One of global rugby’s greatest rivalries, between South Africa and New Zealand, will be reignited at Twickenham in London later this month with the two nations playing for a brand-new trophy, the Qatar Airways Cup, on Friday 25 August.
Springbok Rugby World Cup captain Siya Kolisi, Ox Nche and Jaden Hendrikse will make their first Test appearances of the year on Saturday when the team lines up against Wales in their second World Cup warm-up match at the Principality Stadium in Cardiff.
In a boost to the management of the Springbok Women, the experienced Franzel September has been added to the team’s coaching staff, joining Laurian Johannes-Haupt as assistant to interim head coach Louis Koen.
Xola Nyali has been handed the captaincy as the South African Under-18 team prepare for their U18 International Series opener against France at Stellenberg High School in Durbanville on Tuesday afternoon.
The Bulls Daisies continued their dominance of the SA Rugby Women's Premier Division right up to the final round on Saturday by overpowering the Mastercard Golden Lions to record their 12th win with a full house of points.
The Springbok Women will face Scotland and Italy – both ranked in the top-10 – in their opening matches of WXV 2 in the Western Cape in October, and they will play Samoa in a historic first Test match between the two countries in South Africa.
The Springboks departed South Africa’s shores determined to make the country proud and hopeful that they could deliver the quality of play worthy of defending their world champions’ title as they headed to Cardiff for the first stop on their way to France for the Rugby World Cup.
Elevating the profile of women’s sport has ticked all the boxes for the Blue Bulls rugby union, and Jake White, their Director of Rugby, expects it to do the same for the Sunshine Tour.
The Women’s Premier Division semi-final lineup will be confirmed following the final round of the league phase of the competition this weekend, with the top four teams already confirmed for the playoffs.
Michael Hooper, Quade Cooper and Len Ikitau have been omitted from the Wallabies World Cup squad named on Thursday.