The next dramatic chapter in the protracted Super Rugby participation saga will be written in Johannesburg on Thursday.
Golden Lions Rugby Union President Kevin de Klerk said that he will meet up with the South African Rugby Union hierarchy on Thursday. This follows the SARU decision last week to axe the Lions and replace them with the Southern Kings in 2013.
Wales coach Warren Gatland has confirmed that he will be coach of the 2013 British and Irish Lions and that the official announcement will be made early next month.
The Wallabies have announced their team to face the All Blacks in Auckland on Saturday, in their second clash of The Rugby Championship, with Quade Cooper slipping back into the starting line-up.
Argentina coach Santiago Phelan has had to change his side, initially discarding fullback Lucas Amorosino as the main culprit in his team’s loss to South Africa last week. With the injury to Juan Martin Hernandez though the Pumas side has not been finalised.
Loosehead prop Wyatt Crockett is the only change to the New Zealand side to face Australia on Saturday as the All Blacks seek to retain their grip on the Bledisloe Cup.
The Springboks have named their team to face Argentina in the second Rugby Championship Test match which will be held in Mendoza with two changes and one positional switch.
Western Province captain Deon Fourie has been offered a contract by Toulon and expects to join the French Top14 club after the Currie Cup.
Puma flyhalf Juan Martín Hernández will miss the game against South Africa next Saturday in Mendoza. He suffered a five-millimetre groin tear during today’s training session, the Argentine Rugby Union announced.
Australian Rugby star Quade Cooper looks set to return to the Wallabies team to face New Zealand’s All Blacks for Saturday’s Rugby Championship clash in Auckland.
The Blues have confirmed their coaching line up for the 2013 Super Rugby season which includes former All Blacks coach Sir Graham Henry and current All Blacks skills coach Mick Byrne.
Just days after the Lions Super Rugby franchise was ejected from the 2013 Super Rugby competition, the Golden Lions Rugby Union were dealt another crippling blow as they will have to pay millions of Rands in outstanding franchise fees to their partners in the Lions franchise, the Leopards and Pumas Rugby Unions.
The Sharks have named their team to play against the Blue Bulls in Saturday’s Absa Currie Cup match At Loftus Versveld in Pretoria.
GWK Griquas coach Pote Human made three changes to his run-on side for Saturday’s Currie Cup encounter against the Toyota Free State Cheetahs in Kimberley.
DHL Western Province head coach Allister Coetzee has named his team for Saturday’s Absa Currie Cup meeting with the MTN Golden Lions in Johannesburg (17:05).
Johann Sadie will start in his first Currie Cup match for the Vodacom Blue Bulls.
The attacking midfielder has been included in the side to face The Sharks at Loftus Versfeld on Saturday and is one of four changes made by coach Pine Pienaar.
Talented Cheetahs pivot Johan Goosen has been cleared to start and not surprisingly coach Naka Drotske has opted to start with him.
The Vodacom Blue Bulls will be hoping for a better medical bill of health on Wednesday morning after their preparations for Saturday’s Absa Currie Cup game with the Sharks were severely disrupted by a massive flu bug that hit the camp.
Media reports are quick to plug that the Springboks have never lost to the Pumas.
However I can still remember the day in 1982 when Hugo Porta’s South American team, the Jaguars, gave the Springboks a hiding 21-12 with Porta scoring all his team’s points by running in a try, kicking a drop goal, and slotting a few penalties and a conversion.
The launch of the RaboDirect Pro 12 Rugby tournament took place at Glasgow’s impressive Riverside Museum on Tuesday morning with coaches and captains from all twelve teams in attendance.
All Blacks and Blues prop Tony Woodcock has been ruled out and sidelined with a rib injury from the Test between the All Blacks and Wallabies on Saturday, a Test forming both part of The Rugby Championship as well as it being a Bledisloe Cup match, at Eden Park in New Zealand.
The draw and format has been announced for the 2012 SARU National Club Championship tournament.
South Africa are facing an anxious wait over the fitness of Bryan Habana and Andries Bekker ahead of their match with Argentina in Mendoza on Saturday. Bryan Habana even disbarked in Mendoza on crutches and sporting a moonboot on one leg.
England and the South African Proteas did battle in the 3rd Test of the Series in England at Lords, London, UK.
South Africa won in fine style by 51 runs, having steemed a spirited England fight on Day 5
Renowned defence guru Jacques Nienaber has signed a three-year deal with Western Province Rugby, which will keep him in Cape Town until 2016.
In breaking news, it has been reported that Clyde Rathbone is in training with his U21 mentor, Jake White, at the Brumbies.
The good news is the probable return from injury of some stalwarts for the Free State Cheetahs.
Sharks hooker Craig Burden has replaced injured hooker Bismarck du Plessis in the 26-man Springbok squad that will travel to Argentina for their second Rugby Championship match this coming weekend.
Wallabies vice captain Will Genia has defended his fullback Kurtley Beale by saying that the whole team should be criticized instead of singling out Beale.
Wallabies captain David Pocock is in doubt for Australia’s Bledisloe Cup rematch with the All Blacks and the rest of tournament after after he sustained a knee injury in their 19-27 in the Rugby Championship opener.
For my 2 cents worth, I thought this was a good game from South Africa without it being a commanding one.
Only the 4th match into the Heyneke Meyer era, and after a very long and hard Super Rugby season, the number of injuries, the tiredness of the Sharks players in the Springboks and the short preparation time, these are all contributing factors that will always make the early games in The Rugby Championships seem a bit loose.
This was also very evident in the Australian Wallabies vs New Zealand All blacks match where a number of balls were spilled, knock-on’s, errors, etc was the prevailing trend.
This will improve, and I expect to see a much better performance in the next set of matches.
I have penned my feelings, lets open the debate and have your reactions to the match.
Who of you remember the Player 23 Campaign of a few years ago, where supporters were asked or even convinced that we were Player 23, as supporters.
If you remember the campaign, you will also remember old Jan… well this is what it’s all about, we as the more ardent supporters of rugby in South Africa and around the globe always complain that we want to feel envolved in the game, mean something to the game of rugby as a whole, and have fun in the process.
Sharks (6) 30 / 14 (7) Lions (Final Score)
The Sharks and the MTN Golden Lions did battle in the Currie Cup, Premier Division at Mr Price Kings Park, Durban at 19:15 SA Time.
This was the live match discussion Article.
The match was broadcast LIVE on SuperSport 1, SHD & M-Net on TV in SA.
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Springboks (20) 27 / 6 (6) Pumas (Final Score)
The South African Springboks and Argentinian Pumas did battle in The Rugby Championship Newlands, Cape Town at 17:05 SA Time.
This was the live match discussion Article.
The match was broadcast LIVE on SuperSport 1, SHD & M-Net on TV in SA.
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Griquas (12) 20 / 25 (7) WP (Final Score)
GWK Griquas and DHL Western Province did battle in the Currie Cup, Premier Division at GWK Park, Kimberley at 14:30 SA Time.
This was the live match discussion Article.
The match was broadcast LIVE on SuperSport 1, SHD & M-Net on TV in SA.
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Wallabies (10) 19 / 27 (18) All Blacks (Final Score)
The Australian Wallabies and New Zealand All Blacks did battle in The Rugby Championship at ANZ Stadium, Sydney at 12:00 SA Time.
This was the live match discussion Article.
The match was broadcast LIVE on SuperSport 1, SHD & M-Net on TV in SA.
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