Planet Rugby

Springboks team: Winners and losers as Rassie Erasmus rewards ‘egoless’ warrior and the ‘unluckiest’ snub

"Andre Esterhuizen's determination and reliance show that he absolutely fits that billing and has been a real servant to the Boks over the past few seasons." #AUSvRSA ...
Planet Rugby

Why Jacques Nienaber believes Lions are ‘force to be reckoned with’ and ‘one of the big off-field goals’ for Leinster in South Africa

"Ellis Park is a ground that they really put their heart and their soul into defending..." #URC #LIOvLEI #Leinster ...
Planet Rugby

Springboks team: Five takeaways as Rassie Erasmus ‘not in the business of sympathy caps’ with squad ‘overhaul’ but head coach opts for ‘insurance policy’ bench

With suspension and injury sidelining Eben Etzebeth for much of this year, the most-capped Springbok of all-time starts his sixth Test match in a row as he moves to just three caps shy of 150 while ...
Planet Rugby

Springboks team: Rassie Erasmus rotates for Wallabies showdown with new captain named in Siya Kolisi’s absence

Esterhuizen, who has been named as the Sharks captain for the upcoming season, leads an overhauled team from the side that defeated the All Blacks in the final Rugby’s Greatest Rivalry Test match in ...
Planet Rugby

Wallabies: Taniela Tupou’s ‘dead right’ verdict on the Springboks and his honest admission about his ‘first few months in France’ with Racing

"I sort of struggled. I thought I was going to go there and things will happen for me real quick." #AUSvRSA #Wallabies #Top14 ...
Planet Rugby

New Zealand Rugby Weigh-up Shock Super Rugby Pacific Exit At Crunch Meeting As ‘bombshell’ Report Reveals Three Drastic Measures

This could result in a saving of around $5.75m a year for NZ Rugby, according to the 2024 Men’s Pathways and Competitions report. Like Option C, this would open the door for more private investment ...
Planet Rugby

Steven Kitshoff: Rassie Erasmus has a ‘crew’ of Springboks that he turns to when the ‘chips are down’

Kitshoff, who was a regular feature in Erasmus and Jacques Nienaber’s teams before his career was brought to a crushing halt through injury, believes that those who featured predominantly throughout ...
Planet Rugby

Henry Pollock makes major decision on future: ‘I just want to enjoy every moment of this journey’

British and Irish Lions, England and Northampton Saints star Henry Pollock says he’s “massively happy” to remain at Franklin’s Gardens, after signing a new multi-year deal ...
Planet Rugby

The Surprising Stat Fin Smith Outperformed His Entire Back-row In And Why He’s Added A New ‘threat’ To His Game

Northampton Saints fly-half Fin Smith has revealed he’s recently added a “run threat” to his game, as he looks to evolve into a genuinely world-class player. Speaking to Planet Rugby at the recent ...
Planet Rugby

Peter O’Mahony Reveals How ‘bad Business’ Meeting With Graham Rowntree ‘fuelled A Resent­ment’ And Left Him ‘raging’ With Munster

Rowntree’s tenure was heavily criticised by Conor Murray when the long-serving Munster and Ireland scrum-half published his autobiography in September 2025, and the retired prop, who now coaches in ...
Planet Rugby

Wales star spearheads new-look Gloucester leadership group as boss explains why it was ‘important to wait’

The leadership process included input from the entire playing group, as well as our own assessment of who was best placed to lead this team forward through this season and beyond.” ...
Planet Rugby

URC ‘upgrades’ TMO support in South Africa as experimental law gets World Rugby’s greenlight

Head of Match Officials at the URC, Tappe Henning, says that the competition has been permitted by World Rugby to continue an ...