Decoding the URC’s North-South paradox
The United Rugby Championship has emerged as the definitive arena for testing survival, adaptability, and the depth of team rosters in professional rugby. Spanning two hemispheres and involving five formidable nations, this competition has significantly transformed franchise rugby, particularly since the inclusion of South African teams. Over five thrilling seasons, it’s clear that no matter […]
URC, Round Two
PREVIEW & PREDICTIONS: The United Rugby Championship enters Round Two of the 2026/27 season with high-stakes encounters, historic rivalries, and teams desperate to build early-season momentum. Following a dramatic opening weekend that flipped expectations on their head, heavyweights from Ireland, South Africa, Scotland, and Wales collide in a blockbuster slate of fixtures. The Headliner: Sharks […]
The roster the Sharks wish they could field
Sharks coach JP Pietersen does not have the answer just yet, but he hopes to find a ‘solution’ to his team’s long injury list. Springbok captain Siya Kolisi, starting at flank, headline the team to face Italian outfit Benetton in a United Rugby Championship Round 17 match at Kings Park on Saturday. Kolisi is joined […]
The ‘twist’ that could knock Lions out of Champions Cup
UPDATE: The race for European qualification has an added layer of complexity this season due to the interaction between the United Rugby Championship table positions and EPCR title winners. Normally, the top eight teams in the final URC table qualify for the following season’s Champions Cup. However, if a URC team wins either the Champions […]
Stormers & Bulls get home run; Lions travel to Leinster
URC WRAP: It took until the final game of the final weekend of the regular season, but we do now know the eight teams in the United Rugby Championship play-offs and who will play who in the quarterfinals. In the end, it was Munster Rugby who secured the last available spot late on Saturday evening […]
‘Our ceiling is a lot higher than even we believe’
When Neethling Fouché and every other Stormers player opened the door to their hotel room in Belfast last week, on their beds there was a letter waiting for each of them. The letter was from their Irish hosts Ulster before their United Rugby Championship league game last weekend, which ended in a 38-all draw. “It […]
URC: Race to the play-offs going down to the wire
ROUND 17 REVIEW: The United Championship play-off race is going down to the final weekend of the regular season with five teams fighting it out for four spots. Leinster and the Bulls have now joined Glasgow Warriors and the Stormers in booking their places in the knock-out stage. That leaves the Lions, Munster, Cardiff, Ulster […]
URC road to the play-offs
PREVIEW: Round 16 in the United Championship is headlined by a huge clash at the Cape Town Stadium, where second-placed Stormers host leaders Glasgow Warriors in a meeting between the top two sides in the table. Glasgow begins the weekend on 55 points, four clear of Stormers and Leinster, while the Capetonians have the chance […]
The #BIG winners and losers of URC Round 15
The Lions and Bulls made strong statements of their intent in a round of mixed fortunes for the South African teams in the United Rugby Championship as they achieved significant victories. In contrast, the Stormers and Sharks stumbled in matches that could have big implications in their campaigns. The Lions registered the biggest upset of […]
URC: Road to the play-offs
Round 14 of the URC brings us one step closer to play-off action. For some teams, a win is a must this weekend to keep alive the hopes of a fabled top-eight finish. As It Stands: Glasgow Warriors (1) Stormers (2) Ulster (3) Leinster (4) Cardiff (5) Lions (7) Bulls (8) Connacht (9) Ospreys (10) […]