The Lions loose forward will be instrumental in this weekend's derby clash against the Bulls in the United Rugby Championship because of their influence in the team's system in attack and defence.

Dan Sheehan will skipper Ireland against Wales in the round 3 of the Six Nations on Saturday in the absence of regular captain Caelan Doris. The post Sheehan to lead Ireland charge in Cardiff appeared first on SA Rugby magazine.

Dan Sheehan is named captain of a much-changed Ireland team for Saturday's Six Nations game against Wales in Cardiff.

The deal sees Wilson commit his future to Queensland and Australia until the end of the 2029 season, the first Wallaby to do so. 2024 was a breakout season in Test Rugby for the 25-year-old, bursting into the team for the July Test against Georgia, his first international since 2022. From here, Wilson's ascend was rapid, eventually going on to captain the side against Argentina. He became the 90th player to do so, an honour the number eight held until the end of the year. Wilson captained the Wallabies in seven of the last eight Tests in 2024, including the famous last-minute win over England. The Reds backrower gave an impassionate rally cry about his intentions to stay in Australia and lead the Wallabies into the future. "This is the only place I wanted to be. I want to give the best years of my rugby career to being part of success in the Reds and the gold jersey. Being part of a home World Cup (in 2027) is something you dream about," Wilson said. "I didn't speak to another club. I didn't want to be a Wallabies captain shopping himself around the world. "I'm the current Wallabies captain. Who am I to tell others to stay in Australia if I'm not signed, sealed and delivered myself? "I'm delighted. There's no background noise entering the season. I can just play footy. My manager said he'd get the deal done before the Reds' first game and he has. "It's going to be a beauty back at Suncorp Stadium against Moana Pasifika on Friday night." “Harry has developed into a strong No. 8, an astute leader and a great asset for the Wallabies and Reds," RA Director of High Performance Peter Horne added. “Harry’s re-commitment to Australian Rugby is a positive development for the game as we head into an extraordinary runway of events, headlined by the British and Irish Lions tour this year and a home Rugby World Cup in 2027. “At just 25, Harry has many years of great rugby ahead of him and we are delighted his growth trajectory will continue with the Wallabies and Reds.” "It's a great vote of confidence in our Reds program from Harry. What a guy to have as a mentor of our young forwards," Reds coach Les Kiss remarked. “He's a natural leader. The difference he makes in the locker room is palpable. This news will be welcomed by fans, stakeholders and the whole locker room.”

Rassie Erasmus shares this clip from his playing days under Nick Mallett, who coached the Springboks to 17 successive Test victories between 1997 and 1998. The post Watch: Mallett slams ‘sloppy’ Boks appeared first on SA Rugby magazine.

Ireland's Jack Conan says the side's back row will be under a "huge amount of pressure" to fill the void left by Caelan Doris' injury against Wales in the Six Nations on Saturday.

Head coach Kevin Foote says he can already see the value of the Junior Springboks’ short tour of Georgia. The post Freezing Foote upbeat on Junior Boks tour appeared first on SA Rugby magazine.

New Zealand flyhalf Richie Mo’unga could make a shock international switch and represent a Pacific Island nation at the 2027 Rugby World Cup. The post Star playmaker to snub All Blacks? appeared first on SA Rugby magazine.

Scotland rarely used to win the Calcutta Cup. Now, they can't stop. What's changed?

The Boks will kickoff 2025 as the top-ranked team in the world with preparations for the new international season already underway. Erasmus has invited 55 players to the first alignment camp of the year in Cape Town with a further 26 players joining virtually. South Africa kick-off their international season on home soil with back-to-back Test matches against Italy before a one-Test versus Georgia. The venues for the three internationals are still to be confirmed with the Springboks then welcoming Joe Schmidt's Wallabies to South Africa for back-to-back matches in the Rugby Championship. Their title defence continues in New Zealand with Auckland and Wellington playing host to the rivalry. A final home game against Argentina concludes their Rugby Championship campaign before the pair collide at the Allianz Stadium in London. The Springboks will face France, Italy and Ireland during the Autumn Nations Series with the year concluding with a clash against Wales that will fall outside the official World Rugby international window which means both sides will be without any players plying their trade with Premiership or Top 14 clubs. That takes the Springboks Test tally to 12 but Erasmus has confirmed that SA Rugby is exploring options to add another match before their first two clashes with Italy. "Erasmus said options are being investigated for a match prior to the Castle Lager Incoming Series, when the Boks take on Italy in back-to-back Tests on 5 and 12 July, followed by a clash against Georgia on 19 July," an SA Rugby statement read. This is not uncommon ground for the Springboks as just last year they faced Wales in a one-off Test match at Twickenham Stadium before their two matches against Ireland on home soil. That fixture was also outside the official Test window meaning that Erasmus could not select any of his players based in France or England but was able to call upon stars who ply their trade in Japan which is likely to be the case again. It is unclear whether the additional game will be hosted at a neutral venue or not but reports indicate that it will not be an official Test match. This could mean that a South Africa A team or the Springboks could take the field against an invitation team like the World XV, Barbarians or French Barbarians before the opening Test match against the Azzurri on 5 July. A possible clash against the likes of neighbours Zimbabwe or Namibia could be another option that Erasmus is exploring while 'A' team matches are becoming increasingly more popular nowadays with England, Ireland, Australia and the All Blacks XV all playing recently. Springboks 2025 fixtures 5 July: Springboks v Italy 12 July: Springboks v Italy 19 July: Springboks v Georgia 16 August: Springboks v Australia 23 August: Springboks v Australia 6 September: v New Zealand, Auckland 13 September: v New Zealand, Wellington 27 September: Springboks v Argentina 4 October: vs Argentina, London 8 November: vs France, Paris 15 November: vs Italy, TBC 22 November: vs Ireland, Dublin 29 November: vs Wales, Cardiff

Six Nations Rugby Special pundit Chris Ashton and BBC rugby union correspondent Chris Jones explain why Ireland are "overwhelming" title favourites after the opening two rounds of the Six Nations.

Winger also a doubt for British Lions’ tour of Australia Feyi-Waboso finally had shoulder surgery after delay Immanuel Feyi-Waboso has finally undergone shoulder surgery, leaving his hopes of being in contention for this summer’s British & Irish Lions tour of Australia in the balance and ruling him out of England’s entire Six Nations campaign. The 22-year-old sustained a dislocated shoulder in December and the confusion as to how best to treat the injury has dragged on for two months. He is one of 17 England players who were awarded enhanced contracts in October, which give Steve Borthwick the “final say” on all sports science matters. Continue reading...

Immanuel Feyi-Waboso will miss the Six Nations after deciding to undergo shoulder surgery.

Ireland will wear their alternate white against Wales in the Six Nations in Cardiff to who suffer from colour vision deficiency (CVD) .