Maties won their third consecutive crown in the FNB Varsity Cup, presented by Steinhoff International, surviving a late UCT onslaught to win 17-14 in front of 20 000 people in Stellenbosch on Monday evening. Outscoring their Cape Town rivals, FNB Ikey Tigers, by three tries to one, FNB Maties established themselves as the true university [...]

Much is made of the travel challenge in the Vodacom Super 14, with teams crossing many time-zones to play matches. This is a topic we’ll address in future, but an equally challenging aspect of the tournament is the altitude problem faced by coastal teams when they play in South Africa. The Lions, the Bulls and [...]

In spite of easing ahead in the final quarter, the Bulls were made to work hard for their win against a stubborn Force side who led 12-10 at halftime. Ludeke described the win as a tale of two halves, saying: “In the first half we got into all the right areas, maybe didn’t use all [...]

The Springbok Sevens team have been beaten by their nemesis Fiji in the quarter-finals of the Hong Kong Sevens on Sunday. Fiji won 14-12. In the other quarter-finals, Samoa beat the USA 24-7, England overcame Australia 26-19, while New Zealand were too strong for Kenya, winning 21-12. In the Cup semi-finals, Samoa will face England [...]

Springboks scrumhalf Ruan Pienaar kicked a penalty after the fulltime siren to lift South Africa’s Sharks to a 29-26 win over the Wellington Hurricanes in a Super 14 rugby match on Saturday. Pienaar finished with 19 points from five penalties and two conversions – seven goals from eight attempts – to lift the Sharks to [...]

New South Wales winger Lachlan Turner scored a length-of-field intercept try with seven minutes remaining to help his side to a 39-32 victory over the Auckland Blues in a fluctuating Super 14 match in Sydney on Saturday. The Blues, leading 32-29, had been on the attack with men unmarked on the outside when Turner struck [...]

Flyhalf Matt Toomua scored his first try in Super 14 rugby three minutes from fulltime to clinch the ACT Brumbies’ 30-23 win over the Waikato Chiefs on Friday. Toomua’s try was the crucial last act of a match in which the lead changed five times and gave the Brumbies their fifth win from seven games, [...]

The Reds gave the Cheetahs a 31-10 hiding in their Super 14 clash at Vodacom Park in Bloemfontein on Friday evening. The visitors from Australia led 11-10 at the break after flyhalf, Quade Cooper, slotted a penalty just before half-time. The Cheetahs had to play without their inspirational captain and flanker, Juan Smith. He withdrew [...]

Highlanders have beaten the Lions in their Super 14 clash in Dunedin, despite a much-improved performance by the visitors on Friday. The Highlanders won 39-29 after leading 22-17 at half-time. The Highlanders scored three tries through lock Hayden Triggs, centre Kenny Lynn and were awarded a penalty try by referee Stuart Dickinson. Fullback Israel Dagg [...]

Ireland’s flying winger, Tommy Bowe, has today been announced as the official RBS Player of the Championship for the 2010 RBS 6 Nations. ‘It has been a Championship of mixed emotions for the Irish team but to be named the RBS Player of the Championship is a fantastic way to end what has been an [...]