Latest news with #StevenKitshoff
The Herald
20-07-2025
- Sport
- The Herald
‘We saw where we need to work hard': Not picture perfect for Boks
There were times, too, when the Rugby World Cup holders failed to fully assert themselves in the set pieces. Amid personnel changes there were some wonky line-outs but perhaps more pressing was some of the inconsistencies that crept into their scrum. Without the injured Frans Malherbe and Steven Kitshoff the Boks don't have the depth that made them such a compelling force a year or so ago. Ox Nché and Wilco Louw are rampaging scrummagers but the Bok supply line doesn't carry the same reputational weight. Ever seeking improvement the coach thrust a brand new front row into battle against Georgia. Boan Venter, Marnus van der Merwe and Neethling Fouche emerged from their debut with credentials intact, but again not all the images were flattering. 'He made a few errors here and there,' said Erasmus of hooker Van der Merwe. 'Marnus is a future Springbok. He wasn't outstanding but he showed one only really settles after three, four matches before feeling comfortable in the environment. 'Boan did well. He really did well.'
IOL News
20-07-2025
- Sport
- IOL News
Here's when the Baby Boks arrive home
Champions The Baby Boks will arrive back home with their trophy on Monday morning, according to SA Rugby, who will greet them at OR Tambo. Photo: World Rugby South African sports fans will get another chance to celebrate their heroes when the Junior Springboks arrive back in the country with their trophy on Monday morning. The Baby Boks outplayed the Junior All Blacks in Saturday's World Rugby Under-20 Championship final in Rovigo, Italy, earning a well-deserved 23-15 win. It was the second time South Africa has won the competition. The Baby Boks last lifted the trophy in 2012, with a squad featuring players who went on to represent the Springboks, like Handré Pollard, Steven Kitshoff, Pieter-Steph du Toit, Marvin Orie, Jan Serfontein, and others. Speaking right after the final, skipper Norton expressed his delight at their victory, saying team unity and passionate defence combined to produce the amazing victory.
The South African
20-07-2025
- Sport
- The South African
WATCH: Springboks sing, celebrate success of juniors
In another special moment for South Africa on Saturday, the Junior Springboks beat New Zealand 23-15 in the final in Italy to win the World Rugby U20 Championship for the first time in 13 years. It was the first meeting of the two nations in a final since the Junior Springboks' class of 2012, featuring the likes of future Rugby World Cup winners Handre Pollard, Steven Kitshoff and Pieter-Steph du Toit, ran out 22-16 winners in Cape Town. In a special twist of fate, the likes of Pollard and Du Toit were in the Springbok change room on Saturday night as they sat down to watch the Junior Springboks in the U20 final after claiming a good win over Georgia at the Mbombela Stadium. Clips have emerged of the Springbok team singing team songs, cheering and celebrating as they watched the juniors achieve success in the U20 final. Scorers: Junior Springboks 23 (13) – Tries: Xola Nyali, Gilermo Mentoe. Conversions: Vusi Moyo (2). Penalty goals: Moyo (3). New Zealand 15 (5) – Tries: Jayden Sa, Maloni Kunawave. Conversion: Will Cole. Penalty goal: Rico Simpson. 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 Citizen
23-06-2025
- Sport
- The Citizen
Boks to kick off 2025 season: What you need to know about the Barbarians
The invitational side will play on SA soil for the first time this weekend. Steven Kitshoff, Malcolm Marx and Anton Peikrishvili of the Barbarians, following a match against Argentina at Twickenham in 2018. Picture:The Springboks open their 2025 season in Cape Town on Saturday with a match against the invitational side, the Barbarians. It is not a Test match, but the world champions are sure to be tested by a team packed with internationals. Here are a few things you need to know about the Barbarians. Who are the Barbarians? The Barbarian Football Club, known as the Barbarians (or BaaBaas), are a British-based invitational team, founded in 1890. The team play in black and white hooped jerseys, though the players wear socks from their own clubs or provincial teams. The Barbarians have no home ground or clubhouse. They are a touring team who play at the invitation of clubs or unions. Overseas the team have played in 25 countries, most recently Tunisia, Spain, Georgia and Portugal. Why was the club formed? In the late 1800s the rugby season finished in March in Europe so William Carpael decided to invite a group of players to join him on an end-of-season tour to the North of England. This he saw as an opportunity to play with friends from various clubs who were normally opponents. It was such a success that he formed the Barbarian Football Club to continue touring on an informal basis and the first tour took place in December of 1890 playing Huddersfield and Bradford. 'Best try ever scored' Ask any rugby historian to name the best try ever scored and he or she is likely to say Gareth Edwards' try for the Barbarians. In a match between the Barbarians and All Blacks at Cardiff Arms Park in 1973, regarded by many as one of the best games ever played, Edwards of Wales scored a try in the corner considered one of the best ever. The Barbarians won the match 23-11. History against South Africa Saturday's meeting in Cape Town will be the first time that the teams clash on South African soil. There is, however, a proud history between the Barbarians and the Springboks, going back to 1952 when they first clashed. In eight meetings, the Barbarians have won four times, the Boks three times while there has been one draw – the most recent outing, which was played at Wembley in 2016 and ended 31-all after a thunderous 80 minutes. Interesting facts Former Springbok hooker Schalk Brits, who played for the Lions, Stormers, Bulls and Saracens, is the South African who has represented the Barbarians the most – eight times. Tony O'Reilly of Ireland made 30 appearances for the club between 1955-62 and scored 38 tries Traditionally at least one uncapped player is selected for each match. The costs incurred by the Barbarians in assembling a squad for each game or tour are paid out of the gate receipts from the match, or matches, played.
The Citizen
17-06-2025
- Sport
- The Citizen
Springboks ready for a changing of the forward guard in 2025
A number of exciting rising front row talents are set to get an opportunity to stake their claim for the Springboks over the coming international season. The Springboks are set to witness an end of an era and a changing of the guard in one of their strongest departments, the front row, over the coming international season. Injuries, retirements and age mean that a large contingent of Bok front row heroes from the past two World Cup wins will likely be on their way out, opening the door for some exciting new talent to step into the breach. The biggest loss was the forced retirement earlier this year of veteran loosehead prop Steven Kitshoff, who was unable to recover from a serious neck injury. His long-term Stormers and Bok front row partner Frans Malherbe has question marks hanging over his career due to neck and back injuries that have plagued him since the previous World Cup. Veteran struggles Another veteran, Sharks prop Trevor Nyakane, has also been plagued by various injuries, and along with Malherbe, look like they won't feature for the Boks this year. With them set to be 38 and 36 respectively by the time the next World Cup roles around in 2027, will they have a chance of forcing their way back into the Bok mix? Heading into the start of the international season in two weeks' time, two of the Boks' rising front ranking talents, the Bulls' Gerhard Steenekamp and soon to be Stormer Ntuthuko Mchunu, are also out of action with injuries. It is thus an exciting time for new talent and Lions prop Asenathi Ntlabakanye and Stormers prop Neethling Fouche will likely benefit and get a chance to show what they can do in the games against the Barbarians, Italy and Georgia in the coming weeks. Another one benefitting from the injuries is former Cheetahs and current Edinburgh prop, Boan Venter, who was added to the Bok squad this past weekend and he will be in line to make his debut along with Ntlabakanye and Fouche. Bulls utility forward Jan-Hendrik Wessels is also set for an extended run, after impressing for his franchise in the absence of Steenekamp, while he is also held in high regard by Bok coach Rassie Erasmus. Third choice hooker At hooker the Boks are still anxiously searching for a reliable third choice option, especially with Bongi Mbonambi heading into the twilight of his career. Deon Fourie covered that position at the World Cup in 2023, but is injured, while Joseph Dweba and Johan Grobbelaar, who have featured over the past few years, have both missed out on selection. That has opened the door for former Cheetahs and current Scarlets hooker Marnus van der Merwe to step in, and he will likely make his Bok debut and get a huge opportunity to stake a claim for the third choice slot over the coming season. Speaking at a Bok press conference last week, Erasmus admitted that we would see a lot of change in the front row this season. 'Kitsie has retired. Frans is not likely to play for us this season and Trevor definitely not. We have brought Asenathi in, and we have been working really hard behind the scenes with the Lions to get the best out of him,' said Erasmus. 'A guy like Neethling is 30 now and that is a lekker age for a tighthead. Thomas du Toit is doing really well on that side [in England], he's one of the top players there. Wilco [Louw] is also doing really well, and Ntuthuko Mchunu unfortunately has a knee injury now. 'I think it is natural that some of the older guys will either retire or fall off the pace. But we don't want to change our game and not keep that forward power. So hopefully the guys who get that opportunity will take it. We will definitely have other guys playing there this year.'
