Referees
The International Rugby Board has announced the Match Official appointments for the schedule of international matches to be played between October 30 and December 4, 2010.
Springbok Sevens star Lionel Mapoe will stay in Durban and will appeal the court ruling handed down against him by the Bloemfontein High Court on Wednesday.
The disharmony between Springbok coach Peter de Villiers and his assistants Dick Muir and Gary Gold has reached a crescendo with De Villiers seemingly in a desperate search for new assistants before the Springboks embark on their end-of-year Grand Slam tour.
Six armed police officers on Saturday apparently stormed into a restaurant here during a concert by Louise Carver – because of a police cap worn by Schalk Burger.
Counties Manukau loose forward Fritz Lee will appear at a judicial hearing Wednesday for an alleged dangerous tackle during his team’s NPC match against Northland at Pukekohe on Sunday.
After the umpteenth “review” on Pieter de Villiers it is clear the coaching panel is now cast in stone for the upcoming World Cup in New Zealand. It is therefor imperative that we now find within ourselves the passion and patriotism in our character to support our Springbok team and the coaching staff. Our personal feelings in this matter must be set aside as we look towards next year as the Springboks will need our positivity more than ever before and any negativity towards either Pieter de Villiers or anyone else involved will only deter them on focusing on the job at hand. Continue reading
First-five Matt Berquist will play for the Crusaders in next season’s inaugural Investec Super Rugby competition.
SARU on Monday completed an extensive review of the international season to date in conjunction with Springbok coach Peter de Villiers.
After watching yet another week of Currie Cup action (round 12), the dissimilarities between our domestic competition and our current Springbok game plan has once again left me wondering. Continue reading
Phokeng – Earl Rose has done it again.
The Lions player and his younger brother Jody deserted the Lions camp at the Platinum International Sevens Tournament here and returned to Johannesburg without permission.
The Chiefs announced today that Canterbury lock and 2010 Crusader Isaac Ross will be joining the Chiefs playing squad for the 2011 Super Rugby competition.
The heads of Springbok coach Peter de Villiers and his two assistants, Dick Muir and Gary Gold, may all roll Today when their performance reviews are done.
Andy Leslie –the 1976 All Black Captain- said after the tour: “South Africa is a country at war”. The tour was a disturbing experience for the New Zealanders in many ways and is without a doubt the reason for the title of Terry McLean’s book on this tour.
Terry McLean entitled his book “goodbye to glory”. An interesting title and a choice based on the fact that this tour was in many ways an end. It was a goodbye to innocence in terms of separating rugby and politics for New Zealand rugby players because there is no glory in playing rugby against a country that treats more than half of his population as substandard humans. This tour was an eye opener for the New Zealand rugby people (players and administrators). As the teams prepared for the first test, in Durban, it was announced that Egypt had become the 29th country to boycott the Olympic Games in Montreal –a direct protest against the All Black tour. Continue reading
The South African Rugby Union (Saru) moved swiftly to shift blame, following Springbok utility back Frans Steyn’s claims that Bok coach Peter de Villiers has been disrespectful.
College Rovers won the SAA National Club Champs for the first time in their history when they beat Maties 24-15 (halftime 11-5) at the Danie Craven Stadium on Friday.
Racing-Metro’s South African back Francois Steyn says he’s prepared not to take part in next year’s World Cup because of the lack of respect shown to him and his club. Continue reading
The following rugby is on TV in SA oday and this weekend:
Springbok captain John Smit will get an opportunity next year to fill in the one gap that was left in his impressive CV following the 2007 World Cup triumph.
The SWD Eagles rugby side threatened on Wednesday to boycott Friday’s Currie Cup First Division rugby match against the Falcons at Outeniqua Park in George unless they are paid.
Suddenly there is a crop of younger players making an impression on South African rugby – Elton Jantjes (20), Patrick Lambie (19), Nick Köster (20), Jaco Taute (19) and in his second year of Currie Cup rugby, Wandile Mjekevu (19), Gerhard van den Heever (21) and Martin Bezuidenhout (just 21).
The KZN champions College Rovers have qualified for the SAA National Club Championship final following their deserving 33-14 victory over NWU-Pukke
Maties dethroned defending champions and Western Province arch-rivals Hamilton 45-19
Continue reading
Springbok Sevens coach Paul Treu requested the use of rogue winger Lionel Mapoe for the upcoming Commonwealth Sevens tournament, but was refused by the Free State Rugby Union.
The recent actions by SA Rugby boss, Oregan Hoskins, in his ‘strongly worded letter’ to the big (5) unions on their apparent lack of commitment to transformation is particularly disturbing. Continue reading
Was this year really such a massive failure? What will Peter answer to questions and what plans will he put on the table.
If you were part of the review panel on the 28th of September , what would you ask Peter? Post your questions here.
The South African Rugby Union (SARU) should consider changes to its competition structures to ensure that promising black players, in particular, do not “disappear” between under-21 and senior level.
There are four periods of extended misery in Springbok rugby history: 1963-65, 1972-74, 1996-97 and 2000 to 2003. The 1972-74 period was of course the loss against John Pullen’s England team and the dreadful series lost against the 1974 lions. The period 1996 to 1997 –the Markgraaf/Du Plessis era- was a time when South Africa was able to win only 4 tests out of 12 against New Zealand. It was also during this period that South Africa lost, for the first time, -in its long rugby history- a series at home against the All Blacks. What made it worst is the fact that South Africa was the reigning world champions at the time. Continue reading
Defending champions Hamiltons of Western Province and 12-time winners Maties will clash in a crunch semifinal at the SAA National Club Champs after both sides powered through their last-eight matches at the Danie Craven Stadium in Stellenbosch on Monday.
National rugby coaches are like lightning conductors for raw emotions and there is no such place on earth like the seat of the South African rugby coach, he gets struck multiple times with the intensity of heaven and hell colliding.
Apologies herewith for the hour or so that the site was down today. Apparently our Web Host had updated their Kernel, which caused some problems.
Seems that they’re up and running now.
When the original Super12 expanded to the Super14 in 2006, Australia’s performances in the tournament dropped alarmingly and by further diluting their playing resources they’re unlikely to improve.
Run-up to the test
In view of the scoring sprees on which the Springboks had embarked over the previous two weeks –after the win in the third test- a number of critics thought they were certain to tie the series, especially as the last test looked likely to be played in conditions that would favor the Springboks. The feeling was shared by the Springboks who approached the game with a great deal of confidence. Continue reading
Defending champions Hamilton and three-time Varsity Cup champions Maties moved one step closer to a heavyweight, all-Western Province semi-final clash when they romped to huge victories on the opening day of the 36th SAA National Club Champs at the Danie Craven Stadium in Stellenbosch.
A number of off-field incidents dominated the last three tour matches and turned the NZ public –being very positive, even sympathetic, up to this stage- against the touring Springboks. The most significant of these incidents was a very ill timed announcement by Dr. Verwoerd that Maori’s will not be welcome as part of the envisioned 1967 All Black tour to South Africa.
This was big news and the New Zealand media went ballistic. Danie Craven was in the center of it trying to blow out fires and to calm the emotions; stemming the accumulating negativity towards South African rugby. Continue reading
South African Rugby Boss Oregan Hoskins has called for calm amid widespread calls for Springboks coach Peter de Villiers to be sacked.
Canterbury Rugby Football Union Chief Executive Hamish Riach has announced that the Canterbury v Wellington ITM Cup match at AMI Stadium next Saturday afternoon will be free admission.