Player Movements
The Southern Kings have signed three more prominent players as they aim to bolster their squad ahead of next year’s Super Rugby competition.
Lions stalwart Wikus van Heerden will retire after Saturday’s Absa Currie Cup match against the Sharks at Coca-Cola Park in Johannesburg.
Springbok utility back Patrick Lambie’s unavailability for Currie Cup duty this week has left Sharks coach John Plumtree a frustrated man.
Springbok Rugby coaches have released five players back to their Currie Cup squads from the squad that returned from New Zealand.
The Southern Kings are looking “far and wide” for players to make them competitive when they debut in Super Rugby next year.
The latest reported players to apparently have signed for 2013 includes centre Andries Strauss from the Cheetahs and lock Steven Sykes from the Sharks.
Western Province coach Allister Coetzee may have let Burton Francis go, but he will fight a little harder to keep the services of Demetri Catrakilis.
Bakkies Botha has been placed on stand-by by Springbok management in case lock Eben Etzebeth loses his hearing into an alleged headbutt during South Africa’s 26-19 Rugby Championship loss to Australia, coach Heyneke Meyer said on Monday in Auckland.
You have to be careful these days not to use performances in the diluted Currie Cup as too big a yardstick toward international credentials.
All Black and Blues veteran prop Tony Woodcock has agreed to leave Auckland Rugby and play for the Highlanders in the 2013 Super Rugby season.
Golden Lions interim coach Johan Ackermann says ongoing reports and rumours about players leaving the union after the Currie Cup are disrupting their campaign.
The Western Force on Tuesday signed New Zealand scrumhalf Alby Mathewson as its marquee player for the 2013 season as they work to rebuild the team.
Wallaby lock Dan Vickerman on Tuesday announced his retirement from all forms of the game after being sidelined with injury for much of the year.
Western Province captain Deon Fourie has been offered a contract by Toulon and expects to join the French Top14 club after the Currie Cup.
England Prop Matt Stevens has announced that he has decided to stand down from International Rugby with immediate effect.
Just 30 of South Africa’s vast number of professional players will be able to sustain some sort of a living after they stop playing the game.
This is the reality of the situation facing about 600 contracted (or so-called professional) players in the country.
In what is regarded as an significant coup for Cheetahs rugby, Volksblad reported this morning that it is confirmed that Johann Sadie, the promising WP star, who joined the Bulls earlier this, is heading to Bloemfontein to join the Cheetahs. It is believed that he will flourish in the Cheetahs playing pattern. Lack of game time, and a host of other players in the center position at the Bulls led to the players frustration.
Whilst the Cheetahs are not involved in further participation of the Super 15, some interesting players signings bode well for the Cheetahs 2013 season. Of course more players will sign, and some will leave, but it is interesting to note the movements.
It’s the hunting season and the targets are the young bucks of South African rugby. It is an intense time for talent scouts and likely to grow more intense.
Vodacom Bulls loose forward Jono Ross will be hoping the next fortnight goes well as he undergoes a trial at English club Saracens.
Promising Kenyan forward Daniel Adongo has been released from his contract with the Blue Bulls after just six months.
The Vodacom Bulls stalwart Wynand Olivier will join Japanese club Ricoh Black Rams at the completion of the Vodacom Super Rugby series, the Blue Bulls Company (Pty) Ltd announced today.
All Blacks and Chiefs star Sonny Bill Williams has confirmed that he will leave New Zealand Rugby and play in Japan after the Super Rugby season.
Rynhardt Elstadt will be back to add some of the physicality that appeared to be missing from the win against the Lions, but Springbok lock Eben Etzebeth will still be missing from the Stormers team that plays a crucial Super Rugby match against the Cheetahs on Saturday.
The Sharks’ chances of winning their crunch Super Rugby derby against the Bulls have suffered a mortal blow with the confirmation that star backline player Patrick Lambie is unlikely to line up for the match, whilst Willem Alberts is doubtful for the clash, whereas Frans Steyn is bound to slot straight into the starting lineup at centre.
Wallabies David Pocock and Kurtley Beale have played their last games of Super Rugby for the season and may be in doubt for Australia’s back-to-back Tests against the All Blacks next month.
The Crusaders have named a near full strength team to play the Chiefs which includes Dan Carter and Kieran Read returning from injury.
Super Rugby’s leaders, the Chiefs, have named a strong lineup with a couple of changes to the team that beat the Highlanders for this week’s much anticipated match against the Crusaders.
Stormers coach Allister Coetzee has revealed that line out specialist Andries Bekker is in line to return to Super Rugby against the Lions at the end of the month.
Tongan international and Chiefs Super Rugby prop Sona Taumalolo has signed a a three-and-a-half-year deal to join French Top 14 Rugby club Perpignan.
Cheetahs flyhalf Sias Ebersohn is the second South African rugby player to have signed with an Australian side in two years, having signed a two year deal with the Western Force.
Springboks utility back Frans Steyn has signed a three year deal with the Sharks after his contract with Racing Metro came to an end.
A lot has been written, and debated about the Cheetahs progress, or perceived lack thereof. I took a cue from Naka Drotske, who professed his frustration, at losing players to richer overseas clubs. Many people have no idea of the unique challenges that face the Cheetahs. In this article I hope to give an insight and give our detractors a better understanding of the challenges faced by the Cheetahs Super Rugby Franchise.
Wallabies and Western Force fullback and wing Cameron Shepherd has agreed to join Aviva Premiership Rugby club Northampton Saints.
Cheetahs lock George Earle will head to the Scarlets in July in the hope of representing Wales at the 2015 World Cup.
Wallabies and Reds flanker Scott Higginbotham has signed a two year contract with the Melbourne Rebels starting in the 2013 Super Rugby season.
Saracens eighthman Ernst Joubert could be on his way to Cape Town to help alleviate the Stormers’ loose forward injury crisis.