Rugby’s leading nations have united to announce a blanket ban on playing international matches for recruits to the proposed breakaway R360 league. England, New Zealand, Ireland and France are among those who currently either favour or exclusively pick players from their domestic competitions. That meant signing up to the globe-trotting R360 itinerary was always set to put their players’ Test careers on hold.
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South Africa’s double World Cup-winning prop Steven Kitshoff has been forced to retire from rugby after suffering a serious neck injury. The 33-year-old sustained the injury in September 2024 while playing in a Currie Cup match for Western Province, and subsequently revealed he was “two millimetres from death”.
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Morne Steyn stepped off the bench to break British and Irish Lions hearts for a second time by landing a late penalty to clinch a dramatic series victory for South Africa. Steyn hit the target with a minute left to snatch victory for the Springboks in an unbearably tense third and final Test at Cape Town Stadium.
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South Africa’s director of rugby Rassie Erasmus will face an independent misconduct hearing after his video rant about the officiating in the first British and Irish Lions Test. Erasmus was scathing about how the officials handled the match won by the Lions in a 62-minute video message.
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The British and Irish Lions will collide with South Africa in a series decider next Saturday after the Springboks emerged emphatic 27-9 winners from a tense second Test at Cape Town Stadium.
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