Latest news with #SouthAfricanRugbyUnion
The South African
a day ago
- Sport
- The South African
Triumphant Junior Springboks receive warm welcome in SA
The Junior Springboks, under the leadership of head coach Kevin Foote, ended a 13-year wait to reclaim the global Under-20 crown with a 23-15 victory over the Junior All Blacks in the summer heat of Rovigo on Saturday. The Junior Springboks last won the title in 2012 with a home victory over the same opponents in Cape Town, but had had a long wait for a repeat success having not appeared in another final since 2014. This time the team showed great composure in cruising to the final with commanding victories over Australia (73-12), England (32-22) and Scotland (73-14) in the pool stages, and Argentina (48-24) in the semi-final. They led in the final from the third minute and tries by Xola Nyali and Gilermo Mentoe, as well as 13 points from the boot of Vusi Moyo, secured a famous victory. Moyo finished the tournament as the top points' scorer with 63, while Haashim Pead scored six tries, placing him second for the most five-pointers behind Georgia's Mikheili Shioshvili (7). On Monday, the team returned to South Africa, and received an understandably warm welcome by cheering fans and Mark Alexander, president of the South African Rugby Union. 'This is a very proud day for rugby in South Africa, and I would like to congratulate Kevin and the team on an outstanding performance in the tournament,' said Mr Alexander. 'The group have been welded into a formidable unit over the course of this year and many of them have the potential to go on to higher honours, I am sure. 'Their victory is a tribute to all the hard work done at high school level by educators and coaches, and at our provincial unions from whom these players are drawn. 'Appointing a head coach in Kevin, who has franchise experience, was also an important part of the progress this group have shown, and I would like to commend him, his backroom team, and the High Performance Department at SA Rugby for what they have achieved in such a short space of time. 'I'd also like to thank our sponsors who have come on board to partner the Junior Boks and with whom we are delighted to share in their success.' Let us know by leaving a comment below, or send a WhatsApp to 060 011 0211. Subscribe to The South African website's newsletters and follow us on WhatsApp, Facebook, X and Bluesky for the latest news.
TimesLIVE
2 days ago
- Sport
- TimesLIVE
‘Proud day for rugby in SA': world champ Junior Boks welcomed back
The Junior Springboks were welcomed back to South Africa on Monday by cheering fans and South African Rugby Union president Mark Alexander, after winning the World Rugby Undxer-20 Championships in Italy on Saturday. Coach Kevin Foote's South African U-20s ended a 13-year wait to reclaim the global U-20 crown with a 23-15 victory over the Junior All Blacks in final in Rovigo. 'This is a very proud day for rugby in South Africa and I would like to congratulate Kevin and the team on an outstanding performance in the tournament,' Alexander said. 'The group have been welded into a formidable unit over the course of this year and many of them have the potential to go on to higher honours, I am sure. 'Their victory is a tribute to all the hard work done at high school level by educators and coaches and at our provincial unions from whom these players are drawn. 'Appointing a head coach in Kevin, who has franchise experience, was also an important part of the progress this group have shown and I would like to commend him, his back room team, and the High Performance Department at SA Rugby for what they have achieved in such a short space of time.' The Junior Boks last won the title in 2012 with a home victory over the same opponents in Cape Town, but had had a long wait for a repeat success having not appeared in another final since 2014. This time the team showed great composure in cruising to the final with commanding victories over Australia (73-12), England (32-22) and Scotland (73-14) in the pool stages, and Argentina (48-24) in the semifinals. They led in the final from the third minute and tries by Xola Nyali and Gilermo Mentoe and 13 points from the boot of Vusi Moyo secured a famous victory. Moyo finished the tournament as the top points' scorer with 63, while scrumhalf Haashim Pead scored six tries, placing him second for the most five-pointers behind Georgia's Mikheili Shioshvili (seven).
Irish Examiner
02-07-2025
- Sport
- Irish Examiner
Head of strategy Lynne Cantwell says World Cup 'massive' to maximise potential growth of women's game
Six months into her role as the IRFU's Head of Women's Strategy, Lynne Cantwell understands the complexities facing her to accelerate the development of the women's game in Ireland. Yet, as Ireland's most capped player and Grand Slam winner launches the strategy she was brought home six months ago from a high-profile role as Women's High Performance Manager for the South African Rugby Union to formulate and implement, Cantwell also understands the importance of this year's Women's World Cup in England to maximise the potential for growth here. The IRFU's belated focus on accelerating the women's game in Ireland has reignited the national team from its nadir of successive Six Nations wooden spoons in 2022 and 2023 with head coach Scott Bemand's rejuvenated squad securing qualification with a third place in the 2024 championship. An autumn victory over world champions New Zealand helped secure second place in WXV1 and Bemand's team will head to England and a World Cup pool opener against Japan on August 24 with confidence restored having banished the demons of a failure to qualify four years ago. That is clearly an opportunity to capture the hearts and minds of a generation of girls and parents, potential volunteers, vital to building sustainable growth in the women's game. 'The World Cup is absolutely massive,' Cantwell said. 'It's on your doorstep, it's going to break every record under the sun and Ireland have the potential to feel that bounce. 'What's really great is that there is a long-term plan although it's going to take three years to get to the first phase of the end of this strategy but any long-term plan is two World Cup cycles and you're looking to 2033. 'And although it's great for those (future) players, I presented to the (current Ireland) players a couple of weeks ago and the main reason for presenting to them was just to say, 'look, we really want your feedback on this'. 'If I was a player in 2014 and knew there was a long-term plan, the confidence that you would have putting that in your back pocket would just be wonderful.' Cantwell outlined the way the IRFU hopes to take full advantage of a Women's World Cup on Ireland's doorstep, in the same time zone and with a national team capable of at least reaching the quarter-final stage out of a pool also featuring Spain and the defending-champion Black Ferns. Cantwell at a press briefing at the IRFU High Performance Centre. Picture: Ben Brady/Inpho 'The impact of the World Cup, we have to maximise it. There's lots of visibility plans but a legacy programme fundamentally is about how do we maximise the impact sustainably. "How do we elevate the game profile-wise so that more girls pick up a rugby ball, that they go to their local rugby club and have a positive experience, that there's a game for them and a pathway for them doesn't stop when they're 12 and come back at 16, that there's hygienic facilities and kit that fits them, a competition and a coach that teaches them the game. 'There's a big call-out to increase volunteers and coaches and referees. It's a massive piece but, a legacy programme, if you look to (Australia's national football team) the Matildas, a legacy programme can be four years and the more funding that you have the more of an impact you can have. 'What we're trying to do is position the strategy as part of that legacy so that we can elevate lots of the stuff we're doing in the strategy. 'I'm keen to elevate a lot of the work that Anne-Marie Hughes does as our diversity inclusion lead. She has been doing some incredible work over the past two years around helping make our clubs more inclusive. 'What she will have found and this speaks to boys and men, community sport, if you're a person in a community and you have a rugby club in that community you either don't know it's there or don't feel welcome when you walk in. "Through simple examples like walking tracks through Healthy Ireland funding. Portarlington is a great example. They put a walking track in their club and in the next three years had tripled their minis numbers and significantly increased their volunteers. 'That's what we want to be able to do and that's the point of having these insights and recognising where these clubs are popping up, in more ladies gaelic football communities. Women's rugby is more of that type of sport, yes it has international aspirations. 'So being able to try and use the World Cup to elevate the planning that we're doing, to elevate the profile of what we're doing, there's a huge piece in giving confidence to sponsors to know where the women's game is going. 'What the World Cup has done is they've secured 15 sole sponsors for the World Cup and we hope to get all of that data at the other side to stand in front of sponsors and say there is a massive future here, get on board now. Currently we're at an early stage of that.'
IOL News
05-06-2025
- Business
- IOL News
SA Rugby to unlock new revenues as full shareholders in URC from next season
South Africa will see a bigger revenue picture when they become full partners in the United Rugby Championship (URC) from the end of June this year. While the URC has treated the South African Rugby Union (SA Rugby) and the four franchises the way full members have been treated, CEO Martin Anayi confirmed this week they will be granted equity in the URC and European Professional Club Rugby (EPCR) competitions. SA Rugby's status as a full shareholder promises better financial gains for them, with the mother body no longer required to pay annual participation fees to the URC. The broadcasting and sponsor revenue will now be redirected directly through the URC structure from which SA is set to benefit. 'We effectively treat the South African Rugby Union and the four franchises the same way we do all our members already,' Anayi said this week. 'They are on the same boards and committees. They have the same decision-making. The key thing is they become a full shareholder from the end of June and that is a process that is on-going. From the impact point of view, it is substantial, most importantly from a competitive point of view. We've had three finals in South Africa. 'Yes, we've had two away wins, but those teams (from South Africa) are super competitive, and we've seen over 34 000 tickets sold for the Bulls vs Sharks game (the semi-final at Loftus) already. We had a huge number of tickets sold (last week) for the Sharks game (vs Munster) in the quarter-final. There is a huge engagement which drives everything else. 'It is a very positive relationship with all of the stakeholders in South African rugby, and they want to be part of the league. They are putting the league first. That is a massive boost for the URC. It is fantastic, but ultimately it starts with the most important thing; competitively, those teams are right up there, and they are pushing standards.' Anayi added that the addition of the South African teams made the league more competitive than before. He said it's an important change in June, because South Africa becomes a full shareholder with it. Meaning, they will have equity in the league. He continued that there is no indication that the local sides failed to live up to expectations in the tournament. 'That is a very hard argument to make seeing that SA had three finals in three years. I haven't had that, and it is not something that's been discussed around our table.'
The Citizen
30-04-2025
- Politics
- The Citizen
Panel upholds disciplinary sanction against former WP rugby president Zelt Marais
Despite running in this year's elections, Zelt Marais will not be able to hold any positions in rugby for the next 10 years. Former Western Province Rugby Football Union President Zelt Marais will not hold any positions in rugby until 2034. Picture: Carl Fourie/Gallo Images An independent appeal panel has upheld a disciplinary sanction of misconduct imposed on the former president of the Western Province Rugby Football Union, Zelt Marais, meaning he is ineligible to hold any rugby position at least until October 2034. This comes as the union is about to host its elections to choose a new president and executive council to lead the union out of a period of administrative turmoil. Marais ran in these elections. The former president was found guilty of several charges of misconduct, including bringing the game into disrepute and spreading misinformation, leading to the ban and a suspended R50,000 fine. The charges related to 'various statements made in communications to SA Rugby members and in public forums in 2022 and 2024', a media statement from the South African Rugby Union read. 'Total lack of remorse' 'Mr Marais was suspended for ten years from any and all positions in the South African Rugby Union (Saru), or any other Rugby Body, and from any and all rugby activities for breaching the Saru Code of Conduct,' Saru said. 'The independent appeal panel's 61-page finding held that the sanction imposed by the judicial officer was 'well motivated, among other things for the gravity of the charges, the fact that the acts of misconduct were ongoing, by a very senior office bearer of a member union who was well aware of his duties and responsibilities towards SARU'.' The panel said it and the judicial officer had taken into account 'the total lack of remorse on the part of the appellant, which continued right up to the appeal, his ongoing justification for his actions and in effect still claiming that he was fully entitled to say what he had said on the basis that that what had been stated was 'the truth'. 'There had been no apology for his conduct, and in particular, no public apology for his public remarks. There was ongoing lack of remorse and every possibility that he would continue along this path unless sanctioned in the manner in which the judicial officer decided to sanction his conduct.' As a result of the panel's finding, Marais is ineligible to hold any position in rugby until October 2034.
