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Skinstad: All Blacks miss ‘being tackled by a South African’ South Africa pulled out of a long-time Super Rugby partnership with New Zealand and Australia in 2020 and the Vodacom Bulls, Lions, Sharks and DHL Stormers made their Vodacom URC debut in 2021. Over the past five seasons, the All Blacks have lost their grip on top spot on the world rankings, while the Wallabies tumbled as low as eighth. “I say this in a caveated format because I absolutely love New Zealand,” Skinstad told Planet Rugby. “I love New Zealand rugby, I love what it stands for, I love what…
Bolstered by Springbok experience, hooker Johan Grobbelaar is fired up for the Vodacom Bulls’ Champions Cup opener against Saracens in London on Saturday. “The biggest thing that I learned with the Boks is studying opposition and preparing for games,” said Grobbelaar, who made the third of his Test appearances in South Africa’s 45-12 victory against Wales at the Principality Stadium in November. “Looking at things in a different way, to see how they are thinking and what they are doing. “When you move into the Springbok environment you get to speak to and work with a lot of senior players…
Kaizer Chiefs have a few of their players whose contracts expire at the end of the current campaign but at least two could be kept. Kaizer Chiefs have reportedly offered two senior players new contract deals in an attempt to keep them beyond June 2025. According to a source known to Soccer Laduma, both Yusuf Maart and Reeve Frosler may extend their stay at Naturena. Both Maart and Frosler will see their contracts expire in June, and Chiefs are not ready to lose them. Maart, who is also the club’s captain, has been with Amakhosi for two-and-a-half years. Frosler, on…
Donavan Don believes the new format that is set to be introduced at the Cape Town SVNS tournament this week has upped the stakes for the Blitzboks following their disappointing sixth place finish in the 2024-25 series opener in Dubai on Sunday. Under the new format, each team will play only two pool matches at Cape Town Stadium on Saturday, with the four pool winners progressing directly to the semi-finals. In contrast to the conventional format, where the top two teams in each pool advance to the quarter-finals, the format change places a premium on every pool match as teams…
IN THE SPOTLIGHT: This weekend, there is a buzz in Cape Town as some of the top teams on the sevens circuit get ready for World Rugby’s HSBC Cape Town SVNS. The tournament kicks off on Saturday, with the champions crowned at the Cape Town Stadium on Sunday. Twelve teams will fight for the title; unfortunately, the South Africa Women’s Sevens squad will not feature in the two-day series. The side failed to secure promotion from the HSBC Sevens Challenger and in the end, did not get a spot in the HSBC World SVNS Series. The team has been working…
Saile’s time seems to be up Christian Saile’s spell with Kaizer Chiefs has been frustrating. News reports indicate the club has finally given up on the Congolese attacker. Kaizer Chiefs ready to let go of Saile 25-year-old Christian Saile has struggled to cement a place in the starting XI. He arrived on a high-profile transfer in January 2023. He’s been utilized almost exclusively as a right-winger rather than a central number 9. He’s got seven goals and four assists in 54 appearances. Not a great return, is it “They have tried to give him a chance and be patient with…
Bulls director of rugby and former World Cup-winning coach Jake White has fired criticism towards a current Springboks winger. White, the former Springboks coach from 2004-2007 who won the Rugby World Cup in his final year, spoke about the physical shape that current Bulls winger Canan Moodie is in after returning from their Northern tour. Moodie only started one Test match on the Springboks end-of-year tour, which came against Scotland at Murrayfield. White seems to have been aggravated that his winger wasn’t released to prepare for the Bulls games earlier, like some other Springboks. When asked about Moodie’s performance against Connacht on Saturday in Galway, White criticised his winger’s…
Striker Kaizer Chiefs Kaizer Chiefs are reportedly willing to cut their losses on a player they signed last year! Kaizer Chiefs FC are set to take a major decision on the future of one of their first team players. Christian Saile joined the Glamour Boys at the beginning of 2023 in a deal reported to be worth over R2 million! Saile joined the Amakhosi on a three-and-a-half year deal from Zambian club Nchanga Rangers, however he looks unlikely to see the end of his contract at Naturena. According to the latest reports, Kaizer Chiefs are willing to release the Congolese…
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…