The Blue Bulls Company on Thursday confirmed the departure of scrumhalf Jano Vermaak and flanker Dewald Potgieter.
Potgieter decided not to renew his contract which expires at the end of the current Vodacom Super Rugby competition and instead will join the Yamaha Rugby Club in Japan, whilst Vermaak has asked to be released from his contract to join Toulouse in France.
A fit-again Kyle Brown will lead the Springbok Sevens team into battle at Moscow’s Luzhniki Stadium next weekend when the IRB Rugby World Cup Sevens tournament takes place from 28-30 June.
Brown is one of three survivors of the team that reached the quarter-finals of the 2009 tournament that was held in Dubai, UAE. The others are Ryno Benjamin and Philip Snyman.
Samoa have stuck with a winning combination for the final of the four-nation tournament in South Africa where they are up against their hosts in Pretoria on Saturday.
Italy coach Jacques Brunel has made wholesale changes to his team for Saturday’s third-place play-off against Scotland at Loftus Versfeld.
Coach Warren Gatland named his first British & Irish Lions Test team – the starting fifteen featuring eight new caps and eight Welshman.
The British & Irish Lions will play the Wallabies in the first of the three-Test series in Brisbane on Saturday.
The team will be captained by Welshman Sam Warburton.
France coach Philippe Saint-Andre has replaced more than half the side that caved in against the All Blacks (0-30) last week, in a desperate attempt to avoid a series whitewash in the final Test in New Plymouth on Saturday.
All Black wing Rene Ranger confirmed he was quitting his international career and would head to France at the end of the year on a lucrative contract with Montpellier.
Scotland have made three changes in their starting team for their 11th and final international of the season against Italy in Pretoria on Saturday. There are six Glasgow Warriors in the starting XV and five on the bench for the final game of the tour.
The Western Force scored a major coup the the unveiling of Bulls lock Wilhelm Steenkamp as their latest signing.
Springbok and Toyota Cheetahs flank Heinrich Brüssow has joined the growing exodus of players out of South Africa after signing a contract to further his career in Japan.
Australia have named three debutants for Saturday’s first Test against the British and Irish Lions in Brisbane.
Day to day we hear people say “Don’t give Springbok jerseys away” and others say “Give the youngsters a chance to show their mettle”
So, which one of the 2 do you want, make up your flippin minds!
New Zealand have recalled fit-again flyhalf Daniel Carter and scrumhalf Piri Weepu for the third and final test against France in New Plymouth on Saturday.
MTN Lions head coach Johan Ackermann has announced his side to front The Sharks at Ellis Park on Friday evening.
Butch James will play his first game for The Sharks after battling a knee injury, having been named at flyhalf for Friday evening’s SA Franchise Challenge match against the MTN Golden Lions at Ellis Park.
Springbok captain Jean de Villiers will be given until Friday to prove that he has fully recovered from a sternum injury, which has kept him off the training field thus far this week.
The Springboks face Samoa in the final match of the Castle Lager Incoming Series at Loftus Versfeld in Pretoria on Saturday. The team shows three changes – all of them in the pack – from the side which beat Scotland by 30-17 in Nelspruit last weekend.
England and South Africa will hope lady luck does not desert them when they clash in the Champions Trophy semifinal at the Oval in London on Wednesday.
Wednesday 19 June @ 10:45 – Live on SuperSport 2
Super Rugby’s newcomers the Southern Kings have announced that their backs and attack coach Brad Mooar, has left the franchise and will be returning to New Zealand for personal reasons.
Blues head coach Sir John Kirwan has named a 26-man squad that will travel to South Africa for matches against the Sharks and Cheetahs.
The Blues squad will leave for South Africa this Friday in the afternoon as they play the Sharks in Durban on June the 29th before heading to Bloemfontein to face the Cheetahs on July the 6th.
Israel Folau’s stunning rise in his third code is complete, with the Waratahs fullback set to be named on the right wing against the British and Irish Lions on Saturday.
Folau will be one of three Wallabies debutants, with Christian Lealiifano and Brumbies team-mate Ben Mowen also getting the nod when the side is officially unveiled on Thursday.
Baby Blacks (8) 21 / 33 (20) England (Final Score)
New Zealand Under 20 and England Under 20 did battle in the IRB Junior World Championship of 2013 at Stade de la Rabine, Vannes at 20:45 SA Time (18:45 GMT, 19:45 BST).
This was the live match discussion Article.
The match was broadcast LIVE on SuperSport 1, SHD & CSN on TV in SA.
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Bokkies (7) 17 / 18 (6) Wales (Final Score)
South Africa Under 20 and Wales Under 20 did battle in the IRB Rugby World Championship at Stade de la Rabine, Vannes at 18:15 SA Time (16:15 GMT, 17:15 BST).
This was the live match discussion Article.
The match was broadcast LIVE on SuperSport 1, SHD & CSN on TV in SA.
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European champions Toulon have Springbok hooker Bismarck du Plessis firmly in their sights, a French media report indicates.
Reds and Wallabies winger Digby Ioane says that he is fit to play in the first Test against the British and Irish Lions on Saturday even though he had surgery four weeks ago.
Brumbies (8) 14 / 12 (3) Lions (Final Score)
The Brumbies and British & Irish Lions did battle in the British & Irish Lions tour of 2013 at Canberra Stadium, Canberra
at 11:40 SA Time (19:40 Canberra Time, 09:40 GMT, 10:40 BST).
This was the live match discussion Article.
The match was broadcast LIVE on SuperSport 1 & SHD on TV in SA.
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There are five changes in the starting line-up of the Junior Springboks to play against Wales in the IRB Junior World Championship rugby semi-final in Vannes, France, on Tuesday evening.
Springbok captain Jean de Villiers is in doubt for Saturday’s final match of the Incoming Series against Samoa at Loftus Versfeld in Pretoria.
De Villiers injured his right sterno-clavicular joint and second rib early in last weekend’s victory over Scotland in Nelspruit.
Ace All Black flyhalf Dan Carter has been cleared to play in next week’s third Test against France, while Les Bleus have lost two key players.
Wallaby squad members Peter Kimlin and Scott Sio will lift an under-strength Brumbies for their tour match against the British and Irish Lions in Canberra on Tuesday.
Springbok loose forward Arno Botha has been ruled out for the remainder of the 2013 season after rupturing ligaments in his knee during the Castle Lager Incoming Series victory over Scotland in Nelspruit on Saturday.
Less than a week ahead of the first British and Irish Lions test against Australia, former Wallaby coach Bob Dwyer has labelled the visitors as cheats because of illegal scrummaging and other rule infringements.
Lions coach Warren Gatland responded by saying he’s sad at the “tirade of abuse” that the former World Cup-winning Dwyer’s comments have attracted on social media.
Rob Harley has been called into the Scotland squad as injury cover after fellow forward Jim Hamilton returned home to be with his expectant wife.
Scotland interim head coach Scott Johnson questioned Jim Hamilton’s sin-binning in the defeat by South Africa. The Springboks moved into a second-half lead shortly after Hamilton had been yellow-carded for a push into the face of Eben Etzebeth.
The South Africa President’s XV side has made three changes from the team that defeated Emerging Ireland in round two for Sunday’s decisive clash with Georgia at the Avchala Stadium. Victory for the South Africans will see them claim the inaugural IRB Tbilisi Cup, while Georgia and even Emerging Ireland, who play Uruguay, still have outside claims on the title.
By the time of the final whistle, the numbers on the scoreboard didn’t favour the home side but there were plenty of reasons to smile on a historic night for Canadian rugby.