A 30-year wait for the resumption of tours between rugby’s greatest rivals, ended this week with the arrival of the touring All Blacks in South Africa for the start of an eight-match odyssey.
The Springbok Sevens will defend their HSBC SVNS Cape Town crown on 5 and 6 December this year, when the best of rugby and entertainment combine on a weekend that has become known as the official start of summer in the Mother City.
The decision by 18-year-old Keira Snyman to leave her home in Denver, Colorado in pursuit of wearing the green and gold rugby jersey – once proudly worn by her father André – all worked out fine on a sunny Friday afternoon in Stellenbosch.
Springbok coach Rassie Erasmus made it crystal clear that the team’s first priority this week was to prepare as well as possible for their one-off clash against Argentina in Buenos Aires next weekend.
Aseza Hele has been included in the Springbok Women tour squad of 26 players that will travel to Fiji this week for a historic tour where they will face the Fijiana XV in two Tests, on 8 and 15 August in Suva and Lautoka.
Springbok coach Rassie Erasmus has called up prop Ntuthuko Mchunu to the national squad for the team’s preparations for the one-off Test against Argentina and the Rugby’s Greatest Rivalry (RGR) series as they leap back into Test match mode following a week off.
Springbok coach Rassie Erasmus adopted a strategic approach for the next leg of the international season by naming a group of 43 players who will gather in Johannesburg on Sunday.
Junior Springbok head coach Kevin Foote paid tribute to his team's resilience, depth and unbreakable bond after South Africa were crowned Junior World Championship winners following a hard-fought victory over France in Tbilisi.
Springbok coach Rassie Erasmus turned his thoughts to the next assignment against Argentina in two weeks’ time after giving the Springboks a pass mark from a 43-0 victory over Wales in a Nations Championship match in Durban.
Springbok assistant coach Mzwandile Stick and captain Pieter-Steph du Toit emphasised that they were preparing for their Nations Championship encounter against Wales in Durban on Saturday with the same seriousness and respect as that with which they approached all Test matches, and predicted a trying encounter.