Munster earned their first Vodacom United Rugby Championship title since 2011 in front of a record crowd of over 56 300 fans as they scored a late try to deny hosts, the DHL Stormers, their second successive title at home, thanks to a narrow 19-14 victory in an intense Grand Final in Cape Town on Saturday night.
A packed Stade Maki, an intimidating crowd and a fired-up home team await the Springbok Women in Antananarivo on Sunday, when they conclude their Rugby Africa Women’s Cup tournament against Madagascar.
Springbok Women interim head coach Louis Koen has included former Junior Springbok Women lock Vainah Ubisi in his starting team to play Madagascar in the final game of the Rugby Africa Women’s Cup in Antananarivo on Sunday, and handed Tayla Kinsey a first start in the tournament at scrumhalf.
The DHL Stormers will channel all their energy into Saturday’s Vodacom United Rugby Championship decider with the hope of winning back-to-back titles when they host Irish giants, Munster, in the Grand Final in Cape Town.
The Cell C Sharks go into their second round Currie Cup clash against the NovaVit Griffons in Welkom on Friday afternoon looking to maintain their grip on a home semi-final as the competition nears the knock-out stages.
Springbok Women interim head coach Louis Koen tweaked his match-23 for their second Rugby Africa Women’s Cup match against Kenya in Madagascar on Wednesday, after opening their campaign with an 87-0 win over Cameroon.
Irish club Munster arrived in South Africa on Tuesday with a familiar face whose return to rugby could be a boost for his country at the World Cup later in the year.
The quest to improve in every match will still dominate the mindset of the Springbok Women when they take on Kenya in their second match of the Rugby Africa Women’s Cup at Maki Stadium in Antananarivo, Madagascar on Wednesday.
The Mastercard Golden Lions Women fought back against Boland Dames to secure a narrow win – their first since joining the Women’s Premier Division – while the Bulls Daisies and Border Ladies claimed bonus-point victories in the third round of the competition staged over the weekend.
The Springbok Sevens team shrugged off the disappointment of not making the quarter-finals at the HSBC London Sevens with two big wins on Sunday to claim ninth spot at Twickenham as the HSBC World Rugby Sevens Series drew to a close.