SA Rugby
Western Province Rugby would like to extend its condolences to the Mellish family, with the passing of former Western Province prop and rugby administrator Francis Mellish last weekend.
The Golden Lions Rugby Union is pleased to announce the appointment of ex-Springbok coach Rudolf Straeuli, as General Manager: Professional Rugby and Commercial.
This week Bakkies Botha returned to the Springbok team and very soon his long-time second row partner Victor Matfield may be back on the playing field as well.
Reports suggest that both Matfield (Big Vic) and Bok flyhalf Derick Hougaard (Liefling) are on the comeback trail with the Bulls, hoping the experienced duo can play a role in their 2014 Super Rugby campaign.
The precinct around ‘Fortress’ Loftus will undergo a major facelift over the next two years. Loftus Park, which may best be described as an exclusive shopping and office precinct, valued at R1,2 Billion on completion, is expected to be fully functional and operational by the beginning of 2016, with actual construction starting towards the middle of 2014.
Veteran lock Alun Wyn Jones said Wales’ upcoming clash with South Africa promises to be a fast, frenetic encounter.
South Africa have had a lot of changes to their squad in the last couple of years, but they’ve still got a number of guys who have been playing in the Green and Gold jersey for a while.
Springbok and Kobelco Steelers centre Jaque Fourie has scoffed at suggestions that he won’t be able to take the step up to Test level for the Springboks on their end of year tour, after having spent two years playing in Japan.
Speaking to BallzRadio, Fourie said Suntory Sungoliath and Springbok scrumhalf Fourie du Preez’s return to the Springbok fold had proved that players playing in Japan could return to the national side without appearing out of their depth.
The Stormers could have two Argentine players in their squad for next year’s Super Rugby competition.
Experienced Springbok tighthead prop Jannie du Plessis has been ruled out of the forthcoming Castle Lager Outgoing Tour to Wales, Scotland and France because of injury.
His place in the touring team will be taken by the uncapped GWK Griquas prop Lourens Adriaanse, a member of the Springbok squad during the Castle Lager Rugby Championship who was on the official standby list and will play with Du Plessis for The Sharks next season.
Legendary former Golden Lions coach Pieter Andries (PA) Pelser has passed away at the age of 89.
Former Springbok coach Nick Mallett has backed current coach Heyneke Meyer NOT to rest his key players on the end of year tour, despite the risk of player burn-out.
Speaking to BallzRadio, Mallett said that the Springbok Tests should take precedence over the Currie Cup and Super Rugby, and said franchise coaches should take responsibility for managing players better. Mallett also praised Sharks Director of Rugby Brendan Venter as one of the few coaches using proper player rotation.
Siyabonga “Scarra” Ntubeni is one of four uncapped players who will join three stalwarts of the Rugby World Cup winning squad of 2007, JP Pietersen, Jaque Fourie and Bakkies Botha, in 32-man Springbok squad for the forthcoming Castle Lager Outgoing Tour to Wales, Scotland and France.
It will be Botha and Fourie’s first involvement with the Springboks since the previous Rugby World Cup, in 2011 in New Zealand, while Pietersen is back in the squad for the first time this year.
Sharks centre Francois Steyn is set to undergo minor surgery that will rule him out of action for at least three weeks.
Steyn, 26, underwent surgery in May this year after he injured his leg playing for the Sharks against the Highlanders in the Super Rugby competition.
At the weekend they were fierce rivals, but very soon they will team up to don the Green and Gold of South Africa.
This is the verdict on two of the most talented young second row forwards in the world, who were in opposing camps when the Sharks became Currie Cup champions with a 33-19 win over Western Province at Newlands.
Western Province forward Michael Rhodes has been cited for a dangerous tackle in the Currie Cup Final against the Sharks at Newlands.
Springbok scrumhalf Jano Vermaak was the hero for Toulouse as he scored a crucial try in Saturday’s top-of-the-table clash against Toulon in the Top 14.
With the clubs level at the summit of the standings at kick-off, the match was the highlight of the French rugby weekend as Toulouse came back from 12-0 down at half time to win 13-12.
Western Province and the Stormer are looking to add depth to their scrumhalf, lock and wing positions with the eye on next year’s Super Rugby competition.
This weekend saw the conclusion of the ABSA Currie Cup, with The Sharks upsetting overwhelming favourites, before the game, DHL Western Province, by playing the better tactical game and winning by a handsome 33 / 19. This leaves us with the International window opening again and all Southern Hemisphere sides getting ready to travel north, for the End Of Year Tours.
It would however not be fitting to move our attention over to the Internationals, without paying tribute to those domestic stars, who performed out of their skins for their respective Unions in the Currie Cup. For this purpose and although the Springboks took part in the latter rounds of the Currie Cup, we decided to compose 2 Player-by-player sides of the best candidates in their positions, but purposely excluding the players of the Springbok group from the equasion.
Chief writers, Rudi Geldenhuys and Timothy Bornman takes a look at these players… and it appears that in most positions the same logic applies, however there are certain positions where we differ on exactly who performed best. We chose not to pick players out of position but rather to choose players in the positions they regularly played during the Competition.
Scrumhalf Charl McLeod scored a brace of tries as The Sharks maintained the recent trend of underdogs winning Absa Currie Cup finals as they out-thought and out-played Western Province on their way to a 33-19 win in the domestic season showpiece in front of a packed Newlands.
The Sharks, who led 19-13 at halftime, were never headed in the game and on the day thoroughly deserved the win that secures the Durban union its seventh Currie Cup trophy. In terms of the achievement, with The Sharks having changed their coach only a few months ago and having to travel to win the final, this was one of their most famous wins.
WP (13) 19 / 33 (19) Sharks (Final Score)
DHL Western Province and The Sharks did battle in the Currie Cup Premier Division Final at
Newlands, Cape Town at 17:30 SA Time (15:30 GMT).
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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Here we are, the final week of the 2013 Currie Cup season. This has been one of those seasons where we look back and say that there was never a dull moment. Some new young talent came to the party and showed us that there is still a great big future for SA Rugby.
As always every rugby supporter in South Africa has picked his or her team to support on Saturday. This is what makes the Currie Cup such a great competition. There are only two teams left and the whole of the nation has a team to support between the two. It is also in this time that people go a little crazy driving down the streets waving flags, hooting at each other, drinking and having a braai together.
So lets get to business. On Friday we will see the Pumas host the Griquas in the 2nd and last Currie Cup Promotion / Relegation game. The Pumas showed last weekend that they can cause an upset here and maybe get back into the Premier Division for 2014.
In the main event of the weekend, we see a Currie Cup Final with a familiar sight for for a second time when Western Province and The Sharks go into battle. This should be yet another epic Currie Cup Final, as most people will agree that the best two teams of this year’s Currie Cup is in the final.
Newlands Stadium in Cape Town is sold out for the occasion!
So folks, hold on to your seats… IT”S GOING TO BE A BUMPY RIDE!
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Blue Bulls Under 19 – (21) 35 / 23 (9) – Golden Lions Under 19 (Final Score)
The Vodacom Blue Bulls Under 19 and MTN Golden Lions Under 19 did battle in the Currie Cup Under 19 Final at
Newlands, Cape Town at 12:30 SA Time (10:30 GMT).
Western Province Under 21 – (16) 30 / 23 (13) – Blue Bulls Under 21 (Final Score)
DHL Western Province Under 21 and Vodacom Blue Bulls Under 21 did battle in the Currie Cup Under 21 Final at
Newlands, Cape Town at 14:30 SA Time (12:30 GMT).
This was the live match discussion Article.
The matches were broadcast LIVE on SuperSport 1 & SHD on TV in SA.
Pumas (16) 33 / 15 (12) Griquas (Final Score)
Steval Pumas and GWK Griquas did battle in the 2nd Currie Cup Promotion / Relegation game at
Mbombela Stadium, Nelspruit at 19:10 SA Time (17:10 GMT).
This was the live match discussion Article.
The match was broadcast LIVE on SuperSport 1 & SHD on TV in SA.
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The ‘house full’ signs are up at Newlands ahead of Saturday’s Currie Cup Final between Western Province and the Sharks.
The Sharks have named what must be close on their strongest line-up possible with the inclusion of Jannie du Plessis and Willem Alberts for Saturday’s Absa Currie Cup Final against Western Province.
Unfortunately, Jean Deysel has been ruled out with a hamstring injury sustained in last week’s semi-final victory over Free State and will not play, which means Alberts comes into the starting line-up at flank.
Although the Currie Cup dates back more than a hundred years, the first Currie Cup Final was played in 1939, at Newlands when Transvaal beat Western Province. The Sharks, a.k.a. Natal, are back in the Final for the third year in a row and will be playing the Western Province for the fifth time in a Currie Cup Final.
Prolific try scorer and Blitzbok stalwart, Cornal Hendricks, finally gets to don the Cheetahs jersey. The Toyota Cheetahs iniatially contracted Hendricks for this year’s Super Rugby, but a dispute arose with SARU, as Sevens coach Paul Treu wanted Hendricks for the Sevens circuit. It now seems that Hendricks’ wish of playing for the Cheetahs will come true.
Cheetahs coach Naka Drotske has confirmed that Hendricks has signed a contract for the 2014 Super Rugby and Currie Cup season.
Western Province skipper Deon Fourie has been passed fit and will lead an unchanged side in the Currie Cup Final at Newlands on Saturday.
Fourie has been battling with a neck injury this week and did not train on Wednesday, but was named to lead the defending champions against the Sharks this weekend.
Pumas coach Jimmy Stonehouse made six changes to his team for the Currie Cup promotion-relegation Round Two match against Griquas on Friday.
Griquas take a narrow two-point advantage into the return match in Nelspruit, after their 21-19 victory over the Pumas in Kimberley last Friday.
Martiens Louw and Robbie Barnard, hooker and prop, who played together for Transvaal and South Africa, have died just over a week apart.
Louw died in Pretoria on 12 October 2013 and Barnard on 20 October 2013. Louw was 75, Barnard 71.
All the fixtures have been announced for the 2014 Varsity Rugby season, with a repeat of last year’s semifinal matches getting next year’s FNB Varsity Cup presented by Steinhoff International tournament underway on February 3, 2014.
Griquas coach Pote Human has shuffled his loose trio for the crucial promotion/relegation play-off with the Pumas in Nelspruit on Friday.
Carel Greeff comes into the side at No.8, with Burger Schoeman moving to blindside flank and RJ Liebenberg shifting across to the openside, with Marnus Schoeman dropping down to the bench.
Jonathan Kaplan who will be retiring after the Currie Cup will go out in style as he has been announced as the referee for the Currie Cup final between The Sharks and DHL Western Province on Saturday.
Bismarck du Plessis has been cleared of his stamping charges and would in all likelyhood be included in The Sharks team to face Western Province in the Currie Cup final on Saturday.
South African scrumhalf Conrad Hoffmann has signed two-year contract with the Brumbies.
Western Province’s in-form flyhalf Demetri Catrakilis has earned the ultimate compliment for his ability to dictate play.
No less a personality than Naas Botha, the former Springbok string-puller in the position, suggested at the weekend that the 24-year-old “might have the best tactical kicking game of all (South African) fly-halves”.