South African eyes will be on Galway, Johannesburg, Durban, and Parma this weekend as the DHL Stormers, 10bet Lions, Hollywoodbets Sharks, and Vodacom Bulls get the new Vodacom United Rugby Championship season underway.
Springbok coach Rassie Erasmus named a new-look team for their one-off Test against Australia in Perth on Saturday, which will mark significant occasions for No 8 Jasper Wiese as he earns his 50th Test cap off the replacements bench, while hybrid player Andre Esterhuizen will become the 68th player to captain South Africa.
Springbok legend Breyton Paulse has tipped the 10bet Lions as the South African team to watch in this year’s Vodacom United Rugby Championship.
Springbok coach Rassie Erasmus and captain Siya Kolisi say they are expecting a very different challenge against the Wallabies in Perth next Sunday, with the clash set to test the team in new ways.
The Springbok Women will take nothing for granted when they face Wales at Cardiff Arms Park on Friday evening, and are solely focussed on delivering their best effort of the season.
The Springboks and Flying Fijians will complete their preparations for the 2027 Rugby World Cup with a final Test at polytec Stadium in Gosford on Saturday, 18 September 2027.
The Springbok Women to take on Wales this Friday in their opening WXV Global Series clash will run onto the Cardiff Arms Park pitch with a rejigged backline and one change to the pack that created four tries against the Black Ferns in Johannesburg two weekends ago.
DHL Stormers coach John Dobson has in his own mind made the connection as to what constitutes success for them in this season’s Vodacom United Rugby Championship.
The Springboks arrived in Australia from the USA following their series victory in Rugby’s Greatest Rivalry as they gear up for another massive challenge, with Bok coach Rassie Erasmus saying they were ready to begin their preparations for their one-off Test against the Wallabies in Perth.
At just 29, Rhys Thomas’s international rugby career was ended by a heart attack, which profoundly affected his sense of identity, his physical health and his mental health.