Latest news with #VanGraan
The Citizen
24-05-2025
- Sport
- The Citizen
Club World Cup set for 2028 start
Rugby's inaugural Club World Cup is expected to take place at the end of the 2027-28 season. This follows discussions in Cardiff on Friday ahead of the Challenge Cup and Champions Cup finals. According to the Telegraph, arrangements are all but finalised, with just final contracts to be determined. The 16 teams will comprise the eight Champions Cup quarter-finalists, the top seven sides on the Super Rugby Pacific log and one Japanese Rugby League One team. There will be four pools of four teams followed by semi-finals and a final. RECAP: Spencer leads Van Graan's Bath to Challenge Cup glory The Telegraph claims the Club World Cup will replace the Champions Cup playoffs every four years while the Top 14, English Premiership, Vodacom URC and Super Rugby Pacific will need to adjust their schedules in those seasons. FULL STORY The post Club World Cup set for 2028 start appeared first on SA Rugby Magazine.
RTÉ News
23-05-2025
- Sport
- RTÉ News
Johann van Graan savours European glory as Bath seek treble
Johann van Graan was delighted that Bath were "enjoying the journey together" after they completed the second leg of a possible trophy treble. Bath's 37-12 victory over Lyon saw them lift the EPCR Challenge Cup in Cardiff to clinch their first major silverware since winning the same competition in 2008. They add the Challenge Cup to Premiership Cup success earlier this season and the ex-Munster head coach is two victories away from leading the side to league title glory for the first time since 1996. "This is a moment in time," Bath head of rugby Van Graan said. "We will enjoy what this trophy represents. "We are enjoying our journey together and it is huge for the whole group. We all fight for each other. "We have taken it step by step by step from the start and it is a group that wants to achieve together. "Everyone has pulled together, every day on the training pitch and I give credit to the leadership group and all the players." Van Graan's team overcame first-half yellow cards for Sam Underhill and Will Muir at the Principality Stadium – they had 13 players for four minutes – to subdue dogged opponents and post the tournament's biggest winning margin in a final since 1998. Tries from hooker Tom Dunn, centre Max Ojomoh, prop Beno Obano and captain Ben Spencer saw Bath home, while Spencer's half-back partner Finn Russell kicked four conversions and three penalties. Spencer told Premier Sports: "I thought we showed a different level of intensity tonight that we've not seen this season. "I am just so proud to be able to give the fans what they deserve after so many years of hurt. "We speak a lot about working hard for each other and the yellow card period is something we pride ourselves on. "When we go down to 14 it's not an ideal situation, but to not concede in that yellow card period I thought was outstanding. "The togetherness in this group is absolutely unbelievable. It's something we spoke about before the game in just being the best version of ourselves tonight and not playing the occasion, just playing the game." Lyon led through wing Ethan Dumortier's early score, with number eight Arno Botha also touching down – as fly-half Leo Berdeu added one conversion – but Bath were comfortable winners. And they appear to be on an unstoppable roll ahead of a Premiership play-off in two weeks' time, when their opponents could be west country rivals Bristol. Lyon coach Karim Ghezal said: "We didn't score when they were down to 13. They had two yellow cards. "One of them was rather dodgy. I will never complain about refereeing. "It is always hard losing a final. A lot of energy went into this tournament and we came here to win the cup. Bath are a very strong team, but we lacked efficiency."
The 42
23-05-2025
- Sport
- The 42
Joy for ex-Munster coach Van Graan as Bath stay on track for treble
BATH CRUISED past Lyon 37-12 on Friday to win the Challenge Cup in Cardiff to keep their hopes of a treble alive. They lifted the Premiership Cup in March and have a league semi-final at home on 6 June in their hunt for three trophies in one season. The English Premiership leaders played with 13 men during the first half at Cardiff's Millenium Stadium as England flanker Sam Underhill and centre Will Muir were sin-binned, but Johann van Graan's side managed to hold on to lift another continental title after success in 2008. South African Van Graan started Scotland's Finn Russell at fly-half, weeks after he was included in the British and Irish Lions squad for this summer's tour of Australia. Russell's opposite number 10 was Lyon's Leo Berdeu, one of seven survivors from their 2022 Challenge Cup success alongside half-back partner and club captain Baptiste Couilloud. Advertisement The two-time French champions had the better of the opening exchanges and deservedly opened the scoring after four minutes. France winger Ethan Dumortier dived over in the corner to make it 5-0 following a good support line from full-back Davit Niniashvili. By the 26-minute mark, the English club, champions in 2014 at the adjacent Cardiff Arms Park, turned the game on its head to lead 17-5 as hooker Tom Dunn's and centre Max Ojomoh crossing with Russell added seven points from the tee. Just before the half-hour, Underhill was shown his yellow card for a high tackle on Georgia livewire Niniashvili after referral with the television match official. With five minutes left of the half, Muir was given his marching orders for taking out Dumortier in the air, in a busy spell for referee Holly Davidson, the first woman to officiate a continental final. Lyon were unable to make the most of the numerical superiority as Van Graan's side weathered the storm and were 12 points up at the break. With half an hour left, the lead was just eight points as Lyon's South African No 8 Arno Botha crashed over after a Russell penalty, with the score at 20-12. Bath then took full control of the game as prop Beno Obano powered his way to the line and captain Ben Spencer strolled over to the joy of the majority English crowd, who had made the one-hour journey across the Severn Bridge. Russell's extras made it 34-12 with barely 15 minutes to go before the influential Spencer was given a standing ovation as he was replaced and was later named player of the match. The Scotland playmaker kept his 100% record from the tee with a 72-minute penalty to make sure of Bath's first Challenge Cup title since 2008. – © AFP 2025
Telegraph
23-05-2025
- Sport
- Telegraph
Bath v Lyon: Latest from European Rugby Challenge Cup final
Bath come into tonight's match having beaten Leicester 43-15 in the Premiership last weekend and sit 15 points clear at the top of the English top flight. Van Graan wants to see his side continue to strive to improve. 'What life teaches me is if you stand still somebody else is moving forward so we have got to keep moving forward. We want to get better, we have improved in every single area so we are not about to stop now. We will keep trying, keep finding a better way. One of our sayings is our process needs to lead to performance. If it does not lead to performance then let's find a better way to do it. You have got to back yourself that we will become better together, you go through experiences as a group so this is another experience for us.' Lyon, who have struggled in the Top 14 sitting down in 11 th, beat Sharks, Ospreys and Racing 92 to reach the final. They won the Challenge Cup back in 2022, when they beat Toulon 30-12 down in Marseille. They have though lost their two Top 14 games since booking their place in tonight's final. Van Graan is aware of the challenge posed by Lyon this evening. 'We respect French rugby - many of the world's best players play over there. We respect Lyon for who they are. They won this competition a few years ago, they have got some fantastic individuals and I am sure tomorrow night [tonight] will be a big test. They are a really good side, they are well coached. They have got a good scrum, line-out, ball-carriers and they are a good counter-attacking side', Kick-off from the Principality Stadium is at 8pm.
The Citizen
23-05-2025
- Sport
- The Citizen
Challenge Cup final: Another big step forward for coach Johann van Graan
A number of South Africans will be involved in the final, in the coaching teams and playing groups. While South African rugby fans won't be too bothered about who wins Friday night's EPCR Challenge Cup final between Bath and Lyon in Cardiff, there will certainly be some interest in how Bath go under former Springbok and Bulls assistant coach Johann van Graan. The 45-year-old is on the brink of securing European rugby glory for the first time in more than two decades for the club while he is also in the midst of a good run by the club which has already brought success this season. Bath won the Premiership Rugby Cup a few months ago, by beating Exeter 48-14, for their first domestic rugby title since 1996, and Van Graan's team also have a chance of winning the English Premiership title, having secured top spot on the points table with three games to play – the first time they have finished top in the regular season since 2003/4. And all this after the team finished bottom of the points table in the 2022/23 season. The South African coach took over the head coaching job the following season and he's continued to lead the team to great heights. Bulls foundation There is even talk in some quarters of Van Graan being in the mix to take over the Springbok head coaching job from Rassie Erasmus after the 2027 World Cup. That's how highly-rated the former Bulls forwards coach is in Europe and in many people's minds', locally, too. Before joining Bath, Van Graan was head coach at Munster in Ireland between 2017 and 2022, taking over from Erasmus, who left to fix the Springboks after a disappointing period between 2016 and 2017 under Allister Coetzee. Van Graan's coaching career began at the Bulls in 2004 as a young man under 25 years old. He featured in successful coaching teams headed by Heyneke Meyer and Frans Ludeke. He later joined Meyer's Bok staff between 2012 and 2015. 'Enjoy it' But on Friday it's all about continuing his building of Bath. 'Finals are awesome,' Van Graan said this week. 'I find quarterfinals and semifinals a bit more intense in the fact that you are so close and you're yet so far, whereas once you're in the final, it's a once off, winner takes all. 'You've got to enjoy finals week. At the club, we played in the Prem Cup final in the middle of March on a Sunday afternoon and last season we played in the Premiership final on a Saturday afternoon against Northampton at Twickenham. 'So, this is the first European final for the club in many years and coming up against a very good Lyon side who won this competition a few years ago.' Van Graan won't be the only South African in Bath colours on Friday night, prop Thomas du Toit and scrumhalf Louis Schreuder will also be hoping to win the title. On the side of Lyon, AB Zondagh and Coenie Basson are assistant coaches, while former Bulls No 8 Arno Botha will be in action. Who's going to take home the trophy? Kick-off on Friday night is at 9pm.
