United Rugby Championship update: South African teams settling in despite two sets of laws

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The  United Rugby Championship saw round four completed this weekend. The South African teams haven’t set the competition alight but, have started to settle into their new environment. The early weeks Many unrealistic South African fans thought that their teams would walk in and dominate the competition. Aside from the Lions win in the first […] READ MORE


United Rugby Championship Week 1: Rome wasn’t built in a Day

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Domestic rugby has well and truly returned for the entire northern hemisphere. Away from the incredible display of entertainment across the Top 14 and Premiership, a new league has been formed: the United Rugby Championship. Brand new teams added, broadcasters, and branding. However, this ensured there was more scrutiny on the opening round than any […] READ MORE


United Rugby Championship: The South African entries

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The United Rugby Championship kicks off on Friday 24 September. This season of the former PRO14 competition is a significant one, with the entry of the big four of South African Rugby. South African rugby starts migration to the North North Hemisphere versus Southern Hemisphere: The hard border The move to Northern Hemisphere competition might […] READ MORE


Super Rugby Week 12: Close games for the South African Teams

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Super Rugby Week 12 produced close games for all of the South African teams, with one draw, one victory and one loss. Super Rugby Week 12 Crusaders 21 Cell C Sharks 21 Crusaders – Tries: Cody Taylor, Jack Goodhue and Mitch Hunt Conversions: Mitch Hunt 3 Cell C Sharks – Penalties: Curwin Bosch 7 The Sharks were […] READ MORE


Super Rugby Round 9: South African Conferences Talking Points

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Super Rugby Round 9 presented the teams in the South African Conferences with a real mixed bag of results, with very little quality to be found. Emirates Lions 24 – Tries: Harold Vorster, Lionel Mapoe, Ruan Ackermann; Conversions: Elton Jantjies (3); Penalty: Jantjies Jaguares 21 – Tries: Matias Orlando, Rodrigo Baez, Guido Petti; Cons: Nicolas […] READ MORE


Currie Cup Final 2021: Sir Donald Currie contemplates the result

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The ghost of Sir Donald Currie settled into his heavenly armchair as he contemplated the destination of the trophy he donated in 1891. In this unusual, Covid influenced year, the 2020 Currie Cup had been won when the Bulls beat the Sharks 26 -19 on 30 January 2021. Sir Donald wondered whether the Sharks could […] READ MORE



Vodacom Super Rugby Unlocked: Competition update

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Vodacom Super Rugby Unlocked has produced some exciting and sometimes controversial moments, but a fairly predictable log thus far with the big unions dominating. The current table The table as at 11 October was as follows: Table courtesy of www.sarugby.co.za . We take a look at each team with two rounds left in the competition, […] READ MORE


South African professional rugby returns: Super Fan Saturday

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South African professional rugby returned to action on Super Fan Saturday. The event was held at Loftus Versveld in Pretoria on Saturday, with the four Super Rugby franchises on display. A return to rugby action It is too easy to make assumptions about teams and players, but the context of the matches does need to […] READ MORE


South Africa’s Super Rugby break-up and the Pro16 idea

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A Super Rugby break-up could be imminent, and with the South Africans looking north at a spot in the Guinness Pro14, is this really the right option for all involved? Last Word delves into the issues surrounding the move. ‘It must be remembered that there is nothing more difficult to plan, more doubtful of success, nor […] READ MORE