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For years, Leinster have carried the burden of a reputation they desperately want to shake. Despite their immense resources, international stars, and consistent dominance throughout regular seasons, they have often been labelled rugby's "bridesmaids". Good enough to reach finals, but not always able to finish the job when the pressure is at its greatest. Yet as the Bulls prepare to face Leinster in Friday's United Rugby Championship final at Croke Park, it may be worth asking

I had the privilege yesterday of attending my first ever Springbok press conference to kick start the 2026 international season. Rassie and Faf were in attendance and entertained a number of questions regarding the Boks injury list, preparation for the Nations Championship, the teams to face the Barbarians and Zimbabwe next weekend as well as questions around the squad selections once the Bulls wrap up with the URC. I wanted to find out from Rassie what we should be looking o

Photo credit: Rugby Afrique After what was arguably a transformational year in women’s rugby in 2025, we’ve been missing the special brand of gees our Springbok Women bring to the game. Happily, they were back in action in May, and have once again been crowned champions of Africa, after winning their fifth Rugby Africa Women’s Cup title. They remain the only team to have ever won the tournament, which this year took place in Nairobi, Kenya from 23-31 May. They opened the tour

As of the 1st of June, referees around the world are operating under a new Law Application Guideline from World Rugby targeting players found on the wrong side of the maul. The guideline, which is not a new law but a tighter enforcement of existing rules, goes after the players who position themselves illegally during a maul and then block, drag, or disrupt defenders who are trying to compete. Officials have been instructed to penalise this behaviour earlier and more aggressi

When Jacques sat down in front of the media this week and admitted that he doesn't feel valued at Leinster, it struck a nerve with me and I am sure a lot of South Africans. Not because we haven't heard coaches express frustration before, but because it feels almost impossible to reconcile those words with everything Nienaber has achieved throughout his career. For many of us, Jacques isn't simply another coach. He is one of the architects of the most successful era in Spring

The URC regular season has ended, and with it, the Sharks’ 25/26 season comes to a close too. It’s not the first time they haven’t made the playoffs, but it is the first time they are the only South African team not to feature in the top eight. Obviously, it’s disappointing. For the fans, but even more so for the players and coaches. No one will be feeling the heavy weight of expectation, and the frustration of not living up to that, more than them. So, if you’re hoping for a

Asenathi Ntlabakanye’s 18-month suspension has officially brought one of the strangest and most uncomfortable stories in South African rugby to a head, and no matter which way you look at it, it feels like a massive loss for the game here. Just over a year ago, Ntlabakanye looked destined to become a permanent fixture in the Springbok setup. He had gone from being viewed as a powerful but raw prospect to one of the most exciting tightheads in the country. His transformation p

When Gayton McKenzie speaks about sport, subtlety is usually left somewhere outside the press conference. The Minister of Sports, Arts and Culture has made no secret of his ambition to bring major sporting events back to South Africa, and rugby sits right near the top of that list. McKenzie has now come out and said he will not rest until South Africa hosts another Rugby World Cup, doubling down on the idea that the country is more than capable of staging the biggest event in

There is still one round left in the 2026 U20 Rugby Championship, but the outcome of this year’s contest is already a foregone conclusion…or so we thought, until SANZAAR apparently changed the bonus point rules. After another comprehensive victory in the second round of the competition, it appeared that the Junior Springboks (or Baby Boks as they are often affectionately called) had already secured their first ever U20 Rugby Championship title on Sunday. With a game in hand.

The game is growing. We’ve said it before, we’ll say it again, and on the surface it still feels true. New markets, new fans, new stories. Japan has been the poster child for all of that. A team and a country that didn’t just buy into the idea of global rugby, but actually made it work. Packed stadiums, genuine support, a style of play people enjoy, and moments that have etched themselves into the sport’s history. If you were designing a case study for “how to grow the game,”

The Stormers fell a single point short against Toulon this weekend, and while the result will be filed away as a narrow loss, the real takeaway for Springbok supporters lies in what didn’t happen rather than what did. This wasn’t a game defined by dominance or lack thereof, but by a critical moment in Toulon’s 22 where the Stormers had everything they needed to win, and let it slip through their fingers. In that moment, the equation was simple. No need to chase a try, no need

In a move that will surprise absolutely no one who has followed the financial tightrope act of Northern hemisphere rugby, the Welsh Rugby Union is reportedly preparing to trim one, possibly two, sides from the United Rugby Championship. The official wording is expected to include phrases like “sustainability”, “long-term vision”, and “difficult but necessary decisions”, which loosely translates to: something had to give, and unfortunately it was… Welsh rugby. Naturally, South

There’s something almost poetic about how often we hear the phrase “grow the game” in rugby. It gets rolled out at press conferences, stitched into strategy documents, and delivered with the kind of polished conviction that makes you think we’re on the brink of some great global awakening. And then reality taps you on the shoulder. Over the past week, Rian Oberholzer has effectively admitted what many suspected: South Africa and New Zealand are unlikely to host a Rugby World

There was a time, not that long ago, when Ireland felt inevitable. They were the standard-bearers of cohesion and control, a side that strangled opponents with structure and then quietly accelerated away. The world’s number one team (albeit temporarily) carried themselves with the authority of a group that knew exactly who they were. But and its a big BUT... rugby evolves quickly, and the margins at the top are unforgiving. France’s 36–14 dismantling of Ireland in the Six Nat

World Rugby’s upcoming Shape of the Game conference isn’t just another administrative gathering. With the 2027 Rugby World Cup creeping closer, this is where the sport’s decision-makers start quietly determining what the next era of Test rugby will look like. Interestingly, not everything that’s been shouted about in recent months has made the agenda. Despite the outrage cycles and studio debates, the “Bomb Squad” controversy will not be formally discussed. There are no plans

Ireland’s defeat to France in the opening round of the Six Nations felt bigger than a single loss. It felt like a warning shot. Not just about where Ireland are right now, but about where they might be heading if the next set of decisions aren’t handled with real intent. Andy Farrell has built one of the most cohesive and efficient Test sides of the modern era. Ireland up until 2024 were ruthless, disciplined and almost machine-like in how they dismantled opponents. The flip

It may seem a little tardy to only be previewing 2026 and drawing up my rugby wish list now, what with the first month of the year almost in our rearview mirrors already. But let’s be honest, January is kind of like a free trial month anyway, when we’re all just feeling the new year out and deciding whether it’s worth the subscription. That’s my excuse anyway (and possibly why I haven’t taken my Christmas decorations down yet either…). It’s also possible that I should spend m

The Stormers suffered their first defeat of the URC season at home this weekend, going down 30–19. On the surface, it’s a result that dents momentum and bruises pride, particularly in Cape Town where home dominance has long been a cornerstone of Stormers success. But scratch a little deeper and this may turn out to be one of the most valuable results of their campaign. Tune into this weeks episode of the Podcast as we chat about this season defining moment. In recent URC seas

If there’s one competition in world rugby that has never been afraid to experiment, it’s the Varsity Cup. Over the years it has been a genuine testing ground for law variations, quicker play, and ideas that later filtered into the professional game. Some have worked. Others… not so much. For 2026, the tournament has unveiled its boldest innovation yet: a new post-try scoring option that allows teams to either kick a standard two-point conversion or tap and chase an additional

Why the Springboks Should Think Twice Before Taking a Test to the USA Reports have been suggesting that the Springboks and All Blacks are “close to an agreement” to play the final match of the Greatest Rugby Rivalry series in the United States later this year. On the surface, staging such a fixture in a new market might seem exciting, but for a team that stands for inclusion, unity, and being a symbol of pride for all South Africans, doing so in the current geopolitical envir