Rugby

Scottish Rugby has today confirmed Corstorphine Cougars Rugby Club as the recipients of £250,000 in funding from the second phase of funding from the Major Capital Investment stream. The Major Capital Investment award is part of the ‘Growth & Participation Fund’ and was established from the £5M Scottish Government funding during the Covid-19 pandemic. This …

The Springbok Women’s Sevens are under no illusions about the realities of playing in the HSBC SVNS – they are literally taking on the world for survival, according to one of the team’s forwards, Asisipho Plaatjies. Plaatjies will run out at The Sevens Stadium in Dubai for the first time, although she has donned the …

The crunch SA Shield derby at Loftus Versfeld on Saturday will showcase an electrifying showdown between Hollywoodbets Sharks Aphelele Fassi and Vodacom Bulls playmaker Willie le Roux. Fassi has made a flying start to the 2023-24 Vodacom United Rugby Championship and scored a try-double in last week’s emphatic victory over the visiting Welsh Dragons, while …

Scrum plough Wilco Louw’s return to South Africa has given horns to a raging Vodacom Bulls set piece and life to his hopes of harvesting a Springboks recall. Louw was again a driving force for the Vodacom Bulls in a thunderous Round 6 clash at Loftus Versfeld where the hosts dismantled Connacht to climb to …

There are familiar comforts in Dubai for the Springbok Sevens team, with the knowledge that a good track record and some passionate support await them at The Sevens Stadium on Saturday and Sunday. Despite that, the Blitzboks will not take anything for granted. In fact, it is quite the opposite according to experienced forward Impi …

World Rugby has appointed Simon Raiwalui in a key role to support its core mission of increasing the competitiveness of international rugby as the sport prepares for a new era of opportunity and growth. With expanded men’s and women’s Rugby World Cups the cornerstones of a reimagined global rugby calendar from 2025, which features USA’s …

Keiran Williams has been set the target of forcing his way into Wales’ Guinness Six Nations squad, having put the hangover from World Cup rejection behind him. The 25-year-old Ospreys centre missed the cut for France after making his Test debut in the warm-up defeat to England at Twickenham in August. His regional coach Toby …

Their good track record at the Emirates Dubai Sevens is one thing for the Springbok Sevens team, the other will be the learnings from past years on how to achieve that yet again, according to Blitzbok flyhalf Justin Geduld. The team arrived in Dubai on Tuesday for this weekend’s opening tournament of the new HSBC …

The match officials appointments of the Vodacom United Rugby Championship Round 7 fixtures have been confirmed and are available alongside TV listings below. FRIDAY, DECEMBER 1   Munster v Glasgow Warriors Musgrave Park, Cork – KO 19.35 IRE & UK / 20.35 ITA / 21.35 SA Referee: Marius van der Westhuizen (SARU,18th league game) AR …

Five members of the Rugby World Cup-winning Springbok squad in France – Pieter-Steph du Toit, Eben Etzebeth, Siya Kolisi, Frans Malherbe and Damian Willemse – were nominated for the coveted SA Rugby Men’s Player of the Year Award for 2023, with Etzebeth up to defend the title he won last season. SA Rugby announced the …

As Alichia Arries jogged off the field at Stade Ernest-Wallon in Toulouse in May last year following the Springbok Women’s Sevens win over Spain in the HSBC France Sevens, the possibilities were endless. Next up was the Commonwealth Games in England for the DHL Western Province speedster, who had just turned 20 at the time, …

John Dobson is one of the cheeriest, most upbeat figures in the game, so when he cuts a dejected figure you know times are challenging. It was all smiles for much of the DHL Stormers’ first two seasons in the Vodacom URC, with Dobson’s team reaching back-to-back finals. But now they have hit their first …

By Simon Thomas A magic fixture and a bumper crowd Leo Cullen says there was something for everyone in a “magic fixture” as his Leinster team beat champions Munster 21-16 at a packed Aviva Stadium. A crowd of 49,246 turned out in Dublin to see Cullen’s charges gain revenge for last season’s play-off semi-final defeat …

A successful conversion by big Willem Alberts summed up the Vodacom United Rugby Championship weekend from a local perspective as the three South African sides playing at home ran amok against their visitors from Italy, Ireland and Wales. The 39-year-old Alberts, who played 43 Tests for the Springboks at loose forward between 2010 and 2016, …

Experienced playmaker Selvyn Davids will lead the Springbok Sevens team for the 2024 HSBC SVNS series, starting in Dubai next weekend, where he will be joined by two uncapped players in the first of the eight tournaments of the revamped season. Davids will lead an experienced squad to the Emirates Dubai Sevens, while the addition …

Springbok Women’s Sevens head coach Renfred Dazel has included four players without any HSBC SVNS experience in his squad of 13 players to travel to the series opener in Dubai on Monday. The Emirates Dubai Sevens is the first of eight tournaments in the revamped HSBC SVNS and will be played at The Sevens Stadium …

The Disciplinary process related to Marcell Coetzee’s Red Card in the Vodacom United Rugby Championship Round 5 game against Edinburgh Rugby on Friday, 17 November has resulted in a three game suspension After an act of foul play by Vodacom Bulls player No 6 (Marcell Coetzee), referee Chris Busby showed the Player a Red Card …

A compelling victory against Cardiff under Friday night lights at Cardiff Arms Park will ignite the DHL Stormers to gun it to a third straight final in the BKT United Rugby Championship. The DHL Stormers are in the Welsh capital to wrap up a four-match European tour before heading back to South Africa on a …

Scotland captain Jamie Ritchie will become Edinburgh Rugby’s 40th centurion when the capital side face Benetton Rugby at Hive Stadium tomorrow night (Friday 24 November, kick-off 7.35pm) – live on Viaplay. Ritchie – who joined the club straight from school at the age of 17 – made his Edinburgh Rugby debut in 2014 and has …

The teams for Friday night’s Round 6 fixtures of the Vodacom United Rugby Championship have been named with all details of match officials and broadcast information below. TEAM NEWS HEADLINES #CARvSTO Ellis Jenkins will make his 100th appearance for Cardiff Rugby Brok Harris ties Steven Kitshoff as the most-capped DHL Stormers player making his 136th …

After last weekend’s ignominious record of zero from four, the South African sides will be hard pressed on getting back to winning ways in the sixth round of the Vodacom United Rugby Championship this weekend. With the Vodacom Bulls and Emirates Lions back at home after their early-season tours to the Northern Hemisphere, and the …

Ospreys boss Toby Booth says staying calm in the pressure cooker will be crucial in Sunday’s west Wales derby against the Scarlets. It’s a game that always has a bit extra on it and that will be no different in this weekend’s BKT URC showdown at the Swansea.com Stadium. “Everyone knows the west Wales derby …

Springbok Sevens head coach Sandile Ngcobo will not travel with the team to Dubai for the 2024 HSBC SVNS opener due to medical reasons, with assistant coach Philip Snyman taking over the main coaching responsibilities. Ngcobo injured his Achilles in training early last week and needed surgery to repair the damage. While the procedure was …