Willie le Roux has never been the loudest player on the field, nor the most universally appreciated, but few South African rugby players of the professional era can match the depth of his contribution to the game.
As South African rugby icon Siya Kolisi prepares to play his final match for Sharks against Zebre Parma in a United Rugby Championship clash at Kings Park Stadium on Saturday, he has reflected on his time at the club, admitting it pains him to leave without winning a major trophy.
“A $1.3 Billion Profit”: SA Rugby Bosses Issue Massive Reality Check Over McKenzie’s World Cup Dream
Following comments from South African Minister of Sport Gayton McKenzie declaring that he “will not rest” until the Rugby World Cup returns to South Africa, SA Rugby president Mark Alexander and CEO Rian Oberholzer have responded cautiously, highlighting the enormous financial and infrastructural demands involved in hosting the global showpiece.
The South African ‘A’ team will make its long-awaited return to the rugby calendar this June, facing the Zimbabwe Sables in a high-stakes curtain-raiser at Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium.
SA Rugby has appointed former England head analyst Joe Lewis as the Springboks’ new performance analyst.
Bafana Bafana coach Hugo Broos has kept the specifics of Siya Kolisi’s team talk under wraps, but the intent was clear: South Africa’s football stars must adopt a championship mentality to succeed at the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
Springbok coach Rassie Erasmus added two new players to the group who will attend the first virtual Springbok alignment camp on Tuesday, with former Junior Springboks Carlü Sadie (prop) and JJ van der Mescht (lock) being among the 21 players from around the world who have cracked the nod.
SA Rugby executives met with their CANAL+ Group counterparts at the MultiChoice offices in Randburg, Johannesburg, where both entities discussed strategic plans to bring rugby fans and viewers closer to the game through the existing broadcast partnership.
It appears that SA Rugby has given up on the prospect of one day hosting another Rugby World Cup, as SA Rugby CEO Rian Oberholzer confirmed, stating that World Rugby needs to do what is in the best interests of World Rugby.