Orie thrilled to play at “the home of the Boks”
Springbok lock Marvie Orie was excited to return to Emirates Airline Park – what he regards as the “home of the Springboks” – for the team’s final Castle Lager Rugby Championship match against Argentina on Saturday and said he expected a thorough test.

Boks are raring to go against Argentina
Springbok prop Trevor Nyakane was raring to go in his first Test this season after being named among the replacements for Saturday’s closing Castle Lager Rugby Championship clash against Argentina in Johannesburg, while centre Damian de Allende relished the opportunity to pair up with Jesse Kriel in the midfield and the exciting halfback duo of Grant Williams and Manie Libbok.

Vermeulen leads new-look Bok team against Pumas
Springbok No 8 Duane Vermeulen will lead a new-look Bok team in their final Castle Lager Rugby Championship match against Argentina at Emirates Airline Park in Johannesburg on Saturday in what could be the competition decider depending on the result between New Zealand and Australia in Melbourne.

Boks expect “hard grind” from Argentina
Springbok assistant coach Deon Davids, wing Cheslin Kolbe and prop Frans Malherbe braced themselves for a physical onslaught from Argentina in their third and final Castle Lager Rugby Championship match at Emirates Airline Park on Saturday in what could be the deciding match of the competition.

Daisies and Free State continue to dominate
The Bulls Daisies continue to set the tone in the Women’s Premier Division and scored their second successive century of points on Saturday, while Free State Women remain unstoppable in their scoring spree in the First Division, passing the 100-point mark for the second time in the final pool round of their season.

Boks aligned and refocused with Pumas looming
Springbok coach Jacques Nienaber said his team were aligned and refocussed in anticipation of their final Castle Lager Rugby Championship Test against the Pumas in Johannesburg on Saturday, 29 July, following a thorough debrief of the match against New Zealand and a handful of training sessions in Pretoria in the last two days.

U18 International Series for 2023 locked in
The South African U18 team will face their age-group counterparts from France and England in Durbanville and Paarl near Cape Town when the annual U18 International Series kicks off next month.

SA Rugby welcomes new U20 competition
SA Rugby’s Director of Rugby Rassie Erasmus and Junior Springbok head coach Bafana Nhleko reacted enthusiastically to the announcement made earlier on Thursday by SANZAAR that a new U20 Rugby Championship will kick off in 2024.

Lots at stake as Women’s Premier Division resumes
The Women’s Premier Division resumes on Saturday after a short break and all three encounters will be crucial for the teams involved, with the race to the final spot in the semi-finals becoming more contested as the sides reach the business end of the competition.

Bok coaches to stick to their guns for Pumas Test
Springbok coach Jacques Nienaber admitted on Thursday that while their defeat against New Zealand last weekend in the Castle Lager Rugby Championship was extremely disappointing, it would not change their plans as they attempt to strike a fine balance between player load and results in the build-up to the Rugby World Cup.