Irish eyes are smiling as first phase nears end
It wouldn’t be accurate to suggest rugby orientated Irish people aren’t already upbeat, for their national team did score an historic series win in New Zealand recently, but the early rounds of the Vodacom United Rugby Championship have certainly given them additional reasons to smile.

All-Gauteng affair in SA Rugby U21 Cup Final
The Vodacom Bulls will host Gauteng neighbours the Lions in Pretoria on Friday afternoon in this year's SA Rugby Under-21 Cup Final after both sides won their semi-finals played over the weekend, while the Griffons were crowned the SA Rugby U21 Shield champions after beating the Valke in Saturday’s final in Welkom.

Fiji break Springbok Women hearts in Auckland
It was heartbreak for the Springbok Women as they went down 21-17 (half-time 14-7) in their second pool clash at the Rugby World Cup in New Zealand, with a try at the death clinching the victory for Fiji after 80 minutes of tense rugby.

Bok Women still in the RWC fight despite Fiji result
The Springbok Women have one more opportunity to get their first Rugby World Cup victory in New Zealand and despite the fact that they will face the top-ranked team in the world, England, the South Africans have not given up the fight for a quarter-final spot in the tournament.

Sharks surge as Stormers remain unbeaten
It was a weekend of sunshine and rain – literally and figuratively – for the South African teams in the Vodacom United Rugby Championship, with the Cell C Sharks making the most of their first home game of the season while the DHL Stormers managed to keep their unbeaten run intact in Wales.

Lions pipped by Ulster in Johannesburg try-fest
Ulster beat the Emirates Lions by 39-37 (halftime 15-18) in a 10-try thriller in Johannesburg on Saturday afternoon to halt an impressive winning run in the Vodacom United Rugby Championship by the men in red.

Strong second half allows Sharks to topple Glasgow
The Cell C Sharks delivered a strong second-half showing in their Vodacom United Rugby Championship clash against the Glasgow Warriors at Hollywoodbets Kings Park in Durban on Saturday in their opening home game of the competition to secure a bonus-point 40-12 victory.

Damp squib for Bulls in rainy Munster
The Vodacom Bulls' travel troubles continued on another damp, Celtic Saturday night as they went down 31-17 (halftime 17-3) to struggling Munster in the Vodacom United Rugby Championship at Thomond Park in Limerick.

Booi urges Springbok Women to grab opportunities against Fiji
A bonus point win against Fiji at Waitakere Stadium in Auckland on Sunday is non-negotiable for the Springbok Women if they want to stay in the hunt for a quarterfinal place at the Rugby World Cup in New Zealand. For team captain, Nolusindiso Booi, it was an easy message to hammer home to her squad on Saturday as they completed their traditional captain's run at the stadium where three Rugby World Cup matches will be played tomorrow.

Stormers and Ospreys draw in Swansea monsoon
The DHL Stormers ensured that they remained unbeaten in the Vodacom United Rugby Championship on Friday night as they secured a 16-16 draw against Ospreys in their second away game of the competition in Swansea in their round-five clash.