Springbok star heading home?

A double World Cup-winning Springbok could spurn lucrative offers from abroad to return to South Africa. According to Rapport, veteran scrumhalf Faf de Klerk is considering continuing his career at the Cheetahs when his contract with Japanese club the Yokohama Canon...

Cheetahs rescued from financial ruin

A consortium of more than 10 Free State businessmen has pulled the Cheetahs back from the brink of financial collapse. According to Rapport, before the group’s intervention, the Free State Rugby Union was battling severe financial strain, with debts running into...

Sharks win tug-of-war for Junior Bok

The Sharks have struck early in the JP Pietersen era, signing a promising Junior Bok who’s already caught Rassie Erasmus’ attention. According to Rapport, Pietersen has secured the services of highly rated Junior Boks hooker Esethu Mnebelele, fighting off strong...

Bulls beat Stormers to speedster’s signature

The Vodacom Bulls have wasted no time in planning for life after Kurt-Lee Arendse. With the Springbok star set to continue his career in Japan later this year, Rapport reveals that Johan Ackermann has moved decisively to secure the services of exciting winger Dylan...

Genge: England believed the hype too much

England prop Ellis Genge says Saturday’s crushing 42-21 defeat by Ireland at Twickenham had exposed “scar tissue”. Steve Borthwick’s men started the tournament with a 48-7 rout of Wales. But hopes of a Grand Slam were dashed by last week’s 31-20 loss to Scotland at...

Ex-Canuck dreams of green and gold

A former Canada Test player will qualify to play for the Springboks later this year. Sharks scrumhalf Ross Braude, who earned 14 Test caps for Canada, becomes eligible for South Africa again in September under World Rugby’s Regulation 8, which allows a player to...

Global calendar talks can’t fail again

World Rugby’s London workshop matters more than any match this month, writes MARK KEOHANE. Writing for the Sunday Times, Keohane says five years after powerbrokers spoke of revolution, “nothing fundamental has changed”, with elite players still trapped between...

Brumbies break 26-year jinx

James Slipper scored a try in his 200th Super Rugby match as the ACT Brumbies hammered the Crusaders in Christchurch on Sunday. In-form loose forward Charlie Cale scored two of the visitors’ eight tries in a 50-24 victory – their first in Christchurch since 2000,...

Dupont: Defence the priority against Italy

Captain Antoine Dupont says free-scoring Six Nations champions France need to prioritise their tryline defence when they play Italy on Sunday. Although France have romped to convincing victories over Ireland and Wales in their first two tournament matches, they have...

France suffer late backline blow

A French star has been ruled out of Sunday’s Six Nations match against Italy in Lille. Flyhalf Matthieu Jalibert, who started Les Bleus’ first two games of the tournament, said on social media that “a slight discomfort in my calf forced me to withdraw” fr0m the...