Stormers bruiser locks in URC award
Ruben van Heerden has been crowned the Vodacom United Rugby Championship's (URC) Tackle Machine for 2024-25, highlighting his superb defensive impact for the Stormers this season.
The award celebrates the best defender among players who made at least 150 tackles this season, marking Van Heerden as one of South Africa's top performers heading into the URC semi-finals.
The towering lock topped the charts with 171 tackles at a staggering 98% success rate, edging out Glasgow's Rory Darge (160 tackles, 97%) and Sharks loose forward Phepsi Buthelezi (157 tackles, 96.8%).
Stormers fans have more to cheer about, with winger Leolin Zas sharing the Top Try Scorer title (nine tries) alongside Cardiff's Harri Millard and Munster's Tom Farrell, though Millard ultimately claimed the prize by scoring his nine tries in the fewest minutes played.
MORE: Four Boks in race for URC's young gun award
Fullback Warrick Gelant also featured strongly, finishing second in the Playmaker Award standings. Gelant's creativity and offloads helped him push Munster's Tom Farrell, who took top honours thanks to his combined tally of try assists (5), offloads (41) and defenders beaten (61).
The Sharks were represented on the leaderboard through flyhalf Jordan Hendrikse, who finished second in the Golden Boot category with 108 points, while Lions fullback Quan Horn claimed third in the Playmaker Award race.
These awards come as the URC celebrates its standout players before naming the prestigious Elite XV, Next-Gen Player of the Season, Coach of the Season and Players' Player of the Season later this week.
URC 2025-25 awards winners
Golden Boot: Ioan Lloyd (Scarlets)
Top Try Scorer: Harri Millard (Cardiff)
Tackle Machine: Ruben van Heerden (Stormers)
Ironman: Cam Winnett (Cardiff)
Playmaker: Tom Farrell (Munster)
The post Stormers bruiser locks in URC award appeared first on SA Rugby magazine.
Breaking news at your fingertips… Follow Caxton Network News on Facebook and join our WhatsApp channel.
Nuus wat saakmaak. Volg Caxton Netwerk-nuus op Facebook en sluit aan by ons WhatsApp-kanaal.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The Citizen
an hour ago
- The Citizen
Less than 7000 tickets available for URC semi-final at Loftus Versfeld
Less than 7000 tickets available for URC semi-final at Loftus Versfeld The Bulls will play the Sharks in the semi-final of the United Rugby Championship (URC) at Loftus Versfeld on Saturday and the rush to get tickets to experience this spectacle firsthand is still ongoing. According to the Blue Bulls Company there are fewer than 7 000 tickets left for the public to buy. This South African derby will kick off at 18:15 local time, and fans can still get their hands on tickets to be a part of what promises to be an unforgettable evening of rugby and entertainment. A few tickets remain in the upper grandstand and the Eastern lower and upper stands, and all available tickets are available from as little as R 100.00c, only from Ticketpro In addition to the rugby, other entertainment is also planned, in which artists such as Christian Baartman, Lee Cole, Loufi, Arod and Mack Rapapali will participate. The infamous Loftus market will be in the B & C fields, presenting a flavoursome experience of food, drink and song before the best act takes to the field when the sun sets. Fans will also have the opportunity to watch the first semi-final between Leinster and Glasgow LIVE on the big screens in the market. Whilst the excitement is in the air about a potentially sold-out semi-final between two fierce rivals, fans are reminded to be mindful of the following logistical plans. ENTRANCE: Fans are advised that entrances to gates 4, 5 and 6 have extended scanning points to ease traffic flow into the stadium. Other entrance points remain as per normal, however, fans are encouraged to arrive early to avoid traffic delays. E–HAILING: The Uber service will have a dedicated drop-off spot on Lynwood Road, similar to a Test matchday experience. STADIUM HOTLINE: There is a live and monitored hotline for all patrons to use should they require assistance or have an emergency to report. The number is: +27 76 524 7590, and visitors can send a text or a WhatsApp message throughout the event. FIELD ACCESS: Fans are reminded that access to the field is not permitted unless instructed to do so by an official, and breaking this rule is a punishable offence. WEATHER FORECAST: A sunny Saturday is expected over the capital, with the mercury dropping to 18 degrees when the whistle blows for the start of the match. All fans are encouraged to pack a light fleece for the journey home. MATCH OFFICIALS' APPOINTMENT: Referee: Andrew Brace (IRFU, 107th league game) AR 1: Sam Grove-White (SRU) AR 2: Adam Jones (WRU) TMO: Mike Adamson (SRU) Do you have more information about the story? Please send us an email to bennittb@ or phone us on 083 625 4114. For free breaking and community news, visit Rekord's websites: Rekord East For more news and interesting articles, like Rekord on Facebook, follow us on Twitter or Instagram At Caxton, we employ humans to generate daily fresh news, not AI intervention. Happy reading! Stay in the know. Download the Caxton Local News Network App Stay in the know. Download the Caxton Local News Network App here
IOL News
3 hours ago
- IOL News
Nortjé: Bulls in full Test mode for crucial URC semi-final against Sharks
Bulls skipper Ruan Nortjé says his side are preparing for their URC semi-final showdown with the Sharks like a Test match, emphasising focus, discipline and set-piece dominance ahead of Saturday's all-South African clash at Loftus. Photo: Backpagepix Image: Backpagepix Bulls captain Ruan Nortjé has acknowledged the mental and physical challenge posed by facing the Sharks in the upcoming United Rugby Championship (URC) semi-final at Loftus Versfeld. Despite the Sharks' dramatic victory over Munster in the quarter-finals, Nortjé wants his side to remain focused on the task ahead, highlighting the importance of resilience and executing their gameplan on Saturday (6.15pm kick-off). 'When we reach the play-offs, we try to always get ourselves in the headspace of Test-match level preparation,' said Nortjé ahead of the clash. 'We had the same mentality against Edinburgh, and it will be more of the same this weekend. The fact that it is a South African derby just adds more fuel, excitement, and tension. So, we have to ensure that we are mentally prepared and get our game plan ready for what awaits.' Nortjé added that they cannot afford to switch off for even one minute or concede a yellow card. He highlighted lapses in concentration against Edinburgh, which allowed the Scottish club to mount a strong attack in the first half when the Bulls were down to 14 men. The Bulls trailed 21–8 at one stage, but their fightback underscored their championship credentials. However, he warned that they must be wary of the Sharks' scrum, which could provide a potent attacking platform. 'The Sharks were definitely brilliant scrum-wise last weekend. I think that's a massive part of what brought them through that game, so I must give them credit — the whole front row. It's definitely going to be a massive battle at the set-piece. "We can only prepare as well as we can and ensure we are ready when Saturday comes. We must be composed and make swift changes on the field — be ready for anything, and expect anything.' 'We are blessed to play in another semi-final. We know there are a lot of other teams that would also want to be in this position, and that are capable of being in the semi-final.' Apart from the forwards, he pointed to the Sharks' half-backs, Jaden and Jordan Hendrikse, as major threats, along with inside centre André Esterhuizen as their primary strike-runner. He knows the Durbanites thrive on unpredictability and moments of individual brilliance, making it essential for the Bulls to stay composed and disciplined. Nortjé stressed the need to trust their systems, rely on their set-piece strength, and not allow the Sharks' high tempo and creativity to disrupt their game plan. Maintaining focus and emotional control will be key to securing a place in the final.
IOL News
3 hours ago
- IOL News
SA Rugby in the pound seats as international rivals struggle to make ends meet
Saru CEO Rian Oberholzer was happy to report a R100m profit for the union this week. Photo: Supplied Image: Supplied South African rugby is set to buck the global trend and report a profit of more than R100 million for 2025, clearing 2024's losses and ensuring the 15 member unions receive their full funding, while support for the Springboks and all national teams continues unchecked. This good news emerged from the annual meeting of the South African Rugby Union (SARU) in Cape Town on Thursday. Last year, South African rugby recorded a loss of R93 million due to its investment in northern hemisphere rugby competitions, but SA Rugby has already wiped out that deficit with a strong start to 2025. This is in contrast to many rival countries, who are under severe financial pressure. Other international federations have lost as much as R913 million, with five other Tier One nations reporting losses of between R588 million and R181 million. The next 'best' performance after South Africa's was a loss of R126 million, members at the meeting were told. SA Rugby's continued investment into membership of northern hemisphere competitions led to a group loss in 2024, but the organisation had already wiped out that deficit with a strong start to 2025 - more here: 👍 — Springboks (@Springboks) June 5, 2025 Video Player is loading. Play Video Play Unmute Current Time 0:00 / Duration -:- Loaded : 0% Stream Type LIVE Seek to live, currently behind live LIVE Remaining Time - 0:00 This is a modal window. Beginning of dialog window. Escape will cancel and close the window. Text Color White Black Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Background Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Transparent Window Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Transparent Semi-Transparent Opaque Font Size 50% 75% 100% 125% 150% 175% 200% 300% 400% Text Edge Style None Raised Depressed Uniform Dropshadow Font Family Proportional Sans-Serif Monospace Sans-Serif Proportional Serif Monospace Serif Casual Script Small Caps Reset restore all settings to the default values Done Close Modal Dialog End of dialog window. Advertisement Next Stay Close ✕ Ad loading Rian Oberholzer, CEO of SA Rugby, said that participation in the United Rugby Championship (URC) and European Professional Club Rugby (EPCR) came at a net cost of R124 million in 2024. 'We have been investing in the long-term future of South African rugby to become full members of the URC for the best part of eight years,' said Oberholzer. 'It has come at a significant cost to the sport, but there is no doubt that it has been the right thing to do. 'Once we fulfil certain membership obligations this year, we will begin to reap the on- and off-field rewards of such investment. 'If we had not undertaken this journey, we would have been reduced to playing only domestic competitions, which would have had catastrophic high-performance as well as financial ramifications for rugby in South Africa. 'It has been a tough financial road, but we have annually outperformed our global peers since the pandemic, while taking on the unusual cost of our investment into the URC and EPCR. 'Reporting a loss can never be desirable, but the irony is that we are more than satisfied with our position,' said Oberholzer. 'We had budgeted for a loss in 2024 in the expectation that the members would approve the private equity transaction that they had sought, releasing funds to cover the deficit. 'When that did not happen, we continued with our planned commercial reset and other revenue generation plans, which have borne fruit. We are in the very rare position among our international peers of continuing to be debt-free and confident of posting a surplus in 2025.'
