Player Movements
Elton Jantjies
Lions flyhalf Elton Jantjies is set to head to Japan and won’t be available for the Currie Cup later this year.
According to reports, the 23-year-old Springbok has signed a deal with the NTT Shining Arcs.
Juan de Jongh
Marnitz Boshoff
Juan de Jongh and Marnitz Boshoff will not be considered for selection for Saturday’s Castle Lager Incoming Series Test against Wales in Durban because of illness and injury.
De Jongh was admitted to a Durban hospital on Sunday evening with a severe chest infection. He will in all likelihood only be discharged by Wednesday and will not be ready to take on Wales this weekend.
Boshoff rolled his right ankle at training in Cape Town last week. He has a grade one ankle sprain and the Springbok medical team are hopeful that he would be able to start training again late this week.
Luke Cowan-Dickie
Hooker Luke Cowan-Dickie was ruled out of the rest England’s tour of New Zealand, after injuring his knee in training last week.
The uncapped Exeter forward was part of the England squad that flew to New Zealand late last month, but played no part in the tourists’ 15-20 loss to the All Blacks in Auckland on Saturday.
“Unfortunately he has not been able to take a full part in training,” England coach Stuart Lancaster said.
Trevor Nyakane
Toyota Cheetahs prop Trevor Nyakane will link up with the Springboks in Durban on Sunday as an additional member in the squad for the Castle Lager Incoming Series.
Nyakane played all three of his Tests for South Africa last June but was not part of the squad for the Castle Lager Rugby Championship.
Arno van Wyk
Vodacom Blue Bulls Under 21 hooker Arno van Wyk has joined the Junior Springboks in Auckland after a knee injury forced Malcolm Marx (Golden Lions) out of the IRB Junior World Championship.
Marx might be out of action for up to six weeks after he sustained the injury during a training session earlier in the week.
The burly Johannesburg-based hooker became the second Junior Bok to be ruled out of Junior World Championship 2014 after centre Rohan Janse van Rensburg returned home with an ankle injury.
Jean Luc du Preez, who received a nasty blow to the head against New Zealand Under-20 on Friday night, was meanwhile released from hospital during the early hours of Saturday morning.
Wallabies captain, Stephen Moore, goes off injured against France
Wallabies skipper Stephen Moore has said Sunday he will miss the rest of the season due to a knee injury that has left him needing surgery following Australia’s 50-23 thumping of France.
In a further blow to the Wallabies following their comprehensive first Test victory over France on Saturday, lock Sam Carter was also ruled out of the rest of the three-match French series with a high left ankle strain.
Scans revealed that hooker Moore ruptured his anterior cruciate ligament and medial ligament in the opening minute of the first Test win over France in Brisbane.
“I’m going to need some surgery to repair my ACL/MCL.”
Peter Grant
Jason Eaton
Alofa Alofa
Promoted Top 14 side La Rochelle announced on Friday the signing of former All Black Jason Eaton along with Australian Alofa Alofa and ex-Springbok Peter Grant on two-year deals.
Francois Steyn
Tanerau Latimer
Japanese Rugby club Toshiba Brave Lupus have announced that Springbok Frans Steyn and All Black flanker Tanerau Latimer have signed with the club.
The club have won the Japanese Top league four times and already have the likes of Richard Kahui and Cooper Vuna on their books.
Sitiveni Sivivatu
Beaten Top 14 finalists Castres on Thursday unveiled ex-All Black winger Sitiveni Sivivatu and five other players for the 2014 / 2015 season.
The 32-year-old Sivivatu, capped 45 times by New Zealand, signed a three-year contract, having spent the last three seasons at Top 14 rivals Clermont.
Asaeli Tikoirotuma
Fiji’s Aseli Tikoirotuma has signed for Harlequins on a two-tear contract, the English Premiership side announced on Thursday.
“Aseli is one of the most exciting backs in world rugby, and we are delighted that he has signed for us,” said Harlequins rugby director Conor O’Shea.
Will Genia
Australia coach Ewen McKenzie has dumped scrumhalf Will Genia and relegated former skipper James Horwill to the bench for his side’s first Test against France in Brisbane on Saturday.
McKenzie, who coached the pair at the Reds to a Super Rugby title in 2011, instead opted to reward players in form in the southern hemisphere competition for the opening clash of their international season.
The Reds have had a terrible Super Rugby season and only snapped a six-game losing streak last Friday when a converted 83rd minute Jake Schatz try gave them a 38-31 victory over the Highlanders.
Tobias Botes
Steve Cummins
Tom Botha
South African-born Italian international Tobias Botes and Australian U20 lock Steve Cummins have joined the EP Kings until the end of the 2014.
Tighthead prop, Tom Botha, has also joined the Eastern Province team as their preparations for re-entry into Currie Cup steps up a gear.
George Whitelock
George Whitelock is expected to join Japanese club Panasonic Wild Knights that recently appointed former Wallabies coach Robbie Deans as its coach.
The club also has Highlanders scrumhalf Fumiaki Tanaka and ex-Wallabies flyhalf Berrick Barnes on its books.
Whitelock, has not started a Super Rugby match since April 19 because Jordan Taufua has been preferred for the No 6 jersey.
Ireland head coach Joe Schmidt was forced to make two changes to his travelling squad prior to their departure for the tour of Argentina.
Versatile back Keith Earls has been ruled out due to illness (gastroenteritis), while prop Martin Moore, who helped Leinster retain the PRO12 title, will not travel as he is nursing a fractured toe.
Deon Fourie
DHL Stormers and WP player Deon Fourie has signed a 2 year deal with newly promoted French club Lyon.
Tom Heathcote
Edinburgh Rugby are delighted to announce the signing of 22-year-old Scotland stand-off Tom Heathcote, from Bath Rugby, on a one-year deal to 2015.
Born in Inverness, Heathcote won his first cap for the nation as a replacement in the 2012 EMC Test against Tonga at Pittodrie Stadium in Aberdeen.
He was selected in Scotland’s 2013 RBS 6 Nations squad and subsequently started at stand-off for Scotland A, kicking eight points in the 13-9 win over England Saxons, the side’s first win on English soil.
He then went on to make two starts for Scotland in the 2013 summer quadrangular tournament against Samoa and Italy, and is considered one of the brightest young contenders for the national number 10 jersey.
Damian de Allende with crutches
DHL Stormers midfielder Damian de Allende was forced to withdraw from the Springbok squad on Monday and will be replaced by Marnitz Boshoff, flyhalf of the Golden Lions.
De Allende, one of seven uncapped players in the Springbok squad, suffered a medial knee ligament injury in the DHL Stormers’ last Vodacom Super Rugby match, against the Cell C Sharks in Durban on Saturday.
The 22-year-old centre was taken for scans by the Springboks’ medical team on Monday morning and will be sidelined for between four and six weeks, ruling him out of the Castle Lager Incoming Series.
Damian de Allende
Springbok coach Heyneke Meyer may find himself considering a change in plan for the midfield he was going to select for the opening match of the international season against the World XV at Newlands due to the injury concern over Damian de Allende.
The centre suffered a knee injury during the second half of the Stormers’ 21-19 win over the Sharks in Durban at the weekend, and Meyer said on Sunday that he was concerned about his condition.
“The doctor hasn’t looked at him yet but he is limping and it appears he has suffered a knee ligament injury. I was only informed of it late on Saturday night, after the squad had been announced,” said Meyer.
Schalk Burger
Western Province & Stormers Rugby stalwart Schalk Burger has signed a two-year contract with Japanese club, Suntory Sungoliath, but he will continue to be available to play for the DHL Stormers.
“First of all, I think everybody would agree with me when I say that Schalk Burger has been one of WP Rugby’s most loyal sons of the modern professional rugby era,” said WPRFU President Thelo Wakefield.
Jason Woodward
Jason Woodward will leave the Rebels at season’s end after agreeing terms on a two-year deal to return home and represent the Hurricanes.
Woodward will return to New Zealand, where he will attempt to fulfil his childhood ambition and represent his country as an All Black.
Woodward said although he would be leaving Melbourne with a heavy heart, returning home to be part of the Hurricanes club was an offer he couldn’t turn down.
Deon Fourie
The Stormers will be without the services of hooker Deon Fourie for their Super Rugby match against the Sharks in Durban on Saturday.
While coach Allister Coetzee on Thursday named Fourie as his starting hooker for the game at Kings Park, it has been revealed that he had to pull out due to concussion.
This means the inexperienced Stephan Coetzee moves into the starting team to face Sharks captain Bismarck du Plessis, while Mike Willemse is likely to take Coetzee’s place on the bench.
Zac Guildford
Former All Blacks winger Zac Guildford has had his contract with the New Zealand Rugby Union terminated, freeing him for a move to France.
The 25-year-old Guildford had already said he would be joining Clermont Auvergne at the conclusion of his Super Rugby commitments with the Canterbury Crusaders.
Guildford, however, has not featured this season for the seven-time champions and had been reduced to playing club rugby in Christchurch and his home town of Napier.
Clyde Rathbone
Forgotten Wallaby wing Clyde Rathbone will retire at the end of the season after being called up by the Brumbies for his first Super Rugby game this year.
Rathbone, 32, who has not featured for the Brumbies since last year’s Final against the Chiefs – as a result of injury and illness – will play on the left wing against the Rebels in Canberra on Saturday.
South African-born Rathbone, who has had a chequered playing career punctuated by serious injuries, said he would be calling it quits.
Kieran Read
The Crusaders made just one change to their team to play the Western Force in the opening match of Super Rugby’s Round 16.
The Crusaders captain Kieran has been named to return from a six-week lay-off, after taking a head knock against the Chiefs.
Read will captain the side and play at No 8.
Manuel Carizza
Argentinian lock Manuel Carizza looks set to make a return to Super Rugby after an injury-enforced lay-off from the game.
The towering second-row forward tore wrist ligaments early in the season when playing in the Stormers’ second game of the 2014 season.
He looked in fine nick at Monday’s training session at City Park, and Stormers coach Allister Coetzee said he’ll be considered for the run-on XV for Saturday’s derby against the table-topping Sharks in Durban.
Wing Kobus van Wyk, one of the four try-scorers against the Cheetahs last weekend, has another wrist injury and he will possibly be sidelined for three weeks.
Aaron Cruden
Kieran Read
Steve Hansen has put a timer on flyhalf Aaron Cruden and No.8 Kieran Read to get match fit if they are to be slected for the first Test against England after lenghthy lay-offs.
Read is no longer feeling the symptoms of concussion and is fit and ready to play in the Crusaders last game before the international break.
The burly No 8 looked back to his old self as he ran with the national squad and All Blacks coach Steve Hansen indicated his star forward was likely to make his much awaited return for the Crusaders this weekend.
Charlie Ngatai
Chiefs centre Charlie Ngatai has re-signed with the back-to-back champions for the next two years.
The former national age grade sprint champion has played 19 matches for the Chiefs, proving to be quick and versatile, with the ability to play anywhere in the backline.
Riki Flutey
Former British and Irish Lions and England back Riki Flutey hopes to make a comeback in Super Rugby next year, after signing a one year contract with the Wellington Lions.
Thirty-four-year-old Flutey has signed the one year contract with the Wellington Lions with the goal of securing a Hurricanes Super Rugby contract in 2015.
Flutey has spent the last two years playing in Japan after returning from England where he played for London Wasps and he now wants to play local rugby in new Zealand again.
Dan Bowden
Dan Bowden is coming home after signing with New Zealand Rugby and the Blues for the 2015 and 2016 Super Rugby seasons.
28-year-old Bowden, a former Highlander and Crusader, has been playing rugby in England since 2010 and is relishing the opportunity of returning to Auckland where he grew up.
“I’m really excited to be returning home along with my four-month-old baby and wife. I had opportunities to stay in the UK but coming back to be around my family and playing for the Blues is something I’ve always wanted to do,” Bowden said.
Steve Borthwick
Retiring Saracens captain Steve Borthwick will take up a coaching role with Eddie Jones’ Japan at the conclusion of the Premiership this weekend.
Jones, who has coached Australia and was a part of Jake White’s 2007 Rugby World Cup winning coaching team, is also a former Saracens director of rugby.
Jean de Villiers
Springbok captain Jean de Villiers will miss the Castle Lager Incoming Series next month after he was ruled out for approximately eight weeks with a knee injury.
After experiencing some discomfort in his left knee on Saturday morning, De Villiers was pulled out of the DHL Stormers’ Vodacom Super Rugby match against the Toyota Cheetahs.
De Villiers underwent a scope in Cape Town on Sunday morning and the prognosis is that he will be out of action for almost two months. He will hopefully be back by the start of Castle Lager Rugby Championship in August.
Daniel du Preez
Injured Sharks lock Daniel du Preez has been withdrawn from the South African Under-20 squad that will travel to New Zealand on Monday for the upcoming IRB Junior World Championship (JWC).
The 18-year old former SA Schools player is replaced by Johannes Vermeulen of Western Province.
Handré Pollard
South Africa Under 20 captain Handré Pollard has not been able to participate in the team’s build-up to the IRB World Junior Championship.
The tournament will be stage in New Zealand next month.
Despite the absence of two key players, Pollard (Bulls) and Thomas du Toit (Sharks), Baby Bok coach Dawie Theron is not concerned.
Pollard and Du Toit have been on Super Rugby duty.
Tim Nanai-Williams
Dynamic and versatile back, Tim Nanai-Williams, has re-committed to the Super Rugby champions, signing until at least the end of the 2015 season.
The 24-year-old has played 62 matches for the Chiefs and said that re-signing was an easy decision.
CJ van der Linde
EDgar Marutlulle
The Eastern Province Kings have confirmed two new player contracts ahead of their re-entry into the Currie Cup Premier Division.
EP Rugby CEO, Charl Crous confirmed that the EP Kings have signed prop CJ van der Linde until the end of the 2014 season, as well as signing hooker Edgar Marutlulle until the end of 2015.