
Springbok, Stormers star in contract dispute
One of the real pleasant surprises to come out of the Springboks' season last year was the emergence of talented 27-year-old BJ Dixon.
The dynamic loose forward made his debut against Wales in June before going on to start four more Test matches on the flank, which included the win over the All Blacks at Ellis Park.
Dixon is currently recovering from a wrist injury, but according to Media24 , he is said to now be embroiled in a contractual dispute with the Stormers related to an exit clause.
It could reportedly lead to an arbitration process due to a disagreement over differing interpretations of certain wording related to a release clause in his contract, which is not set to expire for another two years.
Whichever way this may lead, the odds are that Dixon has quite possibly played his last game for the Stormers.
Considering that the forward has been out of action for a while with an injury, it now remains to be seen whether he will be able to get some meaningful game-time under his belt before the start of the Test season in July.
There were both highs and lows in Dixon's personal performances last year at international level, and both injury and this dispute may now negatively impact his Springbok prospects at the start of the season.
Let us know by leaving a comment below, or send a WhatsApp to 060 011 0211.
Subscribe to The South African website's newsletters and follow us on WhatsApp, Facebook, X and Bluesky for the latest news.
Meanwhile, here is an important reminder on ticket sales for the Springbok men's game against Argentina in the Rugby Championship at Twickenham in October.
Ticket sales
Tickets are on sale via Ticketmaster.co.uk and England Rugby, starting from just £55* for adults and £28* for Under-16s.
(*booking fees apply)
Hashtags

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles

IOL News
25 minutes ago
- IOL News
Lood de Jager: It is good to be back with the Springboks
Lock Lood de Jager is back in the Springbok set-up and ready to contribute after an injury-enforced absence of almost two years. Photo: BackpagePix Image: BackpagePix After nearly two years in the Test rugby wilderness due to various injuries, World Cup winner Lood de Jager is set to resume his Springbok rugby career imminently. Included in the Bok squad for the mid-year matches against the Barbarians, Italy, and Georgia, De Jager is scheduled to play his first match in about 23 months as early as next Saturday against the Barbarians in Cape Town. The 32-year-old lock has been training with the squad for the last two weeks in Johannesburg ahead of the match. Despite missing the 2023 Rugby World Cup due to a heart condition and then picking up a shoulder injury that kept him out for nine months, the lineout guru is ready for the challenge ahead. 🗣️"Its the first time since 2019 that the 4 locks who played in the 2019 World Cup win are all back in the squad!" 🤩 Which is the best Springbok lock pairing in your opinion: 🏉Eben Etzebeth 🏉Lood de Jager 🏉RG Snyman 🏉Franco Mostert@EbenEtzebeth @FrancoMostert #Springboks — Betway ZA (@Betway_za) June 19, 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 'It's good to be back,' an elated De Jager said about being with the Boks. 'It was tough to be on the outside (while injured), but I had my family and kids to keep me occupied so that I didn't overthink things. 'The biggest thing for me (while away) was that I felt I could still contribute to the team. 'It was just to get healthy and my body right. That was my biggest motivation: to get back here. 'The easy part (coming back) was being with good friends again, seeing the guys and training with them. 'It is great talking about old stories with them. 'There is a lot of depth at lock at the moment, and Ruan (Nortjé) stepped up nicely last season against the All Blacks with that injury crisis. 'Things are now very competitive for that lock position. We push each other, and it's a great thing.' 'It's just a really spicy thing, a lekker thing to look forward to' 🗣 Rassie Erasmus reflects on his @Barbarian_FC memories as the #Springboks get set for a historic Cape Town clash 🇿🇦 Tickets from R950 behind the poles. Get yours from @TicketmasterZA :… — Springboks (@Springboks) June 20, 2025 De Jager believes that playing in Japan helped him keep his body fresh and get back to playing at a top level. He pointed out that the season in the Japanese Top League, where he plays for the Saitama Wild Knights, is spaced out so that they have enough rest weekends. In the same breath, he said the league has grown significantly and is very competitive. With the Boks set to play 14 matches this year, De Jager was asked which one he is looking forward to taking part in. His answer was short and sweet. 'The next one,' the lock said with a laugh. #Springbok Assistant Coach Tony Brown reflects on another intense and hardworking training camp — laying the foundation for what's to come. 💪🇿🇦#StrongerTogether #Springboks #TonyBrown — Springboks (@Springboks) June 19, 2025 For someone who played for the Boks the last time they faced the All Blacks in 2023 at the Mount Smart Stadium in Auckland, it is understandable. However, he is happy to bide his time and fall into the plans of Bok guru Rassie Erasmus and his assistant coaches. 'Rassie has a great plan for the year and how it pans out. You want to be involved in every Test match, because it is big,' De Jager said. 'We have some big ones coming up, especially against New Zealand away and France and Ireland.

The Star
8 hours ago
- The Star
Lions bolstered by Chris Smith URC signing as Stormers retain Ben-Jason Dixon, Wandisile Simelane
Leighton Koopman | Published 8 hours ago With the next instalment of the United Rugby Championship starting in a couple of months, the Lions have added some exciting players to their arsenal in a bid to strengthen their squad to challenge for a first playoff berth. The latest addition is former Bulls general Chris Smith, who returns from a two-season stint overseas at French club Oyonnax, crossing the Jukskei from the Pretoria side where he last played before leaving the country. Smith, a consistent kicker, had some strong performances in the blue jersey. So, the Johannesburg side will hope he can take his game to another level as they look for a flyhalf who can spearhead the team to the quarter-finals in the coming season. They have struggled for consistency in the No 10 jersey for the last couple of campaigns, with Kade Wolhuter, Gianni Lombard and Nico Steyn sharing the jersey. But none have put their hand up to claim the position, and the arrival of Smith will add to that competition. He is not the only player joining the men from Ellis Park; they also signed two wingers in Angelo Davids of the Stormers and Eduan Keyter from the Sharks. They must fill the void of Springbok Edwill van der Merwe, who has joined the Sharks. Van der Merwe, who became a Bok at the Lions, has been outstanding, and the duo will have big boots to fill. Davids, a former Blitzbok, will seek more game-time after falling out of favour in Cape Town, while Keyter will look to revive his career after a spell of unfortunate injuries while based at Kings Park. Davids played behind the likes of Seabelo Senatla, Leolin Zas, Suleiman Hartzenberg and Ben Loader, and needed this move away from the Mother City. Both wingers are deadly attackers and have a knack for finding the try-line. So, they should not take too long to adapt to the enterprising rugby that the Lions play. The Lions also announced the signing of Griquas lock Dylan Sjoblom. He will add some needed depth to the side ahead of another URC campaign, where they will look to reach the playoffs for the first time. They boast some of the most exciting players in the country, but have unfortunately not lived up to expectations over the last couple of seasons. Head coach Ivan van Rooyen will hope the strategic acquisitions can boost the side on and off the field as they use the Currie Cup to prepare for their fifth season in the European competition. Van Rooyen is under pressure, and it will likely be a non-negotiable for the side to reach the playoffs if he wants to take them forward. The Stormers, meanwhile, won their arbitration case with loose forward Ben-Jason Dixon, which will see the Springbok committed to the Cape side until 2027 at least. They also confirmed the extension of midfielder Wandisile Simelane's stay in the Cape. Dixon sought arbitration to resolve a particular clause in his contract, which runs until July 2027. 'Ben-Jason is one of the most committed rugby players around, and has been a vital cog in our team for some time. With this now settled, we know that he will continue to give everything on and off the field for us,' Stormers director of rugby John Dobson said in a statement on Friday. Dixon, currently out injured, said that with the matter now resolved, he is looking forward to making an impact on the field once again. 'I'm really grateful that both sides had the chance to bring everything to the table through arbitration and get clarity going forward. 'With this behind us, I'm looking forward to getting back to doing what I love – giving my best for the Stormers.'

The Star
8 hours ago
- The Star
How Rassie Erasmus plans to blend experience and youth for Springboks for 2027 Rugby World Cup
Leighton Koopman | Published 6 hours ago Should his plans fall in place, Springbok coach Rassie Erasmus wants to use at least seven of the 14 rugby matches this year to keep his older guard fit and ready to continue playing at the highest level. With the other seven, he will be able to give the younger players more experience at the highest level ahead of the 2027 Rugby World Cup, helping them achieve a target of at least 14 or 15 Test caps ahead of the tournament. The Boks are set to play 13 Tests this year, and will start the season with a friendly match against the Barbarians, next Saturday in Cape Town. An additional Test for later this year must still be confirmed by SA Rugby. Erasmus has said keeping his experienced guys fit and getting caps into the next generation as the goals for the next two seasons. He believes this approach will prepare them well for their title defence in Australia . However, he acknowledges the need to win and secure a top-three finish in the international rankings for a better World Cup draw. 'The main thing this year is to win, and to hopefully be in a good position for that draw at the end of the year,' Erasmus said this past week. 'We have 14 confirmed games. 'That means if we can get the older guys playing in six or seven of them, and then give the medium to younger guys also six or seven and do the same next year, we should have enough depth for the World Cup.' The Springboks finished their second week of training in Johannesburg before the season-opener against the Barbarians at the Cape Town Stadium. They will move to the Mother City this weekend and start their final preparation for the Baabaas on Monday. The world champions will also face Italy in double Tests (July 5 and 12 in Pretoria and Gqeberha) and Georgia a week later in Mbombela. Asked if the Barbarians, Italians and Georgians will provide the strongest test before defending their Rugby Championship crown later this year, Erasmus said they were looking forward to measuring themselves especially at scrum-time against the European sides. Both are known for their powerful set-pieces, and it will be a perfect opportunity for the Boks to blend some experienced forwards with younger players. Defensively, the Baabaas with their traditional flair, will be a stern test to the Boks' defensive structures, and coach Robbie Deans has already confirmed former All Black captain Sam Cane and Irish legends Peter O'Mahony and Conor Murray will make the trip to SA. 'A lot of people will assume that they will be easy teams, but it will be a slap in the face of those guys,' Erasmus said about underestimating them. 'We know the Barbarians from 2018, and the names I am seeing, it will really be a great test to get some guys in. 'It will be tough enough and it's in Cape Town, so there is no altitude. They will have more endurance. 'Italy and what we have analysed, they stayed in the fight in some of their games during the Six Nations. Their defence was really good. 'We drive our own standards, but we know if you are a little bit off (against them)... And I can remember when Italy beat South Africa. That feeling I can remember. 'We will be worried not to fall into that trap.'