Something I need to get off my chest. I’ve convinced myself, without researching anything, that the boks have missed out on a number of Rugby Championships and Tri Nations over the years because of Australia.

They seem to throw everything at us, empty the tank each time with really positive results. Totally respect that, good for them. But then they play NZ and get a spanking each time. When last did they win the Bledisloe?

They lose to NZ every single time they play them, and lose badly. The boks may win one or both games against NZ, but then lose a game to Oz or win by a small margin. Oz will play NZ and get spanked both games.

Sick of reading comments from South Africans on URC related content who make it to be a country vs country competition. I think it's a bad habit that was picked up in Super Rugby from New Zealand.

I remember in the old days, SA derbies used to be fierce especially among the fans. The Bulls vs Stormers was the epitome of this. There used to be genuine hatred of the other to the point that fans of each respective team used to support any team playing against the other regardless of whether they were an SA team or not.

Nowadays South Africans are supporting their own SA team and all other SA teams. I get national pride and all that but the URC is a club competition. Save national pride for the Springboks. URC is meant to be your club vs everyone else.

I certainly don't blame South Africans for this because it was NZ fans that made Super Rugby to be a country vs country thing especially in the later years, and from there SA fans just started supporting all SA teams. Well you can guess why that competition is declining? Tribalism is important at the end of the day!

It's why as a SA fan, the Irish derbies are some of my favourite URC matchups. There is a real niggle between the respective fan bases and a genuine hatred of Leinster.

Let's not ruin this by bringing bad habits from Super Rugby and subsequently poisoning the well causing all the other countries fans in the URC to adopt the same bad habit.

The tribalism that already exists elsewhere in the URC is awesome and SA fans need to follow.

Normally you can go on the TV guide and 'watch from start'. So this has been my go-to for games that i missed, but for some reason the TV guide has changed since last week and you can no longer watch a game from earlier in the day. Is this just me?

Edit : Yes, I realise in my old man rage, I have said Newland and not DHL Stadium… now let me continue shaking my fist at clouds..

Why would any union/club/province/franchise not want to play in their home kit at home. Especially when your kit is iconic as the blue and white hoops.

You’re not seeing any other major sporting brand giving up their home kit at home.

When you see the Stormers play the Sharks you want to see each in their home kits.

Why do our South-African URC teams do this kak so often…

I can’t see a win here.

What should the end game be?

Social media caption:

Our European home is set. 💥🐆

The Toyota Cheetahs are heading to Swansea, with St Helen’s confirmed as our home ground for two fixtures in the 2026/27 EPCR Challenge Cup!

Sunday, 13 December 2026

Toyota Cheetahs vs Dragons RFC

13:00 | St Helen’s, Swansea

Sunday, 17 January 2027

Toyota Cheetahs vs USAP

15:15 | St Helen’s, Swansea

We’re excited to make St Helen’s our home away from home and continue building our relationship with the Ospreys as we take on another European campaign. 💪🏻

Swansea, we’ll see you soon.

Ticket information will be announced shortly.

When will saru decide to cut the number of local professional unions? Teams like border provide absolutely nothing and yet saru still pumps R17m into these teams? Cut 4 or atleast 2 of these unions and use the money to make the remaining local rugby stronger or sustainable. Lets say you cut border and Griffons then you still have 12 better funded pro unions, 4 urc and 8 local teams.

Saru currently devides R400m between 14 unions. With the urc teams receiving R50m each and the 4 currie cup teams 24m and the first division sides get 17m. If you cut 2 first division sides you can give the 8 remaining local sides R25m each.

Then I would have the 8 remaining teams play a home and away SA cup with the top 4 going into a straight knockout format currie cup with the 4 urc teams. Something needs to be done to save local professional rugby outside URC. Just my opinion.

Work in progress charcoal portrait of Willie le Roux. A double World Cup winner and Springbok centurion, Willie has been the ultimate playmaker at the back for years.

His vision, spatial awareness, and ability to unlock defenses make him one of the sharpest rugby minds to wear the green and gold.

Just saw a clip Morne Steyn kicking the winning penalty in the British and Irish Lion tour (kinda forgot) and it got me thinking, who was the best "we need this kick to win" player we had?

From my watching starting in the 90s it's between: Handre Pollard, Morne Steyn and Percy Montgomery

Did anyone watch the game against Edinburgh? I know the replacement hooker single handedly lost the game, but the line out was functioning well before he came on. Stormers were impotent. Sigh…

Libbie and Ayanda came back home early to receive medical treatment after the game against Italy, while Mary Zulu flew to Spain to join the squad.

"Prices have been shaved by between 17% and 28% (depending on category) for the highly anticipated event which brings together the best male and female sevens players in the world."

Cape Town SVNS 2026 tickets prices (per person per day):

• Category A: R500 (west and east, lower tier, close to halfway line)

• Category B: R380 (west and east, lower tier, 10m-line towards the corners)

• Category C: R280 (lower tier, Party and Family stands)

• Category D: R180 (second tier unreserved)

For comparison - Cape Town SVNS 2025 tickets prices (per person per day):

• Category A: R600 (west and east, lower tier, on the half-way line)

• Category B: R450 (west and east, lower tier, 10m-line towards the corners)

• Category C: R350 (north and south, lower tier, Party and Family stands)

• Category D: R250 (levels two and three, unreserved seating)

• Disabled: R450 (includes disabled person and partner)

https://springboks.rugby/news-features/articles/2026/10/1/cape-town-7s-tickets-on-sale-at-pre-covid-levels

My hot take on the 42-38 loss to the Wallabies in Perth:

Rassie was playing absolute mind games with Les Kiss. By selecting such a dramatically changed team, he deliberately stroked Kiss's undefeated streak ego just to ensure that the centenary Test in 2027 is the final passageway to get to the best form of victory in the end.

If you look at it closely, Rassie has essentially created a brand-new book opening, and the Mandela Plate game was the opening move.

By blooding many others including Herschel Jantjies and Morné van den Berg, alongside Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu and Quan Horn, he gave a completely new-wave halfback and backline combination invaluable on-field experience in the deep end. He let Australia ride high and risk the inevitable loss, but in doing so, he bought priceless tactical intelligence on Les Kiss's new system without exposing our frontline veterans.

Here is how the tactical timeline plays out across the grand strategy:

• The Opening (The Mandela Plate Game): The initial gambit. Sacrificing a result to blood the new-wave halfbacks and outside backs under intense live-fire pressure.

• The Transition to the Middle Game (November Nations Championship): This is where he’ll incorporate the planned start of the strategy already put into play in Perth. Expect to see these exact young combinations paired with an elite, brutal Bok pack against Italy, France, and Ireland to build high-pressure muscle memory.

• The Closing (2027 Centenary Series): When the Wallabies arrive in SA for the 100th Test, the trap snaps shut. They’ll face a fluid, dual-playmaker system run by a new guard that is no longer experimental, but fully integrated with the world-class core.

• The Checkmate (2027 World Cup): The ultimate endgame. By the time the knockouts arrive, SA will have two entirely distinct, elite tactical blueprints, leaving opponents completely defenseless.

We didn't lose a silverware in Perth; Rassie just sacrificed a pawn to map out the entire board for the next four years. Thoughts?

Guys, our number is up. The world now knows how we bulk up. Everyone thought it was PEDs until some traitor amongst us let it slip. Read this article on how Noah Brown, half Soutie half Saffa, bulked up big time for the big time. Our era of dominance is over. Now everyone knows our secret - mieliepap. Someone should go have a talk with his local family.

As an AB supporter, I’m often bemused by which Boks get criticised the most. When I watched the Aus game the other day I was really impressed by Fassi and felt he was one of the best on the field. My mate sitting next to me felt the same. Yet afterwards I noticed he copped a lot of flack from Bok fans online. To those of you who disagree with my assessment of him, can you explain why? I’m not as familiar with him and the team at large and I want to get your angle.