An unexpected call-up to the Springbok Women’s Sevens training camp in Stellenbosch was not quite the road back to sunshine and South African rugby that Catha Jacobs had in mind, but she took the detour in her stride.
It’s probably fair to say that Selvyn Davids is an entertainer – on the rugby field, of course – just ask the crowd at BC Place in Vancouver.
The Springbok Sevens squad arrived in Vancouver from Cape Town on Monday evening after a long haul which included a transit in Amsterdam, but the smile Sebastiaan Jobb entered Canada with was as fresh as the brightest Namaqualand daisy.
He prefers warm weather and the sun, but for Springbok Sevens playmaker Dewald Human, a return to Vancouver is something he is looking forward to as much as he is to be playing with his regular team members in a competitive HSBC SVNS Series.
The Fidelity Securedrive Lions claimed the SA Shield for the first time in a gripping round of local Vodacom United Rugby Championship derbies as they defeated the DHL Stormers in a dramatic match in Johannesburg, while the Vodacom Bulls made a strong statement against the Hollywoodbets Sharks in Pretoria, which saw both Gauteng sides hold onto their spots in the top eight.
Springbok Sevens stalwart Impi Visser is back at the helm of the Blitzboks for the HSBC SVNS North American leg, with the regular captain closing in on his 50th world series tournament, while an experienced playmaking trio return with the inclusion of another uncapped player in the squad.
The Junior Springboks concluded their short tour of Georgia with a 35-5 victory over their hosts on a cold and wet Friday afternoon in Tbilisi, with SA U20 head coach Kevin Foote praising the players’ resilience in the tough conditions.
Talented youngster JT Kapank has become the latest South African rugby player to join the ranks of Roc Nation Sports International, the global agency that represents the likes of Siya Kolisi and Cheslin Kolbe.
Andre Esterhuizen will lead a strong Hollywoodbets Sharks team to Pretoria to take on the Vodacom Bulls in their final derby match of the 2025/26 Vodacom United Rugby Championship season.
The pressure on the local Vodacom United Rugby Championship teams will reach new heights this weekend as the competition strikes round 12, and the desperation to be in the top eight, combined with the battle for the SA Shield, set to drive the teams to come out on top in exciting local derbies.