The Junior Boks blended a high tempo attacking game with a gritty defensive display that left the Gqeberha crowd delighted.

Despite the comfortable 48-21 scoreline, the match was a relentless physical test and Junior Bok head coach Kevin Foote praised his side’s intent to play an “exciting brand” of rugby.

“We never want to stop the guys from expressing themselves, and our journey is just starting now,” Foote said after the game.

Riley Norton led a defensive effort that effectively neutralized the South Americans for the first hour of play. The SA U20 captain said the performance was pleasing and praised the Junior Boks’ fighting spirit and grit.

“It’s about character – it comes down to the heart that each player has,” said Norton of the match against a competitive Argentine side.

The Junior Bok captain also highlighted the intensity brought by the visitors, noting that Argentina didn’t stop fighting for the full 80 minutes, and he also credited his forward pack for “fronting up” against a renowned Argentine set-piece that remains the “bread-and-butter” of their game.

One the Junior Boks’ standout performers was strong-running inside centre Ethan Adams, whose physicality in the midfield was rewarded with two tries in the first half. Out wide, Jack Benade (wing) registered a hat-trick of tries in his debut international for the Junior Boks.

Norton also praised the passionate Eastern Cape crowd that came out to watch the Junior Boks play on Freedom Day: “It was such a special occasion to sing our anthem with the crowd. I am so pleased that we could play some really exciting rugby today, especially in the first half, and be successful in what was always going to be a tough encounter against Argentina.”

South Africa lead the standings after the opening round on five points, followed by New Zealand on four, and Australia on one, while Argentina must still open their account.

The Junior Boks’ next game is at 16h10 on Sunday against Australia, who were beaten 34-29 by New Zealand in their opener, while the Kiwis and Argentina will clash at 14h00. Tickets, from only R35 per person, are available here.

Issued by SA Rugby Communications

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The Sharks suffered a narrow 33-28 defeat against Edinburgh in Scotland in the opening match of the weekend, but the Stormers and Lions delivered impressive performances with bonus-point home victories on Saturday afternoon. The Capetonians thumped the Glasgow Warriors by 48-12 to move back to the top of the log, while the Johannesburgers earned their sixth home win in a row with a 33-21 victory over Connacht.

The Bulls wrapped up a Super Saturday for the South African teams as they held off the Scarlets to win a dramatic match by 23-21 in Wales where they were down to 13 men at one stage.

These results saw the DHL Stormers reclaim the No 1 spot on the standings (56 points), while the Fidelity Securedrive Lions finished the round in third position (53 points), and the Vodacom Bulls jumped to seventh place on the table (49 points). The Hollywoodbets Sharks’ defeat dealt the killer blow to their playoff hopes, as they the weekend in 10th position on 36 points, 11 points behind eighth-placed Ulster.

Only nine teams now remain in the playoff race, and with some sides to face one another in the closing two rounds, the battle for home playoff spots will come down to the wire.

While the Vodacom Bulls and Hollywoodbets Sharks have the luxury of two home games to finish off the league stages, the DHL Stormers and Fidelity Securedrive Lions have challenging tours against teams firmly in the playoff race, which will have a significant impact on their log positions with an eye on possible home playoff places at stake.

Heartbreak for the Sharks in nine-try festival in Edinburgh

The Hollywoodbets Sharks’ challenge in the Vodacom United Rugby Championship fizzled away on Friday night as they went down 33-28 against Edinburgh at the Hive Stadium in a match that saw them produce moments of outstanding play, but saw a lot of their hard work being undone by errors that have plagued them for a large part of their season.

It was an entertaining first half, with the Durbanites getting off to a strong start with a try by Edwill van der Merwe, but the sides found themselves entering the sheds level on 14 points apiece as they both scored two converted tries.

Edinburgh scored their first try in the 15th minute, but Emmanuel Tshituka pushed the visitors ahead a few minutes later when he crossed the chalk. This, however, was cancelled out by the Scots’ second try minutes before halftime, and the successful conversion tied the scores at the break.

Vincent Koch struck first for the Sharks in the second half, but their defence let them down badly as they leaked three tries within nine minutes, which saw the hosts secure their bonus point and take a handy 33-21 lead with 10 minutes left on the clock.

The KwaZulu-Natalians fought back with a try by Vincent Tshituka shortly before the final hooter to earn two bonus points for scoring four tries and going down by fewer than seven points, but this was not enough to undo the damage caused by a spate of costly errors in the final quarter, which saw them having to settle for a heartbreaking 33-28 defeat.

Scorers:

Edinburgh 33 (14) – Tries: Ewan Ashman, Glen Young, Mosese Tuipulotu, Hector Patterson, Darcy Graham. Conversions: Cammy Scott (2), Ross Thompson (2).

Hollywoodbets Sharks 28 (14) – Tries: Edwill van der Merwe, Emmanuel Tshituka, Vincent Koch, Vincent Tshituka. Conversions: Jean Smith (4).

Stormers blow Warriors away in Cape Town

The DHL Stormers delivered a sublime performance against the Glasgow Warriors at the DHL Stadium on Saturday to outscore the Scots by six tries to two, and they supported this with a tenacious defensive effort for a commanding 48-12 victory to reclaim the top spot on the table.

The Capetonians started off the match with a bang, racing to an encouraging 17-0 lead after 13 minutes, but the second quarter was much tighter as Glasgow retained possession and did well to apply pressure on the defence, which saw the hosts enter the break leading 24-12 with three tries to two.

Springbok prop Ntuthuko Mchunu overcame an injury scare in the second minute to score a brace, thanks to his force and some powerful forward play, to add to an early penalty goal by Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu, but Glasgow held on and fought back with their first try in the 25th minute to reduce their deficit despite receiving a yellow card in the 14th minute.

This was cancelled out by a fantastic try by Evan Roos minutes later, which was triggered by a great break on the outside. However, a yellow card to Cobus Reinach in the 36th minute following a team warning paved the way for the visitors to score their second try to reduce their deficit to 24-12 going into halftime.

The Stormers regained control of the match after play resumed, with Feinberg-Mngomezulu kicking a penalty goal, which was followed by their bonus-point try by Ruhan Nel following a stunning grubber from the Bok flyhalf after the Scots were reduced to 14 men once again. This pushed the hosts into a commanding 34-12 lead with over 30 minutes left to play.

Feinberg-Mngomezulu and Keke Morabe added further tries in the closing 10 minutes, which made up for a few costly errors close to the tryline in the preceding minutes, which saw them cruise to the rewarding 48-12 victory.

Scorers:

DHL Stormers 48 (24) – Tries: Ntuthuko Mchunu (2), Evan Roos, Ruhan Nel, Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu, Keke Morabe. Conversions: Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu (6). Penalty Goals: Feinberg-Mngomezulu (2).

Glasgow Warriors 12 (12) – Tries: Ollie Smith, Gregor Hiddleston. Conversion: Adam Hastings.

Lions outclass Connacht to make it six in a row

The Fidelity Securedrive Lions outclassed Connacht 33-21 in an impressive display of rugby at Ellis Park for a vital bonus-point victory, which was characterised by enterprising attack and a resolute defensive effort, with the hosts running in five tries to three.

The Lions made their presence felt throughout the first half, capitalising on their attacking opportunities and producing an admirable defensive effort to keep the visitors scoreless in the opening stanza for a morale-boosting 21-0 halftime lead.

It took the Johannesburgers only four minutes to score their first try, by Angelo Davids, who used his pace out wide from great passing, and Henco van Wyk followed early in the second quarter as he dodged his way through a hole in the defence to dart to the tryline to build a 14-0 lead.

Connacht fought tooth and nail to work their way into the match and managed to get close to the tryline on a few occasions, but they were unable to break through the defensive wall and soon found themselves 21-0 down after Sibabalwe Mahashe dotted down in the corner on the stroke of halftime.

The Fidelity Securedrive Lions wasted no time building on this in the second half, with Erich Cronje touching down for their fourth try minutes after they returned to the field from a great off-load to secure their bonus point and inflate their score to 28 points. But they were dealt a blow soon after as SJ Kotze received a yellow card for a dangerous tackle, giving Connacht the boost they needed to score their first try.

The Johannesburgers bungled a string of chances to add to their try tally, but finally managed to break through for their fifth try in the 71st minute, with Van Wyk securing his brace, but this was cancelled out by two late tries by Connacht, although it was a mere consolation for the Irishmen as the Fidelity Securedrive Lions earned the dominant 33-21 victory.

Scorers:

Fidelity Securedrive Lions 33 (21) – Tries: Angelo Davids, Henco van Wyk (2), Sibabalwe Mahashe, Erich Cronje. Conversions: Chris Smith (4).

Connacht 21 (0) – Tries: Matthew Devine (2), Paul Boyle. Conversions: Sam Gilbert (3).

Bulls overcome 13-man scare to edge Scarlets in Wales

The Vodacom Bulls remained calm and collected in a tense encounter against the Scarlets in Llanelli, where Springbok flyhalf Handre Pollard scored 18 points in a thrilling and dramatic encounter in which the visitors from Pretoria were forced to play with 13 men at one stage, to secure a narrow, but important 23-21 victory in their final tour game, although they were outscored three tries to two.

The first half was a fast and furious affair as both teams ran hard on attack and applied pressure on the opposition, and it showed on the scoreboard as both teams crossed the whitewash twice, with the Bulls taking a slender 14-10 lead thanks to their two successful conversions.

Cheswill Jooste got the action off to a stunning start, compliments of a well-timed dart through the defence minutes into the match, but the Scarlets sent a long pass out wide to score and added another try at the end of the first quarter from a set play from a lineout, which pushed them 10-7 ahead.

The men from Pretoria hit back with their second try by Handre Pollard from a fantastic break and support play with 12 minutes left in the half, and with neither team able to add to their score before the break, the Vodacom Bulls managed to cling onto a 14-10 lead.

Unfortunately for the South Africans, they were reduced to 14 men early in the second half as Stedman Gans received a yellow card, and things became even more challenging as Francois Klopper received his marching orders minutes later, which saw the visitors go down to 13 players.

The Scarlets took full advantage of this to score their third try in the third quarter, and the drama continued to unfold as the teams exchanged two penalty goals apiece, which saw the Welshman edge one point ahead with six minutes left to play.

The Vodacom Bulls had a golden opportunity to score their third try with less than five minutes left to play, but were denied by a forward pass, but a crucial penalty goal by Pollard at the death sealed a nail-biting 23-21 victory, their first at Parc y Scarlets.

Scorers:

Scarlets 21 (10) – Tries: Callum Woolley, Eddie James, Fletcher Anderson. Penalty goals: Joe Hawkins (2).

Vodacom Bulls 23 (14) – Tries: Cheswill Jooste, Handre Pollard. Conversions: Pollard (2). Penalty goals: Pollard (3).

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The match at the Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium starts at 16h10 and will be broadcast live on SuperSport.

Norton, who led the SA U20s to the Junior World Championship title in Italy last year, will captain an exciting-looking side, with fellow 2025 JWC winners Rambo Kubheka (prop) also in the starting lineup, while Oliver Reid (prop) and Vusi Moyo (flyhalf) are primed to make an impact from the bench.

The Junior Boks’ match-23 is a blend of familiar faces who have been part of the squad set-up over the past few months, along with several promising players who featured for the successful SA U18 team last year.

Moyo returns to action after a hip injury ruled him out of the tour to Georgia earlier this year and he is set to provide cover from the replacements’ bench against a tenacious Los Pumitas outfit. Reid will also bring valuable experience when he enters the match.

FNB UCT wing Jack Benade has been rewarded for his form during the recently completed FNB Varsity Cup, as well as for impressing during the two-week training camp in Stellenbosch. He will wear the No 14 jersey, with Lindsey Jansen occupying the opposite wing.

With Markus Muller (inside centre) called up to the DHL Stormers camp, the Junior Boks’ midfield combination will now feature the powerful Ethan Adams at inside centre, partnered by Samuel Badenhorst on the outside.

Alzeadon Felix, an injury replacement at the global showpiece in Italy last year, will start at fullback to complete the back three, while Yaqeen Ahmed and Hendré Schoeman will form the halfback pairing, rounding off the starting backline.

Up front, Kubheka and Danie Kruger will pack down on either side of Liam van Wyk (hooker), while Norton will be partnered in the engine room by Heinrich Theron.

Luke Canon, Kebotile Maake and Thomas Beling form the loose trio combination, with the task of curbing the Argentine threat at the breakdown – an area where a fierce contest is expected between the two sides.

Reflecting on his matchday squad, Junior Bok head coach Kevin Foote said they are under no illusion what to expect from Argentina on Monday.

“They are known for their physicality and their solid set piece, so we know we will have to steady ourselves for a very tough contest,” said Foote.

“Our recent contests have been very close – they played exceptionally well against us in this tournament last year, and we had to dig very deep to overcome them in the semi-final of the World Championship last year in Italy.”

The Junior Bok coach said they enjoyed a warm welcome in the Friendly City along the Eastern Cape coast and were eager to make the people of the region proud with a good performance.

“Argentina, like the other southern hemisphere sides, prefer a high-tempo game with plenty of ball in play,” he said.

“They are a battle-hardened, tenacious outfit, and we will have to work extremely hard throughout the contest if we want to impose ourselves.

“Our DNA is our physicality, and we are looking forward to playing an exciting brand of rugby.”

Apart from Muller, the Junior Boks will also be without the services of Cheswill Jooste (wing, Vodacom Bulls) and Zekhethelo Siyaya (fullback, Hollywoodbets Sharks), both of whom are on Vodacom United Rugby Championship duty.

Luan Giliomee (utility back) and Siphosethu Mnebelele (hooker) are also unavailable for selection due to injury.

The Junior Boks’ clash against Argentina kicks off at 16h10 and will be preceded by the tournament opener between Australia and New Zealand at 14h00. The SANZAAR U20 Rugby Championship will feature the best young talent from South Africa, New Zealand, Australia and Argentina.

Tickets for the U20 Rugby Championship will be priced from only R35 per person per day for two matches, and will be sold exclusively by Ticketmaster – CLICK HERE.

Junior Springbok side to take on Argentina U20 in Gqeberha:
15. ⁠Alzeadon Felix
14. ⁠Jack Benade
13. ⁠Samuel Badenhorst
12. ⁠Ethan Adams
11. ⁠Lindsey Jansen
10. ⁠Yaqeen Ahmed
9. ⁠Hendré Schoeman
8. ⁠Kebotile Maake
7. ⁠Thomas Beling
6. ⁠Luke Canon
5. ⁠Riley Norton (captain)
4. ⁠Heinrich Theron
3. ⁠Danie Kruger
2. ⁠Liam van Wyk
1. Rambo Kubheka

Replacements
16. ⁠Mahle Sithole
17. ⁠Oliver Reid
18. ⁠Kai Pratt
19. ⁠JD Hattingh
20. ⁠Risima Khosa
21. ⁠Jayden Brits
22. Vusi Moyo
23. ⁠Khuthadzo Rasivhaga

U20 Rugby Championship fixtures (all matches live on SuperSport):

Monday, 27 April
14h00: New Zealand v Australia
16h10: Junior Boks v Argentina

Sunday, 3 May
14h00: New Zealand v Argentina
16h10: Junior Boks v Australia

Saturday, 9 May
14h00: Argentina v Australia
16h10: Junior Boks v New Zealand

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As defence coach Joey Mongalo reported earlier this week, where there is opportunity there is hope, and this team, with their backs to the wall, will look to demonstrate their pedigree, but more than that, deliver a performance fitting of the character they possess.

Head coach JP Pietersen continues the pattern of trying to maintain continuity, build cohesion and survive a devastating injury toll, with Springbok Ethan Hooker the latest in a long line of players on the sidelines following a most unfortunate incident against the Ospreys.

That’s the disappointing news, but on an optimistic note, there are minimal changes as the Hollywoodbets Sharks look to finish their two-week overseas tour on a high against a team also chasing a top 8 finish.

There are just two changes to the starting line-up, the pack remaining intact while Makazole Mapimpi comes in for Hooker who suffered a dislocated shoulder last week, and captain Andre Esterhuizen shifting to outside centre, partnering Siya Masuku in the midfield.

Teenage sensation Zekhethelo Siyaya remains at fullback after his breakthrough debut against the Ospreys, and he can only benefit from having the Bok captain alongside him later in the game

Hollywoodbets Sharks
1. Phatu Ganyane
2. Fez Mbatha
3. Hanro Jacobs
4. Jason Jenkins
5. Emile van Heerden
6. Phepsi Buthelezi
7. Vincent Tshituka
8. Emmanuel Tshituka
9. Jaden Hendrikse
10. Jean Smith
11. Makazole Mapimpi
12. Siya Masuku
13. Andre Esterhuizen (C)
14. Edwill van der Merwe
15. Zekhethelo Siyaya

Replacements
16. Eduan Swart
17. Ox Nche
18. Vincent Koch
19. Corne Rahl
20. Nick Hatton
21. Siya Kolisi *
22. Bradley Davids
23. Marnus Potgieter

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The Hollywoodbets Sharks, who must win all their remaining matches with bonus points and hope that several other teams stumble for them to qualify for the quarter-finals, will set the weekend’s action in motion for the SA teams when they line up against Edinburgh in Scotland on Friday night.

Three matches, meanwhile, will play out on Saturday: the DHL Stormers host the Glasgow Warriors in a table-topping clash in Cape Town, followed by an exciting battle between the Fidelity Securedrive Lions and Connacht in Johannesburg, and the Vodacom Bulls take on the Scarlets in Wales.

While a bonus-point victory for the second-placed DHL Stormers against the log-leading Warriors could see them leap back up to the top spot on the standings, the fourth-placed Fidelity Securedrive Lions will go in search of their sixth win in a row against the ninth-placed Connacht, who trail them by only four log points, in the Johannesburgers’ last home game in the league stages, which makes a victory vital for their playoff hopes.

The eighth-placed Vodacom Bulls will go up against the 14th-placed Scarlets, with a victory set to see them remain in the top half of the table, while the 11th-placed Hollywoodbets Sharks will have their work cut out against the 12th-placed Edinburgh, as a defeat could deal the killer blow to their playoff hopes.

The Durbanites will brace themselves for a tough outing against Edinburgh at the Hive Stadium after being left gutted against the Ospreys last week, and with the knowledge that the home side will be playing purely for pride after already being knocked out of playoff contention.

Spicing up the match, the KwaZulu-Natalians have registered only one more victory than the hosts in the competition thus far, and although they will draw comfort from the fact that they have scored 39 more points, their defence has been evenly matched.

Edinburgh have experienced mixed results on their home patch this season, which will give the Hollywoodbets Sharks hope of finishing their tour on a positive note, although they will have to place a massive emphasis on converting their point-scoring chances into points – an area that has let them down at crucial times this season – to change their fortunes and return to winning ways.

The DHL Stormers will have everything to play for against the Glasgow Warriors, with a win set to see them climb to the top of the table or remain in second place, depending on Leinster’s result, to remain in a strong position for a home quarter-final, and to make up for their disappointing defeat against Connacht last week.

With home ground advantage and the inspiration of leaping further up the table set to fuel their motivation immensely, the Capetonians will have everything to play for, but they will be wary of the fact that the visitors will be hellbent on avenging their big defeat last week against the Fidelity Securedrive Lions, and to hold onto their first-place standing, which has all the makings for a gripping encounter.

The DHL Stormers will also want to keep their impressive home-win track record intact, with only two defeats at the DHL Stadium in the competition this season, but with the tournament at a knife’s edge with a handful of teams still able to overtake them on the table in the next two weeks, and a tour to Ireland and Wales lying ahead, there will be no lack of motivation.

In Johannesburg, the in-form Fidelity Securedrive Lions, who have been on fire at home in the last five rounds, will have their sights set on wrapping up a rewarding six-match winning streak when they line up against Connacht at Ellis Park. However, they will be careful not to underestimate the Irishmen, who come off a confidence-boosting upset against the DHL Stormers, and who are still well in contention for a quarterfinal berth as the pool stages draw to a close.

The Johannesburgers may have won only one more match than the visitors, but they boast the bragging rights as the best team on attack this season – something they will look to build on against Connacht. They will, however, be mindful of the fact that the Irish outfit have won their last three successive away matches, which they too will want to build on before their challenging home match against Munster next.

The Vodacom Bulls, meanwhile, will back themselves to register their first victory ever at Parc y Scarlets against the Scarlets. The men from Pretoria, who are currently six log positions ahead of the Welshmen, come off three successive wins and know that they have two home games remaining to finish off the league stages.

They will also draw inspiration from the fact that the Scarlets have won only three of their home games this season, but they will be wary of underestimating the hosts, who put up a brave fight against Cardiff last week, and who will be looking to give their supporters something to smile about in what marks their second-last home game in their campaign.

On paper, the only aspect the Scarlets come close to their guests in terms of stats is on defence, but if the Vodacom Bulls continue their fine form on attack and build on the defensive effort that saw them concede only on try against the Dragons last week, they will have full belief that another sterling performance all around should set them up for a fourth successive victory.

Match Information:

Edinburgh v Hollywoodbets Sharks
Date: Friday, 24 April
Venue: Hive Stadium, Edinburgh
SA Time: 20h45
Referee: Ben Breakspear
TV: SuperSport

DHL Stormers v Glasgow Warriors
Date: Saturday, 25 April
Venue: DHL Stadium, Cape Town
SA Time: 13h45
Referee: Eoghan Cross
TV: SuperSport

Fidelity Securedrive Lions v Connacht
Date: Saturday, 25 April
Venue: Ellis Park, Johannesburg
SA Time: 16h00
Referee: Filippo Russo
TV: SuperSport

Scarlets v Vodacom Bulls
Date: Saturday, 25 April
Venue: Parc y Scarlets, Llanelli
SA Time: 20h45
Referee: Gianluca Gnecchi
TV: SuperSport

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And according to Blitzbok sweeper Ronald Brown, once they had a rest from their trip to the Far East, they will get back for the next chapter of their 2026 season.

Speaking after their 35-7 win over Argentina in the final of the Cathay/HSBC SVNS Hong Kong, Brown insisted that the victory – South Africa’s first at the “home of sevens” since they first made the trip for the Rugby World Cup Sevens in 1997, when they were beaten in the final by Fiji – will not create a false sense of security to them, but will rather inspire them to work even harder.

“The win that eluded so many Blitzbok sides was massive, and we are all so relieved that the bogey is no more,” said Brown.

“More importantly from that win though was the way we achieved that. We again realised that if we play the way our coaches have prepared us, we are a hard team to beat. And if we execute, we will have success.

“It was also a mental win for us, we started poorly on day one, but once we applied our minds, success followed, so that was another reminder that we need to be ready, not only physically, but mentally as well.”

The Blitzboks will return to the training field next week to start preparing for the Spain leg, to be played from 29-31 May, where they will face Australia, Kenya and Great Britain in Pool A.

Argentina, New Zealand, Uruguay, and Germany will play in Pool B, while Spain, Fiji, France, and the USA will play in Pool C.

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The Boks again face the famous BaaBaas in their first match of the season – for the YesPlay Cup it was announced on Tuesday – in a repetition of a fixture that saw 45,000 fans packing into DHL Stadium in Cape Town last year.

The match will be preceded by the chance for fans to see South Africa’s next best in action when SA ‘A’ take on Zimbabwe as a curtain-raiser to the main game in an action-packed day of rugby in the Bay.

With the best Under-20 talent in town for the SANZAAR Rugby Championship, kicking off on Monday at the Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium, Gqeberha is going rugby mad.

Tickets are exclusively available at springboks.tmtickets.co.za.

“I can’t wait for the season to start and what better place than Gqeberha, where we’ve always enjoyed enormous support,” said Erasmus.

“We’ve been told that the average attendance at the Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium is over 95% of stadium capacity and we hope to see the stands packed out again this year when we welcome to BaaBaas to the game.

“They are coming to South Africa with an experienced and esteemed coaching team, and we know they will provide us with a proper test.

“At the same time, we’re very excited to see the rest of our wider squad in action in a proper match when the SA ‘A’ team take on the Sables from Zimbabwe. They have qualified for the 2027 Rugby World Cup and I’m sure it will be a great match.”

The Springboks have never lost in the Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium, winning eight of their nine Tests at this iconic venue, while one clash ended in a draw.

Last year, a crowd of 44,282 packed the stands to see a clinical Springbok performance as they beat Italy by 45-0.

John Spencer, President of the Barbarian F.C., said: “Barbarian F.C prides itself on its values and ethos and it is important our partners embody the same. We are delighted to be working and partnering with YesPlay when we take on the Springboks this June.

“YesPlay are a proud South African company and in addition to the title sponsorship of the match we are proud to have them on the front of our jersey for this exciting international clash.”

Fixtures involving the Barbarians are rare and highly anticipated worldwide, bringing together some of the most exciting names in global rugby for a once-off showcase. Their matches are known for capturing the imagination of fans across generations, combining elite skill with an unstructured, expressive style of play that is seldom seen in the modern game.

What makes the Barbarians particularly compelling is the way their squad is assembled. Players are invited from across the rugby world based on form, reputation, and flair, often representing a mix of countries, cultures, and playing styles.

Selection is typically finalised close to matchday, adding an extra layer of intrigue and anticipation as fans eagerly await the final line-up and the magic it might produce on the field.

After the BaaBaas clash, the Boks will host England, Scotland, and Wales in three Tests in the new Nations Championship in July, before they welcome the All Blacks for three Tests in Rugby’s Greatest Rivalry, a new series that will play out every four years.

For hospitality bookings, contact SAIL: bookings@sail.co.za or 082 805 3150.

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Mnebelele, a member of the 2025 Junior World Championship-winning squad, sustained an ankle injury late last week in Stellenbosch.

Sithole, a regular member of recent SA U20 training squads, represented the SA U18s in 2024 and toured Europe with the SA U19s late last year.

Junior Bok head coach Kevin Foote said: “Injuries are unfortunately part of the game, and we want to wish Esethu well with his recovery. He is one of our leaders in the group and has a lot of experience of the Junior Bok set-up.

“However, his injury now given Mahle a great chance to showcase his abilities, and I am sure he is excited about his call up.”

The squad arrived in Gqeberha on Sunday evening and will spend the week sharpening their preparations for next Monday’s highly anticipated opening clash with Argentina.

“The people of the Friendly City are passionate rugby supporters, and we are looking forward to connecting with them during our stay here in Gqeberha,” said Foote.

“We are all excited to be here and are looking forward to the week’s training and our participation against the best teams in the southern hemisphere.”

IMAGE: SARugby Website

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That was the frank assessment from SA coach Cecil Afrika as his team completed the first of three HSBC SVNS World Championship events in 12th place and now have a massive battle on their hands to climb their way into the top eight in the final two events in Spain and France next month.

Defeats on day one to Australia and Canada were followed by a famous win over Great Britain in their final pool match, but the Bok Women faltered thereafter, losing to Great Britain in the ninth-place semi-final before going down against Argentina on Sunday.

“The win over Great Britain on Saturday was massive for us because they had core status this year and we did not,” said Afrika.

“It proved to us that we can play at that level and win, but only if we use our opportunities. When we played them again on the same day, but did not do that, we paid the price. That was a good lesson to learn, and we will be better for it.”

Coming into the tournament without a number of injured regular starters meant the Bok Women were under pressure from the start, but they had their moments against Australia and Canada, who are in the top four of the rankings.

Afrika said: “We saw when we stuck to our plans, we achieved results. The team did not have that much time together due to all the injuries and short turnaround, so we can certainly be better in the departments where we did well.

“And of course, we will be better in those areas where we showed weakness. We have a lot of work to do back at home.”

An injury to Asisipho Plaatjies on day one did not help either, neither did the red card to Lerato Makua for head contact against Great Britain in their playoff match on the second day.

The intensity of the matches also caught up with his squad, Afrika said: “We are not used to that and could not respond well enough. Especially our kick-offs and kick-off receives were not up to standard and that is an area we will work one once we come back home.

“I am pleased with some of our work on attack, where we managed to create some good tries when everyone was on the same page. We could not always sustain that, which is something we will try to fine tune as we prepare for the tournaments in Spain and France next month.”

Selected Springbok Women’s Sevens statistics:

Most points:
20: Maria Tshiremba – 4 tries
8: Byrhandré Dolf – 4 conversions

Most tries:
4: Maria Tshiremba
1: Lerato Makua, Zintle Mpupha, Shanidiné Bezuidenhout

Pool draw for the HSBC SVNS Valladolid:
A: New Zealand, Japan, Brazil, Argentina
B: Australia, USA, Fiji, South Africa
C: France, Canada, Spain, Great Britain

Issued by SA Rugby Communications

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Snyman was part of a back to back world series winning team and captained them as they won all over the world except for Hong Kong, so he understands the emotions of winning at the home of sevens for the first time, thanks to a commanding 35-7 victory over Argentina in the final at Kai Tak Sports Stadium.

“I’m almost speechless,” Snyman said afterwards.

“There is a massive feeling of pride and gratitude at this moment. We waited so long for this, and I am happy we finally did it. I am also very happy for us as a group, not only those here tonight, but also those back home who worked just as hard to make it possible.”

Snyman said they will pause and reflect on what they managed to achieve: “We will just relax and enjoy and celebrate tonight. We know the job is not done, but 50 years was a long time to wait for this.”

The Blitzbok coach also reflected on their recovery of form after they were outplayed in their second pool match on Friday and said the team had a serious chat on Friday evening after they delivered an underwhelming performances against Uruguay and Spain.

“We just reminded everyone who we are, what we represent and what we came to do,” he said. “The book on Hong Kong 2026 might not have had six perfect chapters, but what a great ending to the story.”

Snyman was also very pleased with the effort shown on Sunday: “The way we came back from that stutter was exceptional, especially today when we played against two very good teams in New Zealand and Argentina. We were so clinical and effective in everything we did, it was wonderful to see first-hand.”

On their current run of form, Snyman said they are enjoying the moment: “Four tournament wins from four is amazing and we are enjoying it, knowing it will not last forever. For now though, we are enjoying it and feeling very proud of what we have achieved so far.”

Blitzbok captain Impi Visser said the squad will forever remember this moment and he is proud to be part of this piece of history.

“I am just so proud of the boys because we achieved something special today,” said Visser. “We broke the hoodoo in Hong Kong and can finally call ourselves champions here and that is amazing.”

Visser said the defeat against Spain on day one shocked them: “We came back from a dark place on Friday night as that defeat hurt, as suddenly doubt started to creep in, but we had a good chat and turned it around like I expected the guys to do.

“There are massive fight and pride in this team, and it showed once we were under pressure. We realised the focus should be on creating and assisting in a try rather than thinking of the celebration of it and we turned it around, that big win over Argentina Saturday laid the foundation for the rest of the tournament.

“Today was a showcase of what we are capable of. The management moulded us into a competitive team and credit for them.”

On the winning streak, Visser said: “We will keep our heads down and stay honest once we get back to work for the next two tournaments. We have seen hard work pays off, so there is no need to change that habit now.”

Selected Blitzbok statistics:

Most points:
43: Tristan Leyds – 5 tries, 9 conversions
27: Selvyn Davids – 5 tries, 1 conversion
15: Ryan Oosthuizen, Shilton van Wyk – 3 tries

HSBC SVNS World Championship standings:
1 South Africa – 20 pts
2 Argentina – 18
3 Spain – 16
4 New Zealand – 14
5 Fiji – 12

Issued by SA Rugby Communications

Image: Blitzbok/X

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