Latest news with #Barbarians
The South African
5 days ago
- Sport
- The South African
REVEALED: What the Springboks and BaaBaas will play for!
SA Rugby has confirmed that the Qatar Airways Cup will be up for grabs when the Springboks take on the Barbarians in an historic clash on Saturday, 28 June at the DHL Stadium in Cape Town. It will be the third edition of the Qatar Airways Cup, an event that has quickly become an exciting staple on the global rugby calendar. The Springboks won both previous encounters for the trophy, against New Zealand in 2023 and Wales last year, both in London. The match, hosted in collaboration with Pitch International, forms part of the airline's growing footprint in global rugby, complementing Qatar Airways' sponsorships of the United Rugby Championship and European Professional Club Rugby (EPCR) competitions, as well as the forthcoming Qatar Airways Lions Tour to Australia, later in 2025. Rian Oberholzer, CEO of SA Rugby, said: 'We are delighted to collaborate with Pitch International to bring this landmark fixture to South Africa, and to Qatar Airways for their support. 'Pitch International's global expertise in event delivery and promotion makes them the perfect partner to help showcase the Springboks and Barbarians to a worldwide audience. This partnership marks an exciting new chapter in our efforts to grow the game and connect with fans across the globe.' The Barbarians are renowned for their flair, creativity and international diversity, and will be coached by the highly experienced and respected Robbie Deans. The squad will feature stars from the Vodacom URC, French Top 14, English Premiership, Super Rugby, and the Japanese League. The Qatar Airways Cup clash will mark the ninth meeting between the Springboks and the famous black-and-white-clad Barbarians, and their first encounter since an exciting 31-31 draw at Wembley Stadium in London on 5 November 2016. Tickets for the Qatar Airways Cup are selling fast and a capacity crowd is expected. Don't miss out – secure your tickets online today from 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.
The South African
6 days ago
- Sport
- The South African
WATCH: Springboks' most brutal hits
The Springboks are set to kick off their 2025 season against the Barbarians on 28 June before heading into the July Tests against Italy and Georgia. This will be followed by the highly-anticipated Rugby Championship, where they will look to defend their title, before heading on their traditional end-of-year tour. As Springbok fans start to get increasingly excited for a six-month stretch where the world champions will feature in at least 14 fixtures, here are some clips that should whet your appetite. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Rugby 4 Life (@rugby4life80) 28 June: vs Barbarians, DHL Stadium, Cape Town. Kick off: 17:05. 5 July: vs Italy, Loftus Versfeld, Pretoria. Kick off: 17:10. 12 July: vs Italy, Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium, Gqeberha. Kick off: 17:10. 19 July: vs Georgia, Mbombela Stadium, Nelspruit. Kick off: 17:10. 16 August: vs Australia, Ellis Park, Johannesburg. Kick off: 17:10. 23 August: vs Australia, DHL Stadium, Cape Town. Kick off: 17:10. 6 September: vs New Zealand, Auckland. Kick off: 09:05. 13 September: vs New Zealand, Wellington. Kick off: 09:05. 27 September: vs Argentina, Kings Park, Durban. Kick off: 17:10. 4 October: vs Argentina, London. Kick off: 15:00. 8 November: vs France, Paris. Kick off: TBD. 15 November: vs Italy, Turin. Kick off: TBD. 22 November: vs Ireland, Dublin. Kick off: 19:40. 29 November: vs Wales, Cardiff. Kick off: 17:10. *SA Rugby are working on adding one more Test for the Springboks, likely to be against Japan 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 and England Rugby, starting from just £55* for adults and £28* for Under-16s. (*booking fees apply)
The South African
6 days ago
- Sport
- The South African
How wild will the Springboks' first selection of 2025 be?
The Springboks are set to head into a season-opening fixture against the Barbarians on 28 June, and it will be fascinating to see what sort of team Rassie Erasmus envisages for such a clash. Considering this is a warm-up fixture of sorts, it's unlikely that Erasmus would select a first-choice team, but he probably would want to mix and match with selection in order to at least build some momentum before the first Tests of the year against Italy and Georgia in July. It's likely that he will include some newcomers alongside a few stalwarts, and here is how we think the first Springbok selection of the year could look. 15 Damian Willemse, 14 Canan Moodie, 13 Lukhanyo Am, 12 Andre Esterhuizen, 11 Ntokozo Makhaza, 10 Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu, 9 Jaden Hendrikse, 8 Cameron Hanekom, 7 Vincent Tshituka, 6 Marco van Staden, 5 Lood de Jager, 4 Eben Etzebeth, 3 Neethling Fouche, 2 Jan-Hendrik Wessels 1 Gerhard Steenekamp. This sort of team would enable the Springbok coaches to take a look at some key players in all-important positions such as No 8, hooker and loosehead prop, while perhaps even giving a relatively low-pressure opportunity to Varsity Cup star Ntokozo Makhaza. Leading players who have recently worked their way back from injury such as Damian Willemse and Lood de Jager could also get an opportunity to return to Springbok action. Recently, the Barbarians revealed three Test centurions – Sam Cane, Peter O'Mahony and Conor Murray – with a combined tally of 352 caps as the first players for their squad to take on the Springboks in Cape Town next month, and so the Springboks also won't want to take the game too lightly. 'We have no doubt they will name several more top-class players in the coming weeks, so this match will set the tone for us to switch into full-out competitive mode from the outset,' said Springbok coach Rassie Erasmus. 'I've worked with Peter and Conor before, and we know Sam very well – they are quality players with a lot of experience, which will serve as a great test at the start of a big season. 'We are very excited about the season ahead, and as a team, we are blessed to enjoy such passionate support from our fans throughout the country. We are busy putting the building blocks in place for the season, which starts in a little over a month against the Barbarians.' 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 and England Rugby, starting from just £55* for adults and £28* for Under-16s. (*booking fees apply)
IOL News
25-05-2025
- Sport
- IOL News
Rejuvenated Curwin Bosch set to play for Barbarians against Springboks
Former Sharks players Curwin Bosch will play for the Barbarians against the Springboks at the end of the month. Photo: Backpagepix Last week, Deans announced the first wave of his star-studded squad, which includes Ireland veterans Peter O'Mahony and Conor Murray, as well as former All Blacks captain Sam Cane. Bosch, a two-cap Springbok, is enjoying a new lease of life in France's second division with Brive. According to Rapport, Bosch has been playing with renewed freedom since leaving the Sharks at the end of the 2023 season and is on track to feature against the Boks. Barbarians coach Robbie Deans has reportedly approached former Sharks fly-half Curwin Bosch to represent the invitational side against the Springboks in Cape Town on 28 June. Now 27, Bosch played 155 matches for the Sharks across all competitions between 2016 and 2023. He earned his first Springbok cap in 2017 in a Test against Argentina in Gqeberha—his hometown and the city where he attended Grey High School. His second and final appearance came in 2018, when Rassie Erasmus selected him for a friendly against Wales in Washington. Bosch joined the Sharks straight out of school and remained with the Durban-based franchise until his move to France last year. He describes the transition as the best decision he could have made. 'It's a new environment. I had put a lot of pressure on myself to make the Springbok squad, and that was my only goal,' Bosch explained. 'It was something I thought about every day. I tried to become a perfect rugby player.' 'I wanted to do everything right, but in the process, I started doing less, because I wanted to be perfect,' he added. 'It will always be a dream to play for the Boks, but it's good that I took myself out of that South African environment. In France, I'm just playing rugby again and not overthinking everything.' Bosch has helped Brive to a strong campaign, with 20 wins from 30 matches. The club now prepares to host Montauban in next weekend's Pro D2 semi-finals. 'I have a lot of confidence, and the team has also done well. It's the first time in a long while that I've been so comfortable with my own game,' Bosch said.
The Citizen
25-05-2025
- Sport
- The Citizen
Barbarians show interest in forgotten Bok flyhalf
'I have a lot of confidence and the team has also done well. It's the first time in a long time that I've been so comfortable with my own game.' Curwin Bosch warming up prior to the Castle Lager Springbok Showdown match between Springbok Green and Springbok Gold at DHL Newlands Stadium on October 03, 2020 in Cape Town, South Africa. Picture: Ashley Vlotman/Gallo Images. The Barbarians have reached out to a Springbok flyhalf about the possibility of playing against the world champions in Cape Town on 28 June. According to Rapport, Curwin Bosch's performances for French Pro D2 club Brive have impressed the invitational team and he could be asked to join the likes of former All Blacks captain Sam Cane and Irish veterans Peter O'Mahony and Conor Murray for the match. The 27-year-old told Rapport that moving to France from the Sharks had been an excellent career move. 'It's a new environment. I put a lot of pressure on myself to make the Springbok squad and that was my only goal,' said Bosch, who earned his only two Test caps back in 2017 and 2018. 'It was something I thought about every day and I tried to become a perfect rugby player. 'I wanted to do everything right, but in the process I started doing less, because I wanted to be perfect,' he added. 'It will always be a dream to play for the Boks [again], but it's good that I took myself out of that [South African] environment. Here I'm just playing rugby again and I'm not overthinking everything.' Brive finished second on the Pro D2 log this season, with 20 wins from 30 matches, and host Montauban in next weekend's semi-finals. 'I have a lot of confidence and the team has also done well. It's the first time in a long time that I've been so comfortable with my own game,' Bosch said. This story was first published on It is republished here with permission.
