NEWS: The Lions’ Henco van Wyk has gone under the knife and is expected to be out of action for at least four months, ruling him out of contention for Springbok selection this year. The centre got injured in the game against Leinster this past weekend and had to undergo knee surgery. Van Wyk was one of five Lions players who attended the Springbok alignment camp earlier in the year after some sterling performances for the men from Johannesburg this season. The chances of him being ready for any Test rugby later this year is questionable.   The Lions’ kicking consultant, Morné Steyn, spok ..read more

NEWS: The administrator for the financially stricken Melbourne Rebels has recommended creditors accept a proposed deal to save the franchise, adding it may have been trading while insolvent for the last five years. The Rebels went into voluntary administration in January with Rugby Australia (RA) taking over their competition licence and covering player and staff payments until the end of this season. RA is still working through a decision on whether to wind it up, but PwC administrator Stephen Longley has recommended in a report released this week that creditors accept a proposal from directo ..read more

TEAM ANNOUNCEMENT: Lukhanyo Am leads a vastly experienced and Springbok-laden Sharks side for their United Rugby Championship Round 15 clash with Scarlets on Friday evening. Scarlets are two log points behind the Sharks but will relish the opportunity to have a go at the Durban side. Head coach John Plumtree has opted to bring back his experienced players for this clash in Wales, looking for their leadership and ability to deliver a winning performance. This can be seen as a trial run for their date with Clermont in the semifinal of the Challenge Cup next weekend. [rp-mc-game id="204|938717|20 ..read more

PREVIEW: Paul Roos will be favourites when they tackle Grey High this Saturday, while Wynberg and Jeppe should fancy their chances against local rivals. Grey College made a statement last week when they travelled down to Paarl Gym and claimed a narrow win against one of the form teams in the country. Whether they earned the right to be called the best schoolboy team is still up for debate. Grey College should add to their winning tally when they visit Selbourne College this weekend. There is another big team from Stellenbosch, however, that is yet to lose a match in 2024, and is gunning for th ..read more

NEWS: Midfielder Dan du Plessis has signed a contract extension that will keep him in Stormers colours until at least 2026. The 29-year-old has 64 Stormers caps and has never played for another team, having come through the ranks as an age-group star who represented Western Province at U16 and U18 level before moving into the senior squad. A hard-running centre with natural attacking instincts and a solid defensive game, Du Plessis has been a vital cog for the Stormers on both sides of the ball in recent seasons. Du Plessis comes from a family with a rich rugby heritage in the region, with his ..read more

PREVIEW: David will hard pressed to live with Goliath when Varsity College tackle a rampant and undefeated Tuks side in the Varsity Shield Final this Friday. Two weeks ago, Tuks thrashed the Madibaz in the Final of the round of the league phase. That result secured Tuks' place at the top of the standings – and earned them a ticket to next season's Varsity Cup. Now Dewey Swartbooi's charges have set their sights on the Varsity Shield title itself. The numbers indicate why they will go into the Final as overwhelming favourites. Over the past eight matches, Tuks have scored 50 or more points on s ..read more

JAPAN RUGBY LEAGUE ONE, ROUND 15 PREVIEW: Brave Lupus Tokyo and Tokyo Sungoliath might both have qualified for next month’s Japan Rugby League One semifinals, but don’t be fooled. West Tokyo supremacy matters to those associated with the clubs almost as much as a league title, so both sides will be going at it full throttle when they meet on Saturday at Prince Chichibu Memorial Stadium downtown in the Japanese capital. While Brave Lupus captured the early honours, taking out the first derby of the season, that success counts for little as the two teams meet again. With a semifinal just three w ..read more

VIDEO: The Bulls can expect more of the same physical onslaught Ospreys displayed in their triumph over the Stormers last weekend, reckons lock Janko Swanepoel. Ospreys, coming off that famous 27-21 bonus point victory in Cape Town, will be hoping to do the same on Saturday, this time against the Bulls - a team known for their strong forwards come scrum- and maul time. It was a famous and thoroughly deserved win against the Stormers built upon mighty scrummaging, heroic defence, and taking their chances in attack. For the Welsh side that victory will go down as one of the finest results in the ..read more

Phepsi Buthelezi is unyielding in his belief that the Sharks will not be distracted by the looming Challenge Cup face-off with Clermont Auvergne when the Durban side tackles Scarlets in a United Rugby Championship outing on Friday. With the big Twickenham Stoop date (Saturday, May 4) just over a week away, it would be easy to forgive the Sharks if their focus is not on Friday's Parc y Scarlets encounter. [rp-mc-game id="204|938717|2024"][/rp-mc-game][rp-mc-game id="243|938871|2024"][/rp-mc-game] After all, the Durban-based franchise is no longer in the running for a URC top-eight spot, so thei ..read more

DISCIPLINARY UPDATE: The Bulls will be without their chief playmaker at a crucial stage of the United Rugby Championship season. On Thursday, it was revealed that flyhalf Johan Goosen has been suspended for three games after he received a red card for a head-on-head collision in his team's defeat to Munster last weekend. However, Goosen can reduce it to two weeks if he completes the World Rugby Coaching Intervention Programme. See the full statement below A URC statement said: "The Disciplinary process related to Johan Goosen's red card in the United Rugby Championship Round 14 game against M ..read more