Latest news with #Springbok
The Citizen
5 hours ago
- Sport
- The Citizen
Springboks not taking ageing Barbarians for granted
A mixed Springbok team, featuring fringe players but also plenty of experience, won't be taking the BaaBaas side for granted in their season opener. Springbok lock Lood de Jager is set to make his first start for the team in over two years in their season opener against the Barbarians on Saturday. Picture: Grant Pitcher/Gallo Images The Springboks won't be taking an ageing Barbarians team for granted and will be gunning for a win to get their international season up and running on the best possible note when the teams clash at the Cape Town Stadium on Saturday afternoon (kick-off 5:10pm). The first game of the season is always a tricky one as players try to gel together and find their feet, and it is even more so when there are a number of inexperienced players in the mix. In their match 23 the Boks have four uncapped players making their first appearance in the green and gold, although it won't count as a Test cap against the famed invitational side, four more players have under 10 caps and another four have under 20. So it is a relatively inexperienced side, backed by a fair few veterans, mostly based in Japan, who will be looking to guide them. On the BaaBaas front, they chock full of experience, with a slew of players having over 100 caps for their respective countries, however many of them are on their way out, with some retiring while others are well into the twilight of their careers. That includes the experienced Irish trio of team captain and loose forward Peter O'Mahoney, prop Cian Healy and scrumhalf Conor Murray, while All Blacks veterans, loose forwards Sam Cane and Shannon Frizell, and scrumhalf Tawara Kerr-Barlow also bolster the team. Boks favourites Despite the Boks arguably being favourites despite some of the inexperience in the match 23, Erasmus cautioned against taking the BaaBaas lightly. 'We last played eight months ago and we've seen what happened to the British and Irish Lions recently against Argentina when they put a team together. Credit, though, must go to Argentina for that victory,' said Erasmus. 'Selecting just an experienced side to win this game would've been beside the point. We know we could've selected our most in-form side, but what happens in 12 months then (if the inexperienced players aren't given a run). 'We want a good start, that is why we selected this side, and we would love to entertain, but we won't fuel their fire.' An exciting moment for the Boks will be the return of veteran lock Lood de Jager, who has not played for the national team in over two years, after illness and then injury ruled him out for long periods of time, and Erasmus is looking forward to seeing him in action again. 'Lood is a student of the game when it comes to lineouts. One positive for a 32-year-old body is that if you have such a long spell of injuries and illness, you get a break and you can focus on your personal life with family,' said Erasmus. 'But then your body also rests. He didn't play 30 games in the last two years. It is kind of like a car that's been parked in the garage. You don't pick up mileage, but you will be a bit rusty. 'I am very excited for Lood. He thought it was all over (his Bok career), and he won't play again. But here he is and hopefully, he gets a good run.'
The Citizen
7 hours ago
- Sport
- The Citizen
‘He has made us proud' – Lions' Redelinghuys on new Bok Ntlabakanye
Lions monster prop Asenathi Ntlabakanye is set to make his Springbok bow in their opening match of the season against the Barbarians. Asenathi Ntlabakanye will make his first appearance in the green and gold when he starts for the Springboks against the Barbarians on Saturday. Picture: Ashley Vlotman/Gallo Images Lions scrum coach Julian Redelinghuys is incredibly proud of hulking prop Asenathi Ntlabakanye, as he prepares to make his first appearance for the Springboks in their non-Test against the Barbarians in Cape Town on Saturday. The 26-year-old Ntlabakanye has improved in leaps and bounds over the past few years, after coming through the Lions' junior ranks, before becoming the captain of the Currie Cup team, and has now been the union's first choice tighthead over the past two seasons. His rise caught the eye of the Springbok management team, and after taking part in a couple of alignment camps, he was brought into the squad for the first time, and will now make his Bok debut, although it won't be counted as an official cap against the famed invitational side. Redelinghuys admitted that it was the goal of all coaches to see their charges reach the highest level of rugby, which is representing their country. Proudest moment 'I must say as a coach I think this is one of our proudest moments. Obviously we do it for our team and our franchise, the Lions, but ultimately for us to help players achieve the highest honour (representing the Springboks), is really special,' said Redelinghuys. 'It is something that we are really proud of him for achieving, especially with all the hard work he has put in. I think in all the years I have worked with him he has only missed one session. He's just a guy that puts in the hard work and it's great to see him getting acknowledged for that. 'It is also fantastic to read how coach Rassie (Erasmus) talks about him, how impressed he is with him and how he thinks he might be one of the future stars for the Springboks. 'So it's a great moment for us as the Lions and an amazing moment for Ase. I am really proud and stoked for him, and I can't wait to see him run onto the field in the green and gold. It is well deserved and I am really happy for him.' Redelinghuys himself is an ex-Springbok, with the 35-year-old having made eight appearances for the national team, but was forced into an early retirement nine years ago after breaking his neck during a match. Range of emotions He explained that Ntlabakanye would be going through a range of emotions in the build-up to the game and that it would be an incredible occasion for him. 'Mine (Springbok debut) wasn't at home, it was in Italy. But you just think of how grateful you are, and the whole week leading up to the game is so special, because there are a lot of things happening,' said Redelinghuys. 'There is a jersey presentation, there is the team announcement and a lot of other things happening throughout the week. So he (Ntlabakanye) will have many different emotions going through this week. 'Obviously with family and everyone that is so proud and happy for him. I think it (game day) is going to be a lekker day for him. It is really special to sing the anthem, and he will have it at a home game which will be unbelievable. 'So I am looking forward to seeing his face when he sings the anthem and runs out. And it's good to see Krappie (Lions teammate Morne van den Berg) there with him as well. It's really going to be awesome.' Early opportunity Ntlabakanye has been able get into the Bok starting mix quicker than expected due to injuries, with experienced tightheads Frans Malherbe and Trevor Nyakane both out injured for the season, while Wilco Louw was ruled out of contention due to the Bulls making the URC final. It is thus a huge opportunity for him and fellow uncapped prop Neethling Fouche to make a big impact against the BaaBaas and force themselves into consideration for the incoming series against Italy and Georgia. 'I have no doubt that Ase will make a success of himself. He's proven it throughout the URC that he can take on the best the game has to offer. This year we also witnessed a serious shift in mindset from him, and a determination to work on what was needed,' said Redelinghuys. 'It has been great to see him make that step up, it has been noticed by the Bok coaches and now he has been rewarded. 'For the past 10 or 12 years the (Bok) tighthead position has been held by Frans, Vince (Koch), Trevor, and Wilco (Louw). For Ase and Neethling to now take it forward, I think the Bok scrum will be in very good hands.' Daan's farm At the Boks' team announcement on Tuesday, Bok coach Erasmus lifted the lid on the massive behind-the-scenes effort that it took to get Ntlabakanye up to the national side's standards, which included him attending a training camp at scrum coach Daan Human's farm. Although Redelinghuys has not had any inside information on what went down there, he believes that it will have done Ntlabakanye the world of good and taken his game to another level. 'I haven't heard what he experienced and went through there. But what I can say is that I know Daan, how good a coach he is and how good a man he is. So I am completely sure that he only brought out the best in Ase,' said Redelinghuys. 'The stuff they worked on will have made a really big difference for Ase, and I have no doubt that he will be playing at a higher level. I don't know what happened or what was done. I am looking forward to (eventually) finding out a bit more. 'But I know it would have been good, knowing Daan and Ase. It will have been a great time for him to pick up new learnings and to improve his development. So I look forward to hearing the stories.'
The Citizen
11 hours ago
- Sport
- The Citizen
Boktown brings fans face to face with Springbok spirit at historic Barbarians clash
Boktown brings fans face to face with Springbok spirit at historic Barbarians clash Local fans will gather to watch the Springboks face the Barbarians for the first time on SA soil at the Wanderers Oval in Johannesburg on June 28. Castle Lager Boktown is a travelling fan park series that brings the full Springbok match-day atmosphere to supporters nationwide. Locals can enjoy a stop featuring a giant-screen broadcast, SA music, appearances by former Boks, family zones and partner activations. This will create a festive and safe space for fans to celebrate the green and gold. SA Rugby CEO Rian Oberholzer said, 'Castle Lager Boktown carries that heartbeat into towns and cities across the country, giving supporters a front-row view and offering partners a platform to enrich the Springbok story.' ALSO READ: Development rugby takes centre stage at Saints SportsFest day 4 Set up as a full-scale festival, supporters can expect live performances by GoodLuck, Shekhinah and the 4am Band, food markets, appearances by current and former Springboks and activations from official Springbok partners. 'Boktown turns every Test into a nationwide gathering,' said Thomas Lawrence, the Castle Lager brand director. 'From the anthem to the final whistle, we want fans shoulder to shoulder, singing, cheering and making memories. 'With our partners on board, we've packed the day with music, legends and family fun so everyone goes home smiling,' he added. The Minister of Sport, Arts and Culture, Gayton McKenzie, said this should be something that unites communities regardless of race. He emphasised that sport is one of the few things that brings people together. First event details: Event: Castle Lager Boktown; Date: Saturday, June 28; Venue: Wanderers Oval, Johannesburg; Early-bird tickets: From R80; Gates open: Noon; Big-screen kick-off: 17:00. Boktown stops in 2025: June 28: Springboks vs Barbarians – Johannesburg; July 5: Springboks vs Italy – Bloemfontein; July 12: Springboks vs Australia – Witbank; August 16: Springboks vs Australia – Nelspruit; August 23: Springboks vs Australia – Durban; August 23: Springboks vs Australia – Soweto; September 27: Springboks vs Argentina – Nylstroom; October 4: Argentina vs Springboks – Pretoria; November 8: France vs Springboks – Boland; November 22: Ireland vs Springboks – Benoni. Tickets can be purchased on At Caxton, we employ humans to generate daily fresh news, not AI intervention. Happy reading!
Irish Daily Mirror
20 hours ago
- Business
- Irish Daily Mirror
The ban on Ireland players moving abroad is out of date and self-defeating
IRFU Performance Director David Humphreys is adamant the IRFU will not be granting permission to any players of interest to the Ireland international side to play abroad any time who move to play in another jurisdiction are and will remain automatically ruled out of at a time when double-World Cup winning Rassie Erasmus, who was all too familiar with the Ireland rule from his time at Munster, opened up Springbok selection on returning to South on the back of former Ireland coach Joe Schmidt, who also had first-hand knowledge of the Ireland system, having just opened up selection from foreign clubs for while slashing the Mens and Womens Sevens programmes, putting circa 30 athletes out of their full-time jobs - to make a saving of € while, for example, Leinster have 12 Lions, 12 touring with Ireland this summer, three front line foreigners, three significant players on the injury list and seven U20s starting against Georgia this is the log-jam when the province is at 'full-strength' it doesn't have first team jerseys for 2025 Six Nations stars such as Jimmy O'Brien, Jamie Osborn, Ciaran Frawley, Jack Boyle, Ronan Kelleher, Gus McCarthy, Thomas Clarkson, Ryan 2025 Ireland A internationals Tommy O'Brien, Max Deegan, Stephen Smith, Alex Soroka, Fintan Gunne and Harry in the interest of bringing through young talent, the time has come to release a valve at Leinster and the other provinces; allow certain players in certain categories (say over 32 years-of-age and, say, over 33 caps move abroad without being ruled out of Ireland in the interest of being morally right-on employers, the money saved by taking 4/5 players off the wage bill - €1.2m approximately - could have been used to keep the Sevens/Olympics programme in place - saving 30 dream-chasers jobs in the up. When this is put to IRFU Performance Director David Humphreys as a way of finding €1.2m, saving the Sevens/Olympics jobs, and helping with the log-jam of young players, he disagrees with me completely... "No," he says, leaving a pause and bringing a silence over the room such as when Mick Jagger announces 'now here's a sing we wrote recently..."No. We've talked about the competitiveness of our provinces not being where we want it to be if we were to let some of our top players go. "It's a question that we've talked about internally, we've discussed it internally."But actually when you look at the Irish system, one of the great strengths is our player welfare, our player management. "We want all our players playing into their early-to-mid-thirties, we want to give them every chance and we believe by what we have in each of our provinces by how we manage them throughout the course of the season. "That gives them the best opportunity to have a much longer career than perhaps if you let them go and play in other leagues. "For me at the minute, that is not something that's up for discussion. up for discussion. "We've considered it, we believe that it's a fundamental strength of the Irish rugby system and believe it will continue to be so."I don't expect the IRFU Performance Director to change my mind on this soon but I'd like to see those 30 jobs in sport restored and I'd like for 19/20/21/22 year-olds being given chances to breakthrough at Champions Cup and international I still secretly think Jordie Barrett got to spy on us for six months, was taking notes, and consequently the All Blacks were not damaged in the least but will actually benefit from his spell in should do the same; send front-rows to France, second-rows to South Africa, back-rows to New Zealand and outside backs to have them report back! Meanwhile in a week where Rassie Erasmus said he wanted three players for every position before he chooses his treble-attempting RWC 2027 squad... I'd like to see half-a-dozen more Irish youngsters being given their chance to impress - our current base is, as is repeatedly shown at Rugby World Cups, too thin.
The Citizen
a day ago
- Sport
- The Citizen
Stick reveals why Siya won't face Barbarians in Boks' season opener
The Boks will now be led by experienced centre Jesse Kriel. Regular Springbok captain Siya Kolisi and his replacement Marco van Staden at the team's captain's run ahead of their match against the Barbarians in Cape Town on Saturday. Picture: Ashley Vlotman/Gallo Images Springbok assistant coach Mzwandile Stick believes captain Siya Kolisi would have been fit and ready to face the Barbarians in Cape Town on Saturday afternoon, but that it wasn't worth the risk in their opening match of the season. The game is also a non-Test against the famed invitational side, and with a long season ahead, which includes the incoming series against Italy and Georgia, the Rugby Championship and the end-of-year tour, it just wouldn't have made sense to risk exacerbating what seems to be a minor niggle. Stalwart outside centre Jesse Kriel thus takes up the Bok reins for the first time, with the coaching leadership fully behind his abilities to lead the team. 'We tried to give Siya the best opportunity to recover from a stiff neck that has been niggling him, but in the end we decided there was no need to take any risks and it made it easier for us that we had someone like Jesse ready to step in and lead the team,' explained Stick at Friday's pre-match presser. 'Chances are, by the time we get to the kick-off of the game, Siya's neck will have probably loosened. But a player has to be 100% whenever we play and whoever we play against, so we gave him some time to be ready and in the end had to make a decision. 'We have full confidence in Jesse as a captain as he has always been there as one of the leadership figures within the team.' Hard work rewarded Although Kriel won't become the 67th official captain of the Springboks due to it not being an official Test against the BaaBaas, as they are affectionately known, Stick said that it was due to his relentless hard work that he would be receiving the leadership honour. 'He didn't see it coming, but there's one thing that I enjoy about how we operate in our system. Players, they train and they work hard to be in the team first before they become captains,' explained Stick. 'That's one thing that I enjoy about Jesse. Even if he's not in the match 23, he always puts in the work and he always makes sure that he helps the team. 'He has always been there as one of our leaders. I'm excited to see Jesse's leadership skills. He has always been there, vocally and leading by example. So, for him to lead the team is great.' Looking at the Barbarians, Stick said the Boks are in for a massive battle, with them well known for their exciting, expansive play and that it would be the perfect challenge first up to prepare the team for the rest of their international campaign. 'They have players with that X-factor and many leaders in their team as well. Given the fact that it is tough to analyse them, we feel this is exactly the type of test we need to start off the international season,' said Stick. 'This obviously means our players have to make wise decisions on the field, and given the calibre of their players, we know it's going to be a challenging match.'
