Rugby

I am embarrassed to say that I only learned of these two rugby championships on this very day… The Purchas Cup started Friday, 12 September, in Tāmaki Makaurau / Auckland, hosted by the NZ Falcons. The opening game was between the Sydney Convicts and the Perth Rams at the Western Springs Stadium. The Springboks v …

Stand-off Ross Thompson is handed the captain’s armband for Edinburgh Rugby’s pre-season opener against Ulster, with a youthful squad set to gain valuable minutes in Belfast tomorrow evening (Friday 12 September, kick-off 7.35pm). Head Coach Sean Everitt named an extended squad of 28 for the trip to Affidea Stadium, featuring a significant focus on youth. …

Danny Wilson has been appointed as assistant coach to Steve Tandy, ahead of the Wales senior men’s squad’s Quilter Nations Series to be held at Principality Stadium this November. The Harlequins head coach was seconded to Wales for the two Tests against Japan this summer and will now return to take responsibility for lineout and …

Glasgow Warriors Head Coach Franco Smith has made nine alterations to the starting XV for tomorrow night’s meeting with Northampton Saints in The Famous Grouse Pre-Season Friendly, in his squad’s final run-out ahead of the start of the 2025/26 campaign. Amongst the changes from the side that took to the field in Bath last weekend …

A place in this year’s Carling Currie Cup Premier Division final is the big prize on offer when the two semi-finals will be staged in Johannesburg and Kimberley on Saturday. The Fidelity ADT Lions host the Sanlam Boland Kavaliers at 17h00 at Ellis Park in the first encounter, which will be followed by the 19h15 …

The Welsh Rugby Union (WRU), in partnership with the Jac Lewis Foundation and The Royal Foundation, has launched a new mental health hub at Principality Stadium. The hub is designed to provide a preventative wellbeing and mental health service to local rugby clubs and the wider community. The new initiative was launched with a visit …

Springbok Women head coach Swys de Bruin named Nolusindiso Booi at lock for Saturday’s historic Women’s Rugby World Cup quarter-final against New Zealand in Exeter, where South Africa will take on the Black Ferns with a bench consisting of seven forwards and one back. The inclusion of Booi, the regular captain, is one of 10 …

Wales Head coach Sean Lynn has underlined the next steps for his squad after the early exit from the Women’s Rugby World Cup 2025. Lynn, who has only been in charge of Wales for six months, is already planning to have a performance review with players and staff after England 2025. The former Gloucester/Hartpury coach …

The Springbok Women have already reached their primary objective – to reach the quarter-finals of the Women’s Rugby World Cup in England – and will go into their playoff against New Zealand’s Black Ferns at Sandy Park on Saturday with no fear of failure. Instead, said Bok Women assistant coach Laurian Johannes-Haupt, it will be …

For the most capped loose forward in Springbok Women history, actions count more than words and if you want to see how much a quarter-final place in the Women’s Rugby World Cup means to Sinazo Mcatshulwa and her teammates, make sure to watch them play on Saturday when they take on New Zealand’s Black Ferns …

World Rugby has announced the Emirates Match Official appointments for the Women’s Rugby World Cup 2025 quarter-finals on 13-14 September. The four most-capped female match officials in test history will take charge of the matches in Exeter and Bristol in Sara Cox (England), Hollie Davidson (Scotland), Aimee Barrett-Theron (South Africa) and Aurélie Groizeleau (France). Cox …

SA Rugby Mobi-Unit coach Duane Vermeulen hosted a media conference in Wellington on Tuesday as the team prepares to face the All Blacks at the Sky Stadium on Saturday in their fourth Castle Lager Rugby Championship match. 

Springbok utility back Ethan Hooker hosted a media conference in Wellington on Tuesday as the team prepares to face the All Blacks at the Sky Stadium on Saturday in their fourth Castle Lager Rugby Championship MUST WIN match against the All Blacks.

With the final league round of the Carling Currie Cup Premier Division concluded over the past weekend, the Fidelity ADT Lions, Suzuki Griquas, Toyota Cheetahs and Sanlam Boland Kavaliers sealed their spots in next weekend’s semi-finals, which are set for Johannesburg and Kimberley. In the first of the two playoffs, the Lions will host Boland …

An Independent Foul Play Review Committee (FPRC) has convened to consider a sanction for Taleni Sua (Samoa) as a result of the red card issued during the Samoa v Fiji match in their Asahi Super Dry Pacific Nations Cup match on Saturday, 6 September, 2025. Samoa’s Taleni Sua was issued a red card as a …

Springbok coach Rassie Erasmus named a new-look backline for the second Test against the All Blacks in Wellington on Saturday, where Ethan Hooker will earn his first start in the green and gold jumper. The fourth-round Castle Lager Rugby Championship encounter at Sky Stadium will decide which team claims the Freedom Cup. Erasmus made seven …

The Springbok Women are not proud of their big defeat against France in their final Pool D match of the 2025 Women’s Rugby World Cup, but there are many positives out of their performance in Northampton on Sunday. That is the view of SA head coach Swys de Bruin after his side suffered a disappointing …

At the end of a hugely competitive third match round, in which eight games have been played across the length and breadth of England in York, Northampton, Exeter and Brighton, the pools are complete and the four quarter-finals confirmed at Women’s Rugby World Cup 2025. Quarter-final 1: New Zealand v South Africa New Zealand capped …

YORK – Japan claimed the win at Rugby World Cup 2025 their performances have deserved, coming from behind to beat Spain 29-21 in Pool C at York Community Stadium on Sunday. Story of the match Japan made the most of their early pressure, moving the ball left from a scrum to send Sora Nishimura diving …

NORTHAMPTON – Italy put on a counter-attacking display worthy of the RWC 2025 knockout stages, beating Brazil 64-3 in Pool D at Franklin’s Gardens to leave Le Azzurre wondering what might have been after they missed out on the quarter-finals. Story of the match Brazil dominated the early exchanges and took the lead when Raquel …

NORTHAMPTON – France’s Pauline Bourdon Sansus, co-captain Manae Feleu, co-head coaches David Ortiz and Gaëlle Mignot, and Émilie Boulard give their reaction to the win over South Africa to top Pool D at Franklin’s Gardens, setting up a quarter-final against Ireland. Mastercard Player of the Match, Pauline Bourdon Sansus On whether that was the best …

Canada has now officially qualified for the semi-finals and joins Fiji, Tonga & Japan as the fourth nation from the Pacific region to secure their place at the Men’s Rugby World Cup 2027, following Japan’s win against the USA (47-21) in the Asahi Super Dry Pacific Nations Cup Canada has now officially qualified for the …

EXETER – Canada underlined their status at the world’s number-two-ranked team by beating a spirited Scotland to finish top of Pool B and set up a quarter-final with USA or Australia. EXETER – Canada underlined their status at the world’s number-two-ranked team by beating a spirited Scotland 40-19 to finish top of Pool B and …

EXETER – Fiji beat Wales in Pool B to ensure they didn’t leave Rugby World Cup 2025 empty-handed after an entertaining match in front of a 14,082 sell-out crowd at a sun-drenched Sandy Park on Saturday EXETER – Fiji beat Wales in Pool B to ensure they didn’t leave Rugby World Cup 2025 empty-handed after …