Rugby

Sudden death extra-time will be played if Harlequins and Kruisfontein United are tied at the end of normal time in Saturday’s eagerly-awaited EPRU Grand Challenge Top 12 club rugby final at the Madibaz Stadium.

The Springboks arrived in Australia from the US on Wednesday morning local time following their series victory in Rugby’s Greatest Rivalry, gearing up for another challenge.

Cautious Stormers coach John Dobson has opted to wrap his players in cotton wool to protect them from injury ahead of their opening United Rugby Championship clash against Connacht in Galway on September 25.

Four Springbok Women players who debuted in Cardiff in 2018 are eager to create new memories by securing a win against Wales at the same venue.

England No 8 Henry Pollock says he will consider playing abroad or changing sports altogether as negotiations over a new contract with Northampton drag on.

The Springbok Women began their WXV Global Series preparations in Cardiff with a productive training session, adapting to challenging weather after arriving from South Africa.

Having the luxury of back-to-back home games in Durban to kick-start their United Rugby Championship season will give the Sharks an ideal platform to build early momentum, coach JP Pietersen said.

Though they emerged emphatic 3-1 winners in Rugby’s Greatest Rivalry series there were no easy games and the Springboks were forced to fight fire with fire against a New Zealand outfit who never took a backward step, fullback Damian Willemse said.

Buffs Rugby Club has launched the Bidvest Buffalo U21 Challenge, a seven-week tournament with 10 teams, to address the lack of a structured U21 club system in the Border region and bridge the gap between junior and senior rugby.

Uncapped flyhalf Harry McLaughlin-Phillips earned a Wallabies call-up Monday for this month’s home Test against South Africa while Jordan Petaia returns.

The massive crowd of 68,000 passionate fans who watched the Springboks beat the All Blacks in Baltimore provided exciting evidence that rugby can catch on quickly among Americans who enjoy watching tough physical sports, Siya Kolisi says.

Though they might sometimes annoy the living daylights of rivals with the way they go about things, the only thing that really matters for the Springboks is winning for South African people from all walks of life, coach Rassie Erasmus said.

Arch-rivals Harlequins and Kruisfontein United will face off in a winner-takes-all duel for the right to be crowned EPRU Grand Challenge Top 12 club rugby champions after they emerged victorious after hotly-contested semifinal duels on Saturday.

The EP Elephants tasted defeat for the first time this season when they were pipped 29-27 by the Boland Kavaliers in a thrilling SA U21 Shield rugby clash in Gqeberha on Saturday.

Border U21 secured their first SA Rugby Shield win by defeating SWD 22-12 but are unable to defend their title due to insufficient points, regardless of upcoming match outcomes.