It may feel like the eyes of the rugby world are on France at the moment, but this weekend, the next generation of Springboks will start the new season when the third edition of the Vodacom United Rugby Championship kicks off across South Africa, Ireland, Wales, Scotland and Italy.
The Vodacom Bulls returned to winning ways against Benetton, while the DHL Stormers saw their 15-game unbeaten run end in this weekend's action of the Vodacom United Rugby Championship.
Over 34-million fans tuned into the inaugural Vodacom United Rugby Championship season as the league set a number of major broadcast records in its first campaign.
The Stormers are in hot pursuit of a Springbok regular as a replacement for France-bound fullback Warrick Gelant next season.
In the aftermath of the Vodacom #URC final, Jake White says the Springboks must change the criteria for selection to help keep the current Vodacom Bulls squad intact.
The future is bright for Stormers supporters as coach John Dobson expects investors to line up for a stake in the newly-crowned Vodacom United Rugby Championship winners.
Jacques Nienaber has opened the door to a Springbok recall for Cornal Hendricks if the Vodacom Bulls star can be cleared by the national team's doctors.
Eddie Andrews wants the presidential limitations still imposed on stadium capacity scrapped ahead of Saturday’s Vodacom United Rugby Championship final in Cape Town.
Jake White says the Vodacom Bulls’ defeat by Leinster in the first round of the Vodacom United Rugby Championship laid the groundwork for Friday’s memorable victory in Dublin.
Should Saturday be Duane Vermeulen’s last club outing in South Africa, how fitting that it would be in Cape Town and in front of the biggest crowd to ever watch a rugby match at Cape Town Stadium. It would be the perfect salute to one of South Africa and Cape Town’s favourite rugby sons.