Hollywoodbets Sharks head coach John Plumtree has named a 65-man squad to do duty in the upcoming Vodacom United Rugby Championship that kicks off next week.
Leinster Rugby proved too good for the Vodacom Bulls in front of a 40 000-strong crowd in wet and cold conditions at Croke Park in Dublin on Saturday night in the Grand Final of the cross-hemisphere showpiece, outscoring the men from Pretoria by four tries to one for a 32-7 victory and their first title since the 2020/21 season.
Will the Vodacom Bulls be third time lucky or can Leinster break their Vodacom United Rugby Championship drought?
The Vodacom Bulls will travel to Dublin where they will line up against Leinster in the Vodacom URC Grand Final next Saturday after the two top-ranked teams defeated the Hollywoodbets Sharks and Glasgow Warriors respectively in a gripping semi-final round.
There will be no love lost when the Vodacom Bulls host the Hollywoodbets Sharks in their all-South African Vodacom United Rugby Championship semi-final in Pretoria on Saturday, where a place in the Grand Final of the cross-hemisphere showpiece will be up for grabs.
A new lock pairing for Saturday’s Vodacom United Rugby Championship semi-final derby clash against the Vodacom Bulls in Pretoria is the only set of changes to the Hollywoodbets Sharks as they take continuity into selection for this massive local knock-out.
The Vodacom Bulls and Hollywoodbets Sharks kept the South African flag flying in a drama-filled knock-out round of the Vodacom United Rugby Championship, with both teams winning their quarter-finals, which will see them face off against one another in an all-South African semi-final in Pretoria next Saturday.
Jake White has been here before in his illustrious coaching career. But perhaps never before has one of the most recognisable coaches in world rugby felt such a deep emotional connection to a squad of players chasing a trophy.
South Africa’s three Vodacom United Rugby Championship quarter-finalists face their biggest task of the season this weekend as they line up against top opposition in the quarter-final of the cross-hemisphere series, where victories will be non-negotiable to advance to the semi-final stages.
As the DHL Stormers head into the Vodacom United Rugby Championship playoffs for the fourth consecutive season, coach John Dobson is quite clear about what this moment means to them.