Innholdsfortegnelse for July 2025 i SA RUGBY

In a rugby world filled with white noise, SFM is the new frequency that promises to keep you grooving. Sacha's rise last year was nothing short of electric. He's not just playing the game; he's reshaping it, bringing a mix of creativity and composure the Springboks didn't know they were missing. In 2025, his combination with Handré Pollard will blend experience with panache to ensure the Bok No 10 jersey is in the best hands, now and tomorrow. Jacques Nienaber's journey at Leinster has proven the value of looking beyond today in building something that lasts. Nienaber's defensive systems are the stuff of legend, and it's underpinned by his ability to impact team ethos with a team-first mantra. With Leinster now back on top of the URC, his work speaks…

Thabiso Lethwane People, we might just be witnessing the best rugby team in our lifetime. The best Springbok team ever. Sandile Zondo Very clinical by the Boks considering the weather and that it's the first game of the season. It looks like they'll continue their dominance this season. Tshituka justified his selection. Keep it up. Lionel Schotter Rassie showing his ingenuity again with Esterhuizen, creating some true hybrid players to push the limits of the power of the bench again. Sandile Zondo True. Esterhuizen playing in the forwards and Kwagga an option as a backs replacement. Gives massive advantage for the Boks. That's why Rassie can afford to pick a 7-1 bench. Antonie Alexander Malan How good is Cheslin Kolbe… Unbelievable. Alban Nico Berens What a great way to open…

What moment made you realise you wanted to pursue a career in rugby? When I made the Sharks U17 Sevens team in Grade 11 [at Northwood School] and later the Craven Week side in 2019. That’s when I gained the confidence to play at a higher level. Which rugby players inspired you growing up? There wasn't one specific player. I took inspiration from players my size. Growing up in KZN, I supported the Sharks. Pat Lambie was great tactically and defensively. Lwazi Mvovo was an out-and-out finisher. Later, I learned a lot from watching Cheslin Kolbe, Nehe Milner-Skudder and Damian McKenzie. What’s your favourite cheat meal or off-season treat? I have a sweet tooth - desserts like waffles, frozen yoghurt and ice cream. What was your biggest takeaway from being…

Twickenham, 8 June 2024. The final whistle cut through the hum of expectation. Bath had collapsed in heartbreaking fashion, beaten 25-21 by Northampton. Playmaker Finn Russell crumpled to the turf. Johann van Graan, the South African head coach, wrapped an arm around the devastated No 10. 'We will just have to come back here next year and win it,' Van Graan whispered, voice low but words resonating with steel. It was more than comfort - it was a vow. Fast-forward 12 months and the same stage, the same embrace. But this time, Fortress Twickenham was buoyed by Bath's revival. They edged Leicester 23-21, lifting the English Premiership trophy for the first time in 29 years. The tears that fell were not from heartbreak - but from triumph. Van Graan arrived…

■ Bath were crowned English champions for the first time since 1995-96 after beating the Leicester Tigers 23-21 in the 2024-25 Premiership final. Their treble-winning season also included victory in the Premiership Rugby Cup and EPCR Challenge Cup. ■ Springbok flank Francois Louw (below) made 140 appearances for Bath over nine seasons, while former Bok flyhalf Butch James joined after the 2007 World Cup, scoring 389 points in 68 matches. ■ Founded in 1865, Bath are one of the oldest rugby clubs in the world and dominated the amateur era with six Division One titles from 1988-89 to 1995-96. ■ Scrumhalf Michael Claassens captained the side in 2009-10 during a six-year spell that included the 2007-08 Challenge Cup triumph. ■ Bath were rugby pioneers, appointing Molly Gerrard as the first…

NEWLANDS 'Newlands was where it all started for me. I played there for Western Province U21 and loved the stadium. My best Test came there too, in the 2003 Tri-Nations. I came off the bench after just two minutes to replace [injured flyhalf] Jaco van der Westhuyzen and scored within five minutes. I was also involved in what was in my view, the try of the season. Wendell Sailor chipped ahead, Marius Joubert tackled him into touch, and I caught the ball deep before linking up with De Wet Barry. The ball then went to Joost van der Westhuizen and back inside to me and I passed it over the top to Stefan Terblanche and he found Victor Matfield on his inside. That game [which the Boks won 26-22] was…

It would be a rugby travesty if Willie le Roux were to go down in history as the most underappreciated Springbok Test centurion. The veteran fullback was set to join this exclusive club, either against Italy or Georgia in July, or Australia in August. Le Roux has copped more than his fair share of criticism from South African rugby fans over the years. And they were at it again after the Bulls' URC final defeat to Leinster, with comments like 'Time to retire' and ‘Willie was Leinster's Man of the Match’ on social media. This despite Le Roux playing a pivotal role in helping the Bulls reach a third final in four seasons. Look, Le Roux does make mistakes, and sometimes they come at the worst possible time. However, the…

Supplied by www.youtube.com/@RugbyCoachWeekly MINI AND JUNIORS Catching comfort With younger players, catching the ball can be a major issue, even without pressure and opposition. Use this graduated exercise to improve their confidence to catch. WHY USE IT This activity looks to make your players much more at ease catching the ball and, in the longer term, excellent handlers who can cope under pressure. This graduated exercise can put different pressures on players, and you can adjust each to suit the abilities of the players you have. SET-UP A 10m x 5m box, balls, tackle tubes. Set up more boxes if you have more than 10 players. HOW TO DO IT When you start the activity, ensure it's coaches who are feeding the ball to the players. This means that the…

Following their worst-ever season in 2021-22, Bath have undergone a remarkable transformation under South African head coach Johann van Graan. After finishing bottom of the Premiership and suffering record defeats - including a 71-17 loss to Saracens and a 64-0 thrashing by Gloucester - Van Graan arrived ahead of the 2022-23 campaign to steady a fractured club. Van Graan described Bath as ‘broken’ when he joined, but his impact was immediate. In his first season, the team recovered to finish eighth and secure a place in the Champions Cup. That progress continued with a runners-up finish in the 2023-24 Premiership and culminated in a dominant 2024-25 campaign, when Bath secured a historic treble. They lifted the Premiership Rugby Cup after a 48-14 victory over the Exeter Chiefs, dismantled Lyon 37-12…

Gone are the days where every Lion grew up dreaming of pulling on the jersey. Now it can become a professional dream rather than a boyhood one. An unbelievable opportunity when circumstances and stars align or even due to divine intervention. 'I didn't grow up dreaming of playing for Scotland or the Lions - that's the truth,' explains Sione Tuipulotu (28). 'But this is where my path has led me. I'm all in for this Lions team, for Scotland, for Glasgow, for everything - and I genuinely believe this is where I'm supposed to be anyway. I've been led here for a reason.' A granny from Greenock is responsible for Tuipulotu's rise from Australia U20 to Scotland captain. The centre was even touted as a potential Lions leader before an…

JESSE KRIEL 'Back on home soil.' - The Springbok centre with Sam Cane and Cheslin Kolbe after captaining the national side to a big win over the Barbarians in Cape Town. ANDRÉ ESTERHUIZEN ‘Special!’ - The Springbok centre caught up with former Harlequins teammates Will Collier, Joe Marchant and Wilco Louw. RG SNYMAN ‘URC champs. Grateful for a full season and what a way to end it off with some silverware.’ - The Bok lock with All Blacks centre Jordie Barrett after Leinster's win. APHELELE FASSI 'Grateful' - The Springbok fullback celebrated the return of the international season with Manie Libbok and Kurt-Lee Arendse. FAF DE KLERK 'Good to be back with the boys.' - The Springbok scrumhaif attended a sponsor's event in Johannesburg with Malcolm Marx and Vincent Koch.…

I've watched every Test flyhalf since the Springboks returned to international rugby in 1992. I've written on every professional No 10 since 1996. I've travelled the globe and sat in stadiums from Pretoria to Paris, from Dunedin to Dublin. And if there's one position that defines a generation of rugby watchers, it's the No 10 jersey. England's Jonny Wilkinson remains an icon. His 2003 World Cup-winning wrong-footed drop goal has been replayed a thousand times, but it was his obsession with preparation and his defensive steel that made him special. Morné Steyn had that same ice-cold temperament for the Springboks, as does Pollard with two World Cup gold medals and a 100-plus Test record still unfolding. Steyn scored 31 points in a Test against the All Blacks and beat the…