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Springboks Brace for Heavyweight 2026 Rugby Season

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Adnaan Mohamed

The Springboks’ 2026 Test calendar reads like a greatest-hits album pressed into green and gold vinyl. Ten fixtures. Eight heavyweight opponents. Iconic stadiums. Familiar foes. Old grudges. New chapters.

From the winter chill of Ellis Park in July to facing the All Blacks in Rugby’s Greatest Rivalry Four-Test Series, followed by the furnace of a late-season Nations Championship finale, South Africa’s world champions are primed for a campaign that promises collision, combustion and classic rugby theatre.

The season kicks off with a trio of home Tests against northern hemisphere visitors, as England, Scotland and Wales tour South Africa in July. England arrive at Ellis Park on 4 July still licking their wounds from a 29–20 defeat in 2024, while Scotland head to Loftus Versfeld a week later hoping to improve on a 32–15 loss. Wales complete the mid-year run at Kings Park on 18 July, returning to the scene of a humbling 73–0 defeat in 2025, a reminder of just how ruthless the Springbok machine can be when fully oiled.

August and September then ignite Rugby’s Greatest Rivalry Series as the All Blacks cross swords with the Boks in a four-Test epic that will stretch both squads to breaking point. Ellis Park (22 August), Cape Town Stadium (29 August) and FNB Stadium (5 September) host the opening three clashes, with a fourth Test scheduled for 12 September at a venue still to be confirmed. The last time the sides met in 2024, South Africa delivered a commanding 43–10 statement, but history teaches that past results mean little when black meets green.

The season’s final act unfolds on the road in November, with the Springboks entering the Nations Championship cauldron against Italy (6–8 November), France (13–15 November) and Ireland (21 November), all at venues yet to be confirmed. Italy will seek to overturn a 32–14 defeat from 2025, while France and Ireland, beaten 32–17 and 24–13 respectively, loom as familiar obstacles on the high-pressure European stage.

From altitude to ocean, from ferocious rivals to wounded challengers, the 2026 Springbok campaign is built like a forward pack: heavy, balanced and relentless. Every Test is a tackle waiting to happen. Every whistle, a fresh battle cry.

Springboks 2026 Fixtures

July – Home Tests (Nations Championship)

  • 4 July: vs England – Ellis Park, Johannesburg
  • 11 July: vs Scotland – Loftus Versfeld, Pretoria
  • 18 July: vs Wales – Kings Park, Durban

August–September – All Blacks Series

  • 22 August: vs New Zealand – Ellis Park, Johannesburg
  • 29 August: vs New Zealand – Cape Town Stadium
  • 5 September: vs New Zealand – FNB Stadium, Johannesburg
  • 12 September: vs New Zealand – Venue TBC

November – Nations Championship (Away)

  • 6–8 November: vs Italy – Venue TBC
  • 13–15 November: vs France – Venue TBC
  • 21 November: vs Ireland – Venue TBC

Springboks opponents for third consecutive RWC title defence in Australia revealed

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By Adnaan Mohamed

The Springboks pursuit of an unprecedented third consecutive Rugby World Cup title will unfold against familiar opponents after the defending champions were drawn into Pool B with Italy, Georgia and Romania for the 2027 tournament in Australia.

The announcement, made during Wednesday morning’s draw, confirmed that South Africa will face three teams they know well from past World Cup encounters: Romania in 1995 and 1999, Georgia in 2003, and Italy in 2019.

The format, guided by world rankings for the 2025 season, sorted the 24 teams into four bands before randomised placement into six pools. This is the largest RWC structure to date.

Rassie Erasmus: “We are pleased… but this is a World Cup”

Springbok head coach Rassie Erasmus welcomed the draw but emphasised the unpredictability of tournament rugby.

“We are pleased with the pool we have been drawn in, but this is a World Cup, and every team will go out there with great passion and do their utmost to represent their nations with pride,” said Erasmus.

“There have been surprises in the tournament before, so we’ll need to be up mentally and physically for every match.”

Erasmus offered a measured breakdown of each opponent, noting how deceptive world rankings can be.

“Italy may be ranked 10th in the world, but they showed us what they are capable of when they hit their straps earlier this season, even though the scorelines may not have reflected that.

“Georgia and Romania are also extremely physical and passionate teams, and we’ve faced them before, so we know how tough they can be on the day if we give them space and opportunities to play to their potential.”

His remarks frame Pool B as a group where familiarity offers preparation advantages, but no shortcuts — a reminder that even routine fixtures can turn into tactical ambushes if approached casually.

Tournament Format: Six Pools, New Pathways

With the RWC expanding from 20 to 24 teams and the fixture list increasing to 52 matches, 2027 will introduce a modified playoff pathway.

  • Winners of Pools A–D will face the four best third-placed teams.
  • Winners of Pools E and F will meet the runners-up from Pools B and D.
  • Runners-up in Pools A and C draw the second-placed teams from Pools E and F.

This structural shift increases the importance of pool-stage consistency and squad rotation which is a key component of Erasmus’s historically successful World Cup strategies.

The Full 2027 Pools

  • Pool A: New Zealand, Australia, Chile, Hong Kong China
  • Pool B: South Africa, Italy, Georgia, Romania
  • Pool C: Argentina, Fiji, Spain, Canada
  • Pool D: Ireland, Scotland, Uruguay, Portugal
  • Pool E: France, Japan, USA, Samoa
  • Pool F: England, Wales, Tonga, Zimbabwe

Australia will host matches from 1 October to 13 November 2027 across seven cities in Adelaide, Brisbane, Melbourne, Newcastle, Sydney and Townsville.

The full matchday schedule will be released on 3 February 2026, with a two-week presale window for fans opening 18 February 2026.

A Favourable yet Demanding Pool

While South Africa avoided a heavyweight Tier 1 rival in Pool B, the draw offers strategic depth:

  • Italy present a risk profile based on tempo and moments of tactical unpredictability.
  • Georgia bring scrummaging power and collision dominance – a stress test for any forward pack.
  • Romania remain physical and combative, although rebuilding.

For Erasmus, the pool provides space to calibrate combinations, manage player load, and sharpen tactical identity, the essential building blocks for a three-peat campaign. Pool B offers stability, but only if executed with precision.

Franco Mostert Cleared as Rugby’s Referees Enter Full Circus Mode

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Opinion – Adnaan Mohamed

Welcome to another breathtaking episode of Rugby Officials Gone Wild, where referees improvise, TMOs hallucinate, and World Rugby’s disciplinary panels sweep up the mess like long-suffering parents at a children’s birthday party.

This week’s headliner? Springbok lock Franco Mostert sent off in Turin after referee James Doleman and his French TMO partner squinted at a replay and dramatically declared “clear head contact” and “always illegal”, which we now know was about as accurate as a prop attempting a chip-and-chase.

On Wednesday, actual functioning adults on the disciplinary panel calmly overturned the red card, downgrading it to a yellow and effectively telling the match officials:

“You were wrong. Spectacularly wrong. Please stop embarrassing yourselves at this altitude.”

But wait, the chaos gets better. Not only was Mostert’s dismissal wrong, but Harry Hockings’ red card was ALSO declared incorrect by a separate independent panel.

That’s right: two red cards, two panels, zero functioning officiating moments. Rugby’s governance is starting to feel like a group project where one guy does the work and the rest just show up with snacks.

And Rassie Erasmus? Eddie Jones? Oh, they were THRILLED.
Both stormed into their press conferences like two coaches who’d just watched their debit orders bounce. Steam, fire, smoke signals, everything short of interpretive dance.

Meanwhile, the bunker review system, the expensive technological safety net installed specifically to stop this exact variety of nonsense, was NOT USED.
Not consulted.
Not even glanced at.
They left it sitting there like a lonely gym bike in January.

Instead, Doleman and his TMO opted for the “wing it and pray” method: a bold, innovative approach with a near-perfect failure rate.

The ruling now exposes rugby’s head-contact framework as a full-blown Picasso painting: abstract, confusing, and open to interpretation by anyone with enough confidence and a whistle.

One weekend a player gets red for breathing too aggressively; the next weekend someone performs a WWE finishing move and walks away with a warning.

And through it all, the Springboks just keep winning, like a team powered entirely by spite and trauma.

Two weekends.
Two red cards for the No. 5 jersey.
Two matches with 14 men for ridiculous lengths of time.
Two victories.

France? Beaten with 40+ minutes a man down.
Italy? Smashed with 65+ minutes one man short, AND fielding fringe players.
The message?
“Give us 14, give them 15 – see who cries first.”

Now South Africans are coping the only way they know how:
By laughing at the officiating until it cries back.

With Mostert cleared, he’s available for the showdown in Dublin, a place where the Boks haven’t won since the world last took Blackberry phones seriously.

The last time the Boks were on the winning side in Ireland was 13 years go. The Irish have won four of the last five against South Africa, including that World Cup group-stage arm wrestle in 2023.

The Boks name their team Thursday. And if fate has a sense of humour, the referee will keep his red card in his pocket this weekend, or at least try to.

But with the way things are going in rugby’s officiating universe, expect anything: a red card for tying your boots too slowly; a yellow for “intent to run upright”; a penalty for existing in the wrong postcode.

Sit tight.
The circus continues.
And the clowns, unfortunately, are still in charge.

Two Weeks, Two Reds, One Relentless Springbok Spirit

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By Adnaan Mohamed

For the second week in a row, the Springboks walked into a northern-hemisphere storm and refused to be blown over.

Another early red card, another No 5 lock gone, yet the world champions simply bent, adjusted and found a new way to win, beating Italy 32–14 in Turin with the kind of grit that can only be forged in chaos.

Franco Mostert’s 12th-minute red card echoed Lood de Jager’s fate against France a week earlier. Same number on the jersey. Same sinking moment. Same response: the Boks shifted shape like a scrum rearranging itself in a gale, and played as though the missing man had simply been absorbed into their collective heartbeat.

Captain Siya Kolisi said the team has learned to solve problems while sprinting.

“We went through it last weekend, and this week we went through the same thing. So, we make plans in the game as we go along because such things happen,” he said.

“The biggest thing that we were asked this week is to show our ‘Africanness’ and that’s about making plans because there are always stumbles… They (the coaches) are always prepared for any scenario, and even the guys who are not playing sit and make plans and decisions.”

Kolisi admitted the emotional sting was real:

“It doesn’t make it easy for us… seeing a guy like Franco sitting there, we could see the hurt in his eyes. But I really love the way this team is able to stand up and fight.”

Rassie Erasmus, visibly exasperated, didn’t hide his frustration.

“It is what it is. What I say can’t make a difference,” he said. “It’s sad that our captain had to make that sacrifice twice in a week.”

The Bok coach questioned how much lower a two-metre lock can physically tackle.

“Losing two locks in two games now for going lower than they can go… it’s tough to understand,” Erasmus said. “We don’t know how to coach guys to go lower, especially when someone is on his knees.”

Yet amid the frustration, he applauded his team’s ability to morph on demand.

“Yes, we have a way to adapt,” he said. “That certainly makes us tighter as a team… I’m happy with the result, but still sad for the players who have to take the brunt for something that happened by accident.”

Three wins from three, two red cards navigated, and a squad that keeps inventing new ways to survive the storm. The Boks now head to Ireland, hardened once more by fire and fallout.

Featured Photo: Andre Esterhuizen/ https://x.com/springboks

Source: SA Rugby

Springboks Brace for Brutal Torino Clash With Resurgent Italy

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Adnaan Mohamed

Springbok assistant coach Mzwandile Stick has warned that Italy are no side to stroll past, likening Saturday’s showdown in Torino to a scrum where one wrong step can send you skidding backwards.

The Boks face the Azzurri at Allianz Stadium at 14:40 (SA time), live on SuperSport. And Stick made it clear the visitors aren’t treating this as a gentle warm-up jog.

“It’s a tough week because we are facing a team that comes off a good game against Australia,” said Stick.

“A few other players are getting an opportunity to play, and that motivates us immensely.”

Stick said the squad’s hunger runs deeper than selection rotation:

“The players have been working very hard and waiting for their opportunity, such as Handré (Pollard) and Canan (Moodie), among others.

“For us, whoever gets a chance to represent the country, it’s not just about playing for yourself, but close to 60 million South Africans at home. This Test is a massive game for us.”

He also brushed aside whispers that the matchday group lacked bite.

“There’s no such thing as a trial match when it comes to the Springboks,” Stick insisted.

“We need to respect the players who are receiving an opportunity to play. We all know Italy are in a good space as a team, and improving week in and week out.

“In Pretoria, they posed big challenges in the second half, so they are a side you can never underestimate. That said, we’ll be prepared, and the players are excited and looking forward to the match.”

Kolisi: Breakdown will be the battleground

Captain Siya Kolisi who is set to notch his 101st Test cap, expects the breakdown to be the heart of the contest, the place “where matches are won and lost like turnovers at a street fight.”

“It’s been one of the big areas we looked at this week, just as we did when we played against them in South Africa,” said Kolisi.

“We struggled in the first match against them back home, and that was one of the main reasons we had to work so hard to win that match.

“We know how good they are there, so we’ve worked hard this week to ensure we look after the ball properly. The pack will be important this weekend. We know what we have to do, and we have to make sure we are up for it.”

Kolisi dismissed concerns about cohesion within the fresh-faced forward unit:

“We’ve done the work on the field during the week, and that’s where we get to know one another. The coaches have been crucial in that regard. The senior guys obviously need to lead by example, but we feel good as a group in general.”

Van Staden’s hooker switch “a long-term project”

With Marco van Staden named as the reserve hooker, Stick revealed this is no spur-of-the-moment gamble.

“It was always the plan for him to be a backup hooker in the squad,” said Stick.

“At the 2023 World Cup, he was always training and working on extra skills in that position to ensure he was ready when the opportunity arose. So, it’s a project we’ve been working on for the last few years.

“He’s a tough guy who always plays with his heart on his sleeve, and he’s a breakdown specialist, which will be valuable against a side like Italy. It’s great that we can move him to hooker later in the game.”

Italian backline “will punish you” if given space

Stick also flagged Italy’s dangerous midfield and backline, a unit he describes as sharp enough to slice through any defensive line that drifts for even a moment.

“If you look at the Italian centres, they are probably one of the best centre partnerships in the country at the moment, and they have great players all around at the back,” he said. “They are also playing really well, so it’s going to be a tough game with ball in hand.

“If you give the Italian players time and space, their backline players will punish you.”

Teams:

Italy: 15 Ange Capuozzo, 14 Louis Lynagh, 13 Juan Ignacio Brex (captain), 12 Tommaso Menoncello, 11 Monty Ioane, 10 Paolo Garbisi, 9 Stephen Varney, 8 Lorenzo Cannone, 7 Manuel Zuliani, 6 Ross Vintcent, 5 Andrea Zambonin, 4 Niccolò Cannone, 3 Marco Riccioni, 2 Giacomo Nicotera, 1 Danilo Fischetti.
Replacements: 16 Tommaso Di Bartolomeo, 17 Mirco Spagnolo, 18 Simone Ferrari, 19 Federico Ruzza, 20 Riccardo Favretto, 21 David Odiase, 22 Martin Page-Relo, 23 Tommaso Allan.

South Africa: 15 Damian Willemse, 14 Edwill van der Merwe, 13 Canan Moodie, 12 Ethan Hooker, 11 Kurt-Lee Arendse, 10 Handre Pollard, 9 Morne van den Berg, 8 Marco van Staden, 7 Ben-Jason Dixon, 6 Siya Kolisi (captain), 5 Franco Mostert, 4 Jean Kleyn, 3 Zachary Porthen, 2 Johan Grobbelaar, 1 Boan Venter.
Replacements: 16 Gerhard Steenekamp, 17 Wilco Louw, 18 RG Snyman, 19 Ruan Nortje, 20 Andre Esterhuizen, 21 Kwagga Smith, 22 Grant Williams, 23 Manie Libbok.

Date: Saturday, November 15
Venue: Allianz Stadium, Turin
Kick-off: 13.40 (14.40 SAST; 12.40 GMT)
Expected weather: There will be some drizzle and light winds with a temperature around 14°C
Referee: James Doleman (New Zealand)
Assistant referees: Ben O’Keeffe (New Zealand), Jérémy Rozier (France)
TMO: Tual Trainini (France)

SOURCE: SA RUGBY

Rassie’s Springboks Gears Up for Gruelling Northern Tour

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By Adnaan Mohamed

Springbok coach Rassie Erasmus jetted off to London on Sunday, bracing for a five-week European tour that promises to test every sinew and synapse of the world champions.

The full squad will regroup in the UK on Monday morning, ready to tackle a sequence of five Test matches that reads like a gauntlet of rugby heavyweights.

The Boks kick off their campaign against Japan at Wembley Stadium on 1 November, before locking horns with France in Paris, Italy in Turin, Ireland in Dublin, and Wales in Cardiff. Each encounter will present a fresh challenge in vastly different conditions.

Erasmus, ever the strategist, knows that touring Europe in November is no spring picnic. It’s more like a muddy, cold-weather arm wrestle, where slick southern flair must survive in the trenches.

“We are excited about the tour and to measure ourselves against some of the best teams in the world,” he said before departure.

“A lot of hard work has been put in behind the scenes since the Rugby Championship, and hopefully this will set us in good standing to build on our season so far.”

The Bok mentor is acutely aware of the curveballs awaiting his squad. This includes the heavy air, damp pitches, and bruising opposition. But he believes his players are well-prepared for the north’s wintry grind.

“The conditions are vastly different in the UK and Europe to South Africa this time of the year,” Erasmus noted.

“But fortunately, most of the players have been exposed to those conditions either during their United Rugby Championship tours or by playing for overseas clubs.

“The time zone is also very similar to South Africa, which means we can slot back into full Test mode immediately from our first training session on Monday.”

If the schedule looks daunting on paper, Erasmus embraces it like a seasoned flanker facing down a charging number eight.

He knows the mental battle will be just as fierce as the physical one. It’s been 10 years since Japan caused one of the biggests upsets in the rugby world when the Brave Blossoms beat the Springboks at the Rugby World Cup in Brighton in England in 2015.

Coaches, Eddie Jones (Japan) and Rassie Erasmus (South Africa), will be going head-to-head at Wembley Stadium. Photo: Steve Haag/Gallo Images

“Japan have been improving steadily over the last few years, and they defeated us a few years ago, so we have no doubt they will come out guns blazing next Saturday and throw everything at us,” he said.

France and Ireland, both top-four sides, loom as potential tour-defining tests.

“The last time we faced France in Paris was in the Rugby World Cup quarter-final, and that result will psyche them up going into the match against them,” said Erasmus.

“They are also ranked fourth in the world currently, and Ireland third, and we all know how tough matches at the Aviva Stadium are against them.”

He also expects spirited resistance from Italy and Wales. These two teams have plenty to prove on home turf.

“Italy put up a brave fight against us in Pretoria, and that will give them confidence going into our match in Turin. Wales will also be up for the challenge after recovering from a tough few years earlier this season, so we need to be ready mentally and physically each week to get the desired results.”

For Erasmus, the tour is a measure of mettle, a proving ground for depth, discipline, and determination.

“It won’t be easy,” he concluded, “but we have a quality group of players, and we know what they are capable of doing when we stick to our structures and play to our potential on the day.”

Springbok Women’s Historic World Cup Win

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By Adnaan Mohamed

The Springbok Women tore through the history books in York on Sunday, barging past Italy 29–24 to clinch their first-ever Rugby World Cup play-off spot. It was a tackle-busting, line-breaking moment that also catapulted South Africa into the world’s top ten for the first time.

Head coach Swys de Bruin hailed the victory as a true pack effort:

“We stuck to our game plan, scrummed down as one, and outplayed them in the backs. Italy showed their Six Nations pedigree, but our team simply wanted it more.”

De Bruin said his team’s refusal to back down when Italy came with a determined fight back to twice draw level in the game, as well as the tactical acumen of his coaching staff were highlights in this exceptional win.

“I am so proud of everyone, this was really a team effort, not only from all here in England, but also our support structures back home, and this performance justifies the belief SA Rugby had in us,” said De Bruin.

“We had a plan on how to beat Italy and credit to my coaches, as it worked to a tee. Our first phase helped us to score some tries, while we also outplayed them in the backs with some delightful tries.

“We improved on every positive statistic out there and we are only two rounds into this tournament. It is such a relief and one can only thank God that it worked as planned.”

Italy twice levelled the scores after trailing 17–5, yet the Bok Women refused to fold. Their grit in defence and flair on attack delivered tries that split the Azzurri line like a well-timed crash ball.

Captain Nolusindiso Booi, playing her fourth and final World Cup, likened the triumph to lifting silverware after years of hard graft:

“This win is for those who laid the foundations before us. From where we started to breaking into the top ten. It’s magic. This is just so rewarding for everyone, especially the coaches who prepared us for this moment. I couldn’t have asked for a more rewarding send-off.”

The Boks now return to their Northampton base, preparing for a heavyweight pool clash with unbeaten France. This game will be yet another massive test in their quest to keep this fairytale rolling.