the brilliance of its players, and the leadership of Rassie Erasmus and Siya Kolisi. Writing for TimesLIVE, Keohane emphasises the importance of living in the moment and appreciating the current dominance of the Boks without unnecessary comparisons to past teams or eras. He highlights the Boks’ remarkable journey from the lows of historic defeats, such as the 57-0 loss to the All Blacks in 2017, to becoming back-to-back world champions. Keohane praises Erasmus for building and maintaining a winning culture while fostering humility and resilience. Kolisi, as both a captain…

Following the conclusion of their 2024 Autumn Nations Series, we update you on the state of the participating nations. Next up, it’s Rassie Erasmus’ Springboks. South Africa enjoyed a successful start to their international season, drawing a tight series 1-1 with Ireland, losing the second Test by a single point before going on to claim a first full Rugby Championship title after beating both the Wallabies and All Blacks twice. During this time, Erasmus chopped and changed his matchday 23s giving several young players and fringe stars to make their mark and did so successfully. This combined with the success…

A group of the country’s rugby power brokers, including billionaire Johann Rupert, is reportedly compiling an offer to rival SA Rugby’s proposed equity deal with US-based Ackerley Sports Group (ASG). According to Sunday newspaper Rapport, Rupert, Marco Masotti, and Johan le Roux – each holding a stake in the Vodacom Bulls, Sharks, and DHL Stormers respectively – are said to back an alternative proposal. A document outlining this plan will reportedly be presented to SARU on Monday, just days before its board is set to vote on the ASG deal. The ASG agreement would see the Americans acquire 20% of SARU’s…

Springbok boss Rassie Erasmus said the decision to have shoulder surgery was driven by his desire to remain hands-on with the world champions. Erasmus went under the knife in Johannesburg last week to address an old rugby injury. Speaking to Sunday newspaper Rapport, the two-time World Cup-winning coach shared the reasoning behind the procedure. “I really like to train and run with the players,” Erasmus told Rapport. “It became frustrating to no longer do that or get involved in certain exercises.” The operation was necessary as the injury had worsened over time, the 52-year-old explained, with many muscles in the…