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Head coach Steve Tandy has today announced the Wales team to play South Africa at Hollywoodbets Kings Park, Durban in round three of the Nations Championship on Saturday 18 July, KO 16.40h BST (17.40h local). There are six changes to the starting XV from round two. Teddy Williams makes his first start of the Nations …
Record-breaking Test match referee, Aimee Barrett-Theron, has stood down from officiating with immediate effect to concentrate on treatment for a health issue. The Cape Town-based 39-year-old officiated most recently in June when she took charge of the match between South Africa ‘A’ and Zimbabwe at the Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium but has advised SA Rugby …
Junior Springbok assistant coach Melusi Mthethwa praised the composure and belief shown by the SA U20s after they fought back from an eight point first-half deficit to beat England and book their place in the Junior World Championship final against France. The Junior Boks trailed 20-12 at half-time after England made a strong start and …
The Junior Springboks will contest a second consecutive Junior World Championship final after overcoming a spirited England side in a hard-fought semi-final in Tbilisi on Tuesday evening, with SA U20 head coach Kevin Foote praising the maturity, resilience, and depth of his squad. The Junior Boks were tested throughout this thrilling encounter in the Georgian …
SA Rugby said on Monday that its ticketing strategy would be thoroughly reviewed at the end of the 2026 season, while thanking fans for their continued support during the inaugural Nations Championship. Mr Mark Alexander, president of the South African Rugby Union, said SA Rugby had noted concerns about ticket pricing and recognised that some …
The Freedom Front Plus (VF Plus) mourns the tragic incident that occurred on Saturday evening on Lynnwood Road in Pretoria following the Springboks’ match against Scotland at Loftus Versfeld. A rugby spectator, who was apparently making his way back to his vehicle, fell into a deep excavation on the pavement outside the Javet Art Centre […]
The post Freedom Front Plus mourns tragedy on Lynnwood Road following Loftus spectacle appeared first on Freedom Front Plus.
Jaco Williams (wing), Vusi Moyo (flyhalf), Ruben van Heerden (lock), and Carlu Sadie (prop) will all make their Test debuts in the Springboks’ third Nations Championship fixture against Wales in Durban on Saturday in a quality team named by national coach Rassie Erasmus. Erasmus struck a fine balance between naming a strong team, while staying …
With the opening two legs of their season done, Springbok Women head coach Swys de Bruin has named a group of 49 players that will form part of the next cycle of matches for the squad. After the Rugby Africa Women’s Cup and the two-Test series against the USA Women’s Eagles, the focus shifts to …
The Hollywood Foundation Pumas Women and Leopards Women continued with their impressive starts to the Pick n Pay Women’s Super League 2, securing second consecutive victories on the road on Saturday, while the Valke Women scraped home against the Limpopo Blue Bulls Women in Polokwane. The defending champion Pumas outplayed the Griffons by 65-13 at …
The Junior Springboks will go into Monday evening’s Junior World Championship semi-final against England in Georgia with confidence in their preparation, but also with a clear understanding of the improvements required after a demanding pool-stage campaign. SA Under-20 captain Siphosethu Mnebelele said the squad had embraced the build-up to the last-four clash, with the focus …
A new Carling Currie Cup First Division champion will be crowned in just under a fortnight’s time after the Griffons failed to make the semi-finals, where the DotSure SWD Eagles will face the Leopards, and Eastern Province will host the Valke in next weekend’s playoffs after the league phase were completed over the weekend. SWD …
Springbok Women head coach Swys de Bruin expressed satisfaction with the progress his team has made in the two-Test against the USA Eagles Women, where a win each squared up the series, and said it bodes well for the remaining matches in 2026. Reflecting on their 26-19 defeat at Loftus Versfeld on Saturday, the Bok …
Junior Springbok coach Kevin Foote has made four personnel changes to his starting team for their Junior World Championship semi-final against England in Tbilisi on Monday evening, as the SA U20s aim to secure a place in the tournament final. There are two changes in the backline and two in the forwards from the side …
Three highly competitive matches await spectators in George, Welkom and Polokwane on Saturday when the second round of the Pick n Pay Women’s Super League 2 commences. In George, either the SWD Eagirls or the visiting Leopards will lose their undefeated status, while in Polokwane, the return of several students from the USSA tournament will …
The race for the four places in the Carling Currie Cup First Division semi-finals is set for a thrilling conclusion on Saturday, with five of the six teams still in contention for the four available playoff places and crucial log points at stake across the Eastern Cape, Southern Cape and Gauteng. The competition has been …
Springbok coach Rassie Erasmus will enter uncharted territory on Saturday when he sends out a Springbok team for a record-breaking 55th time as head coach – the most of any coach since South Africa’s first Test match in 1891. Erasmus has reached the total in two spells (2018 and 2019 and 2024 to the present …
The strong rugby bond between South Africa and Georgia was further strengthened on Thursday when the Junior Springbok assistant coaches hosted a highly successful coaching seminar at the team’s hotel in Tbilisi. The seminar, aligned with World Rugby’s legacy initiatives, focused on the fundamentals of forward and set-piece play. The proceedings were opened by SA …
Head coach Steve Tandy has today announced the Wales team to play Argentina at the Estadio San Juan del Bicentenario in round two of the Nations Championship on Saturday 11 July, KO 20.10h BST (16.10h local). There are three changes to the starting XV from round one. James Botham is named at blindside flanker with …
Junior Springbok assistant coach Lumumba Currie was pleased with their progress through the pool stages of the Junior World Championship but insisted there is still significant room for improvement as the defending champions prepare for a heavyweight semi-final against England in Tbilisi on Monday. The Junior Boks completed an unbeaten Pool A campaign on evening …
Africans are often sold as physically strong with raw talent, but lacking in discipline and technical refinement.
By Herbert Mensah, President of Rugby Africa (www.RugbyAfrique.com) and Chairman of World Rugby's Regions
Rugby cannot afford to speak only to those who already love it. We cannot expect the next generation to simply inherit our passion. We must earn it, inspire it and give fans reasons to come back.
As President of Rugby Africa and a Member of World Rugby's Executive Board, I believe rugby is the best product in the world. But belief alone does not fill stadiums, attract broadcasters or build sustainable unions. Great products must be presented, promoted and made accessible.
During the opening weekend of the Nations Championship and the inaugural Nations Cup, I saw the future of our beautiful sport being tested in real time.
This new structure brings together the world's 12 leading rugby countries in the Nations Championship and an additional 12 other Rugby World Cup-qualified nations in the Nations Cup, creating meaningful matches, greater opportunity and more stories for the world to discover.
For 24 hours, I was engrossed and riveted. Rugby delivered the kind of entertainment people dream about: physicality, skill, uncertainty, courage and national pride.
Japan beat Italy 27-10. Ireland edged Australia 33-31. New Zealand beat France 34-32. South Africa defeated England 45-21. Wales beat Fiji 39-24. Samoa beat Hong Kong China 66-19. Chile beat Romania 48-31. Tonga beat Zimbabwe 36-26. The USA beat Portugal 30-29. Canada and Spain drew 42-42.
The results mattered, but the meaning mattered more. The reality is simple: sport is big business. Rugby can no longer behave as if it operates outside the world of money, audiences, media rights, partnerships and consumer choice.
If our game is to thrive, it must inspire the lifelong supporter and captivate the person watching for the very first time. Opportunity cannot remain concentrated in the hands of a few; the future of our sport must be built by the many.
People have a right to choose how they spend their time and money. Rugby must therefore offer a product that appeals not only to the converted, but also to those discovering the game for the first time.
For too long, rugby has relied heavily on the Rugby World Cup as its biggest commercial engine every four years. But what happens in between? How do we create revenue, structure and meaning across the rest of the calendar?
A global sport cannot survive only through occasional moments. It must build consistency. It must create anticipation. It must give fans reasons to follow the journey, not only the destination.
In October 2023, World Rugby approved the new global calendar structure following a close and contested Council vote after years of debate and work.
At the time, many regions were asked not to support it. I was told Africa was not guaranteed more places and therefore should resist. But for me, that was not the point. The point was the future.
For us in Africa, talent is not the issue. What Africa needs is structure, investment and opportunity.
Zimbabwe's performance against Tonga gave me hope. To compete as they did, especially after the challenges Zimbabwe faced, showed character and potential. However, potential must be supported by systems: better competitions, stronger pathways, improved logistics, better welfare and a commercial model that allows unions to grow.
That is why the Nations Cup matters to Africa. It gives emerging nations meaningful competition and a clearer connection to the global game. It reminds us that talent exists everywhere, but opportunity does not. Our responsibility is to close that gap.
If we want a stronger seat at the table by 2031, we must prepare now.
The Nations Cup arrives during the 2026 FIFA World Cup, and rugby is paying attention.
Football is not perfect. There are many things to criticise: the excess, the politics and the money. But football understands the event economy. It knows how to turn matches into global moments, commercialising national pride, rivalry and community.
With 48 teams participating for the first time in the FIFA World Cup, the lesson is clear: be unapologetic about reach. Football wants more countries, more fans, more stories and more markets.
Rugby should not copy football blindly. We must remain rugby. But we must learn from football's confidence. We must package our product better. We must make casual fans care.
Women's rugby has already shown what is possible when rugby gets the structure and presentation right. I attended the 2025 Women's Rugby World Cup final at Twickenham Stadium and felt goosebumps. The historic match set a world record for attendance at a women's rugby match, with 81,885 fans in the stadium. It showed that when we invest properly, promote properly and stage events properly, the audience will come.
I commend World Rugby's Chief Executive Officer, Alan Gilpin, and his team for delivering a memorable show on the first weekend of the Nations Cup. Now we must turn entertainment into enterprise. We must sell the stories better. We must build the rivalries. We must promote the players. Rugby has the product. The question is whether we have the courage to commercialise it properly and reinvest the returns.
The future of rugby will not be decided only by those already inside the stadium. It will be decided by those who have never bought a ticket, never watched a match and have not yet discovered the game. Our responsibility is to give people every reason to choose rugby.
To Download Official Opinion Piece: Click Here (https://apo-opa.co/4wDikBS)
Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Rugby Africa.
Media Contact:
Nicole Vervelde
Communications Manager
nicole.vervelde@rugbyafrique.com
About Rugby Africa:
Rugby Africa (www.RugbyAfrique.com) is the governing body of rugby in Africa and one of the regional associations under World Rugby. It unites all African countries that play rugby union, rugby sevens, and women's rugby. Rugby Africa organizes various competitions, including the qualifying tournaments for the Rugby World Cup and the Africa Sevens, a qualifying competition for the Olympic Games. With 40 member unions, Rugby Africa is dedicated to promoting and developing rugby across the continent. World Rugby highlighted Ghana, Nigeria and Zambia as three of the six emerging nations experiencing strong growth in rugby.
Barely four months ago, Aphiwe Ngwevu felt that her international rugby ambitions and playing career was going downhill fast – perhaps even over the cliff – despite earning 31 Test caps and scoring 13 tries in the green and gold. Back then, during the 2026 Pick n Pay Women’s Super League 1, Ngwevu’s provincial side, …
The Springbok Women found belief and reward at Ellis Park with their victory over the USA Eagles, but according to Springbok Women assistant coach Laurian Johannes-Haupt, they want to add to their skill set and top ten mindset when they meet the same opponents at Loftus Versfeld in Pretoria on Saturday. The Bok Women returned …
Springbok coach Rassie Erasmus stayed true to his objective to give as many players in his squad the opportunity to put up their hands at the highest level this season, as he made 10 changes to his starting team for Saturday’s Nations Championship Test against Scotland in Pretoria. In total, 10 of the players in …