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,” you’d be wise to...

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 to force a...

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 Africa has...