After navigating a season filled with highs and lows, Neethling Fouché and his DHL Stormers teammates have shifted their attention towards finishing strongly and building momentum for the challenges ahead.
Junior Springbok coach Kevin Foote and skipper Riley Norton praised the SA U20 side for fighting back from three to one tries down to draw 29-29 with New Zealand in their final match of the 2026 Under-20 Rugby Championship at the Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium in Gqeberha.
The DHL Stormers, Vodacom Bulls, and Fidelity SecureDrive Lions all remained in the running for hosting Vodacom United Rugby Championship quarter-finals in a riveting penultimate pool round, which delivered a dramatic draw, two bonus-point victories and only one defeat for the South African teams.
The Hollywoodbets Sharks have had two weeks since their last match to prepare for the penultimate Vodacom United Rugby Championship match of the current season, welcoming Benetton to Hollywoodbets Kings Park on Saturday.
Lions flyhalf Chris Smith is relishing the opportunity to help his side secure their place in the Vodacom United Rugby Championship playoffs.
Junior Springbok coach Kevin Foote left the Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium a satisfied man after the South Africans kicked off their U20 Rugby Championship campaign with a statement victory over Argentina on Monday.
The DHL Stormers, Fidelity Securedrive Lions, and Vodacom Bulls kept the South African flag flying high in the third-last round of the Vodacom United Rugby Championship as they registered vital victories to improve their positions on the log, but it was a weekend of bitter disappointment for the Hollywoodbets Sharks, whose campaign will officially conclude at the end of the pool stages.
Riley Norton will lead the Junior Springboks in their 2026 Under-20 Rugby Championship opener against Argentina’s Los Pumitas on Monday, as they aim to make an immediate impact in front of their home crowd in Gqeberha.
Siya Kolisi will make a welcome return to action following a calf injury in what will be his 50th appearance for the Hollywoodbets Sharks when they take on Edinburgh in Friday night’s final away match of the regular season in this year’s Vodacom United Rugby Championship.
There will be no room for error for the four South African teams in the Vodacom United Rugby Championship in the third-last round of pool matches this weekend, with every result set to have notable implications in their playoff hopes.