The graphic takes the physical characteristics of a bull and translates these into a warrior-like aesthetic suited to the Bulls combative rugby style. The complexity of the design, which combines a chevron-like effect, is designed to distract opposition players.

PUMA has a long-term deal to supply full technical kit to both the Vodacom Blue Bulls and Vodacom Bulls rugby teams, and is the official distributor of the teams’ match replica gear.

PUMA South Africa’s CEO Ronald Rink says: “PUMA is extremely excited about the launch of our first Bulls Super Rugby kit – Bulls management and players love the new design direction and inspiration and we are looking forward to seeing the shirt in action on the pitch early next year. PUMA wishes Pierre, Wynand and the rest of the team and management the very best of luck for the coming season and we look forward to seeing the Bulls fans out in support for the new era of Bulls rugby.”

“PUMA is a brand that is young, dynamic, adventurous and proud. As a Company we constantly strive towards such pillars and so see great synergy between these brands. We look forward to launching our new playing kit within the next few days, a kit that we believe adequately reflects our style of play and rugby ambitions,” said Barend van Graan, CEO of Blue Bulls Company (PTY) Ltd.

Loyal supporters will be pleased to know that the Super Rugby replica shirt will be available from 15 December 2011 and will retail for R599.

Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium

With just seven days to go Nelson Mandela Bay is gearing up and ready to host Rugby’s Biggest Party of the Year and rugby supporters still have time to book their tickets to this exciting, world class event.

The Bay is buzzing with excitement and ready to welcome the world’s best Sevens players for the Nelson Mandela Bay South Africa Sevens, to be hosted in the brand new iconic Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium on 9-10 December.

The stadium is instantly recognisable for its unique design featuring a rooftop that resembles a collection of sails and it is situated on the edge of a lake, which makes for a spectacular sight at night when the lights are switched on.

Nelson Mandela Bay will host the South African leg of the HSBC Sevens World Series for the four five years after it emerged as winner of a very competitive bidding process at the beginning of the year. It replaces George where the tournament was held previously for the past decade.

The tournament is round three of the HSBC Sevens World Series which consists of nine events across the world.

Tickets are very affordable and range from R80 on the Friday and from R100 on Saturday and fans can book their seats at any Computicket outlet.

The South African Rugby Union and the City of Nelson Mandela Bay have drawn up a great entertainment programme for next week which will not only ensure the many visiting players and officials enjoy their stay in Friendly City, but that the locals also share in the fun, enjoyment and excitement of this hugely popular tournament.

Speaking during a briefing session earlier today, Mandlakazi Skefile, the CEO of Nelson Mandela Bay Tourism, told media the city was ready to welcome the players, match officials, IRB dignitaries and out of town visitors. She said the city of Nelson Mandela Bay was fully committed to make this tournament a success so that in future, it can rival the most popular Series tournaments in the world.

She appealed to Bay rugby fans to buy tickets and to welcome the teams, including hosts South Africa, with typical Eastern Cape warmth.

“We are, I reiterate, 100% ready for the event. All security measures are in place, a comprehensive traffic plan will be implemented in line with our operational plan for big stadium events and we are all systems go. All we need now is for the fans to buy the remaining tickets.

“So we encourage rugby and party-loving people from areas surrounding Nelson Mandela Bay – Jeffery’s Bay, Patense, Kenton, Grahamstown – to make a weekend outing of the event and to come and enjoy our friendly city,” said Ms Skefile.

Steven Roos, SARU’s Tournament Director who is overseeing all the operational arrangements for the two-day international tournament, said SARU was looking forward to stage the Sevens at the beautiful Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium.

“The stadium is a fantastic venue and it has outstanding modern facilities in addition to a seating capacity of 45 000 people. We have worked extremely hard the past few months with the City, our joint venture partners, to make sure all the logistics and operational matters, as required by the IRB, are in place when the teams arrive in the Bay on Sunday evening,” explained Mr Roos.

He added that a full list of events next week will ensure an exciting build-up to the two days of action next Friday and Saturday.

One of the many highlights of the week is the Castle Lager SuperFan concert next Friday evening which will be staged immediately after the final whistle of the last match, at 8.30pm. Popular South African bands Goldfish, Dr Victor and the Rasta Rebels and DJ Reddy D are the main attractions.

Fans will be able to meet the Blitzbokke during a signing session on Tuesday at the Greenacres Mall, while a meet and greet session with all the international captains is scheduled for the next day at the same venue.

The line-up of events for next week in Nelson Mandela Bay is:

Sat 3 Dec              Start of Taxi activation campaign

Sun 4 Dec            20h10 Arrival of first group of teams at the Port Elizabeth Airport

Mon 5 Dec          14h00 Tag Rugby coaching clinic for coaches

09h00 First training session for all teams at various training venues

Tues 6 Dec          14h00 Tag Rugby and HSBC competition featuring 100 kids from local schools

17h00 Springbok Sevens signing session at Greenacres Mall

18h00    Official Mayoral welcome function, NMB Stadium

Wed 7 Dec          14h00    International captains’ signing session

Thu 8 Dec            07h00    Springbok Sevens Absa charity breakfast

10h00    Captain’s Run (last training session for all teams)

Fri 9 Dec               11h37 Start of match day 1

20h30    Castle Lager SuperFan Concert at the Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium

Sat 10 Dec           11h16 Start of match day 2

20h10 Trophy presentation and pyrotechnics display

Sun 11 Dec          Teams departure to various destinations

Paul Treu

Springbok Sevens playmaker Cecil Afrika will undergo a scan to assess the rib injury he suffered against Japan on day one of the Gold Coast Sevens in Brisbane.
The Australian tournament is the opening round of the HSBC Sevens World Series and South Africa is one of only four teams who remained unbeaten after a very competitive first day.

The Blitzbokke will play against France in the quarter-finals tomorrow morning (SA time) after recording victories over the USA, Japan and hosts, Australia earlier today.
Afrika, the IRB Sevens Player of the Year, has just recovered from a broken jaw to take his place in the team.

“He is going for a scan and we will just wait and get feedback from our medical team,” was the comment from Paul Treu, SA Sevens coach, after pool decider against Australia.
“It is better to have him on the park and part of the Series. I don’t want to preempt things but if he is fit to play and cleared by our medical team then he will definitely be picked,” added Treu.

The SA coach said he always knew day one would be difficult because his team did not play a lot of warm-up games compared to previous years. “We can be pleased with our performances. We didn’t play to our best but the games were all physical, the breakdowns are such a contest. All the teams have upped their games, the standard of Sevens is much better than it used to be for the first leg.”

Looking forward to the France encounter, Treu said he was not surprised at all that France managed to clinch a place in the Cup knock-out ahead of Argentina.
“France played some good matches last season and their performances today is further proof that we are in for a difficult match. There is a good spirit in the camp and we are looking forward to the match,” said Treu.

South Africa was not as quick out of the blocks against Japan and the USA but still did enough to steer them through two difficult encounters.
Against the USA the Blitzbokke suffered a scare after conceding two tries before they eventually won 17-12 and they came back from 7-0 down against Japan before a hat-trick from Chris Dry saw them safely home (31-7).

They then delivered a dominant forward display against Australia to win 21-7 thanks to tries from Mark Richards, Robert Ebersohn and Steven Hunt.
SuperSport will show all the action live and the South Africa vs. France match starts at 6.12am SA time.

Cup quarter-finals

New Zealand v England
Samoa v Australia
Wales v Fiji
South Africa v France

The South African Rugby Union (SARU) on Sunday expressed its dismay at the reported death of former Springbok flank Solly Tyibilika. Media reported that the 32-year-old had been shot dead at a tavern in the Cape Town township of Nyanga on Sunday afternoon. Police confirmed a shooting but had not formally identified the victim last night.

“Solly was a trailblazer among black African Springboks and if the reports are correct, to lose him so suddenly and in this brutal manner is very distressing. The casual disregard for life in our society is shocking ,” said Mr Oregan Hoskins, president of SARU.

“His emergence was a demonstration of what can be achieved when talent is combined with opportunity in what is always a very competitive position in Springbok rugby. I remember a very talented player and an immensely likable young man who rose far and fast to become a Springbok early in his career.”

Tyibilika was born in Port Elizabeth and first played rugby ay Loyiso High School in the Zwide Township. He made his professional debut for Griquas in 2001 before moving on to the Lions and the Sharks.

He made his Test debut in 2004 against Scotland in Edinburgh, earning the distinction of scoring a try on his first appearance to achieve the significant milestone in rugby history of becoming the first black African to score a Test try for the Springboks.

He played in eight Tests in total – scoring three tries – the last of them against New Zealand in Pretoria in 2006.

He moved to the Lions in 2007 but never settled in Johannesburg and re-emerged in his native Eastern Cape playing for Border between 2008 and 2010, captaining the Bulldogs from time to time. He had spent the 2011 season playing club rugby for Hamiltons in Cape Town.

He made 158 first-class appearances in all, scoring 24 tries, for Griquas, Sharks, Lions and Border, including 16 appearances in Vodacom Super Rugby for the Sharks.

Group photo of coaches and trainers during the SA Rugby and IRB Level III Coaching Course and media briefing from Stellenbosch University Sports Performance Institute on November 11, 2011 in Stellenbosch, South Africa Photo by Carl Fourie / Gallo Images

Some of South Africa’s top emerging young coaches on Friday concluded the opening part of the first IRB Level III coaching course to be held in the country.

Coaches such as former Springboks Robbie Fleck and Pieter Rossouw, former Springbok Sevens star Vuyo Zangqa and Absa Currie Cup head coaches Jimmy Stonehouse (Pumas) and Oersond Gorgonzola (Griffons) were part of the first intake on a pilot project to introduce the IRB’s top coaching qualification to South Africa.

The coaches attended an intensive three-day course – run by SARU – and will be assessed during the first half of next year before a second residential course to conclude the qualification in June next year.

“Many of the coaches have the technical and tactical knowledge from their playing careers,” said Hilton Adonis, SARU’s manager of coaching. “This course is designed add to that and give them a planning framework and the advanced organisational skills to structure the way they plan their seasons and matches.

“It has been an intense three days and the guys have worked hard but this is only the start of the process. To achieve the Level III qualification they will be assessed at their provinces next year then attend the follow-up course in June.”

Adonis explained that SARU had invested time and expertise in preparing a panel of local educators of the necessary standard to deliver the course in conjunction with Mark Harrington, IRB Manager of Training and Medical.

“SARU has worked hard to build the infrastructure and capacity to deliver this course,” said Harrington, “and there has been quite a backlog of coaches wishing to attend.
“The guys are technically and tactically very knowledgeable but where this course will have helped is in terms of coaching methodologies. This course doesn’t mean they automatically become better coaches but what it does do is give them a head start, technically and tactically, but after that it is up to them in terms of their personality, their style and how they address the needs of their team.”

Coaches from 12 different provinces as well as schools and representative age groups teams attended the course.

Vuyo Zangqa during the SA Rugby and IRB Level III Coaching Course and media briefing from Stellenbosch University Sports Performance Institute on November 11, 2011 in Stellenbosch, South Africa Photo by Carl Fourie / Gallo Images

Pieter Rossouw(centre) during the SA Rugby and IRB Level III Coaching Course and media briefing from Stellenbosch University Sports Performance Institute on November 11, 2011 in Stellenbosch, South Africa Photo by Carl Fourie / Gallo Images

MTN Lions in photo by Denese Lups

The MTN Lions’ big match temperament is what saw them victorious over the Sharks this past weekend as they lifted the coveted Currie Cup for the first time in 12 years with a 42-16 victory at Ellis Park.

Arguably one of the best and most passionate encounters in Currie Cup history for a long time, the MTN Lions proved to be the best team because they clearly had the determination and willpower to make the multitudes of supporters proud, by breaking a 71 year spell and clinching the team’s first outright home-ground victory at Ellis Park since 1950.

In January this year, MTN South Africa came on board as the main sponsor of the Golden Lions, in one of MTN’s most exciting sponsorship deals in years. At the outset, MTN highlighted that the investment would aim to rejuvenate the game of rugby, drive involvement from the Lions supporters’ base and focus on player development.

It has been just 10 months since MTN brought their “Ayoba” to the MTN Lions and in the inaugural season backing the team, the MTN Lions have won the Currie Cup Final for the first time in more than a decade.

At the start of this year, all stakeholders involved with the Golden Lions Rugby Union were determined that the MTN Lions would make a major comeback and reclaim its rightful place as the strong force it once was. Despite some challenges this season, the innovative changes introduced at the Lions, including the appointment of Coach John Mitchell and amongst others, the backing of MTN as a new partner and sponsor, this season saw the reawakening of the MTN Lions, and the return of the team to its former glory.

“We are exceptionally proud of the MTN Golden Lions’ for winning the Absa Currie Cup and showcasing outstanding companionship throughout the tournament. MTN is delighted that our investment in the Golden Lions, has helped the team to achieve some of its key objectives in the first year of our sponsorship of the team and has brought about resurgence for the MTN Golden Lions.” says MTN South Africa Chief Marketing Officer, Serame Taukobong.

As the leader of mobile operations in developing markets, MTN South Africa has always sought to invest in areas that celebrate the diversity of people, with the opportunity of uniting and unifying those communities using a common thread. The Golden Lions was the perfect platform to demonstrate how the Ayobaness brand could bring a fresh approach and add sparkle to favoured and traditional rugby team.

The vision was for every game to become an event in itself. To this end, MTN supported the Golden Lions by introducing innovations to the franchise, including an exciting line up of pre match entertainment for supporters, such as fun activities for kids at the MTN World of Rugby. The players then did their part and rounded up the day with resilient field of play which ultimately saw them thrive throughout the tournament.

This repackaging of the MTN Lions rugby games started to attract a wide cross-section of fans, from the loyal supporters who have followed the team for decades to those who had never set foot at a rugby match before. Soon the crowds swelled from a few thousand in the earlier games in the season, to a 58 000 plus capacity crowd that roared with pride at the Currie Cup final last weekend.

Another one of the key objectives of the franchise was also to bring back foreign-based players that would add international experience to the Lions side, and for MTN Lions players to be eligible for Springbok selection. This too has been achieved, with Butch James receiving a call up for the Rugby World Cup held in New Zealand earlier this month.

“Ten months down the line, since MTN took the decision to back the team, the MTN Lions have reclaimed their rightful place in South African rugby, as such MTN would like to congratulate the Lions for the sterling performance this year.” concludes Taukobong.

Craven Week Rugby in photo by Denese Lups

A squad of more than 100 players have been invited to Kimberley for a first round of SA Under-20 trials next week.

The camp will run from November 6 to 11 during which time the players will compete in a series of trial matches, to be held on November 8 and 10 at GWK Park in Kimberley.

This is the first step in a long process through which the strongest possible squad for the 2012 Junior World Championships, will be selected, said coach Dawie Theron. The event will be hosted in South Africa between June 4 and June 22.

“We’ve cast our net very wide and have invited players that we’d like to get in our system, who might only play for South Africa in two years’ time,” he said. “There are also players that are injured or others that might come into the reckoning next year, but it’s essential that everyone gets a fair chance to show what they are capable of.

“We are blessed with an immense pool of talented players and we’ll also follow the Varsity Cup, Vodacom Cup and Varsity Cup Young Guns tournament for U20s next year. We’ve also invited a number of SA Schools players from this year, to see how they adapt to playing with guys that have been in the U20-system for a year or two.”

Theron and the national selectors will select a squad of roughly 40 players for a High Performance camp in Cape Town between November 27 and December 7. They will have a third camp in January, where the SA U20 squad will compete in friendlies against UCT and Maties before the Argentinean U20s tour South Africa in April.

Four players were not considered for the trials camp due to injury – Leneve Dames and Kevin Luiters from the Free State, the Golden Lions’ Ruan Venter and Steven Kitshoff from Western Province.

The following players have been invited to the training camp:

Boland: Aubrey Faul. Eastern Province: Ernest Killian. Griffons: Mario Noordman, Ruaan Rogers, Darrel Luiters. SWD: Lourens Steytler, Lushiano James, Percy Williams. Western Province: Beyers de Villiers, Cheslin Colbe, Cobus Nel, Craig Barry, Devon Williams, Dillion Leyds, Etienne Swanepoel, Gerbrandt Grobler, Gerhard Jordaan, Johnny Kotze, Justin Ackerman, Kobus van Wyk, Lungelo Chonco, Patrick Howard, Renier Marais, Ryan Smidt, Tshotsho Mbovane, Sikhumbuzo Notshe, Tshepo Motale, Timothy Swiel. Valke: Friedle Olivier. Border: Xhola Msane, Quinton Norris, Wian Fourie, Lungelo Ngcamu, Dean Smit, Juan Bester. Eastern Province: Sonkosi Kuhle. Griffons: Bervin Marais, Griquas: Coenraad Cohn, KwaZulu-Natal: Allan Dell, Francois Marais, Nicolaas van Dyk, Pieter Steph du Toit, Joseph Stefan Lewies, Khaya Majola, Siseko Jafta, Fred Zeilinga, Paul Jordaan, Siyabonga Tom, Dean Moolman, Tyler Fisher, Hein Arendse, Francois Janse van Vuuren, Robert du Preez. Free State: Hanco Venter, Niel Jordaan, Johan Goosen, JJ de Klerk, Maputha Dolo, Mehlali Mpafi, Rudi Fuls, Carl van Heerden, Nhlanhla Hlongwane, Niel Marais, Jan Serfontein, Dries Swanepoel. Golden Lions: Errol Jaggers, Henry Boshoff, Mark Pretorius, Pieter Stemmet, Ettienne Oosthuizen, Paul Willemse, Fabian Booysen, Vian van der Walt, JP du Plessis, Willem Jacobus Viljoen, Marais Schmidt, Ruan Steenkamp, Luqmaan Ismail. Blue Bulls: Abrie Griesel, Andile Jho, Du Toit Genis, Hendrik van Wyk, Jaco Visagie, Jason Thomas, Juan Nel, Marvin Orrie, Marzuk Maarman, Nardus van der Walt, Richard Gorrah, Rudi van Rooyen, Schalk van Heerden, Shaun Adendorf, Tony Jantjies, Travis Ismaiel, Wiaan Liebenberg, William Small-Smith. Leopards: Lodewyk de Jager, Cornelius van Zyl, James Marx, James Meechum. Pumas: Jacques du Plessis.

Becoming a rugby ref is not the most likely career for a woman but fascinatingly, it is fast becoming something quite popular. “I fell in love with the game,” says female ref Marlize Jordaan. “Refereeing is immensely challenging but when both teams and coaching staff express their gratitude and praise for a game well refereed – nothing beats that satisfaction!”

Jordaan has been refereeing South African rugby since 2001 and admitted that at first it was quite intimidating dealing with a field of men. “However,” she says, “I soon learned that the men respect you when they realise that you have a good knowledge of the game. I do believe women are challenged more and I embrace it. It keeps me on my toes and forces me to know the laws of the game and its true and fair application.”

Kim Smit and Eugenia Daniels have both refereed women’s Tests, and are pioneers in terms of South African rugby as they are the two out of the only three South African women who have refereed women’s Tests.

“I love rugby,” says Daniels. “My mom wouldn’t let me play rugby, and my dad was a referee, so it was the natural thing for me to do. I didn’t have to fight to be accepted; the ladies that went before me already had fought that battle for me.”

On an international level, female rugby referees made history in Dubai at the Rugby World Cup Sevens 2009 when top women referees appeared for the first time. Rapidly gaining more ground since then, the first woman referee to control a men’s rugby international occurred at the end of 2010 when Dana Teagarden from the United States was appointed by the International Rugby Board (IRB) to referee an international Test match between The Netherlands and Hong Kong.

This makes Teagarden the first woman ever to referee a senior men’s international match and set the stage for women to take these esteemed positions in the future.

South African female referee Kim Smit is affectionately called “Biker Chick” by her colleagues and refers to her biking as her downtime from refereeing and her career. Being married with two sons, Smit is the only female in her household but she says she wouldn’t have it any other way. “I never have to share shoes, make-up or clothes (except rugby gear). What more does a girl want?”

Asked about any embarrassing moments on the rugby field, Smit says “I’ve had my fair share – rugby poles falling into the field of play, props being stuck on my boots but the one time that really left me red in the face was when I tore my ankle ligaments last year and the players had to carry me off the field. As we passed the spectators one guy smiled at me and said: “Ref, rugby is nie vir sissies nie.” I wanted to punch him on the nose.”

“Being a woman and doing what I do,” continues Smit, “everything that has never been done before is a big deal. When I run onto the field I don’t think of myself as a woman. I’m a referee wanting to perform to the best of my ability. Players and spectators sometimes struggle with the idea especially when they disagree with a decision I make. It’s always because I’m a woman that they think I got it wrong. Players never expect much from me and once you’ve performed above expectations it’s always a good feeling.”

When asked what rugby position she would prefer to play, Smit confidently says: “No.9. I’ve always wanted to pick a fight with somebody twice my size.”

The South African Rugby Union (SARU) is on an aggressive programme to recruit newcomers to the refereeing ranks and has the correct structures and training programmes in place to get talented youngsters, male or female, to the top. Manager of referees, André Watson, says, “Promising young South African referees have an outstanding chance of officiating at the highest level once they had taken up the whistle.”

“There are quite a number of opportunities for women referees,” says Jordaan, “especially since Sevens became an Olympic sport. One of my goals is to be considered for International women’s Test matches.”

Watch the final stages of the thrilling Absa Currie Cup and go to www.absacurriecup.co.za to win big. There’s R100,000 for grabs for the winning uploaded video and R20,000 for the top photo! Last chance to show your team that you are their Biggest Fan Ever!

Global Market Research company, Synovate, is attempting to complete the longest rugby pass during the Rugby World Cup 2011.

Kicking off at Synovate’s offices in New Zealand, the authentic RWC ball is making its way from one Synovate office to the next, this week arriving in Johannesburg South Africa.

Before arriving in Johannesburg, the ball travelled to Australia, Japan, Hong Kong, the Philippines, Malaysia, Singapore, India, Dubai, Kenya.

From South Africa, the ball is making its way to Russia, Sweden, Amsterdam, Paris, London, Canada, Mexico, Ecuador and Peru.

By the time the ball touches down for its last time, it will have travelled approximately 64 000 km.

Featured below are some pics of Synovate’s Johannesburg with the jet setting rugby ball

Follow the progress of the ball at

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Francois Hougaard, Odwa Ndungane and Chiliboy Ralepelle braaiing to mark Heritage Day. Picture Credit: Duif du Toit/Gallo Images

The Springboks celebrated Heritage Day in traditional South African style with a team braai at their Taupo training base in New Zealand – albeit a few hours early on Friday evening.

The team broke away from the normal dietary plan to take charge of the menu themselves, braaiing steak, chops and boerewors at one of the restaurants at their team hotel.

Players and management picked up the tongs after arriving from Auckland, following the 87-0 victory over Namibia in a Pool D Rugby World Cup 2011 clash.

“We didn’t want to miss out on Heritage Day,” said Springbok coach Peter de Villiers. “We brought a taste of South Africa to New Zealand to make us all feel closer to home.

“The guys really enjoyed being able to braai for themselves and mark Heritage Day in a South African way.”

The special evening marked the beginning of two days away from the training field for the players.

“The players are bruised and battered and it has been mentally draining over the past few weeks to get to where we are now,” said De Villiers.

“It was the right time to give them some breathing space to unwind so that when we get back together on Sunday evening everyone is focused on the next stage of the competition.”

The Springboks complete their Pool D programme against Samoa in Auckland on Friday.