Released on Thursday morning in a media statement, SARU confirmed that Friday’s conference has been advanced by two hours to 12:00, following the expected conclusion of SARU’s Special General Meeting at the Sports Science Institute of South Africa in Newlands, Cape Town.

Heyneke Meyer, formerly Head Coach at Leicester Tigers, is the overwhelming favourite to be named as Peter de Villiers’s successor.

Even recently retired Blue Bulls and Springbok star Victor Matfield has said he would come out of retirement should Meyer be named the next Springbok coach. Matfield, who is the most capped Springbok with 110 caps, captained the Bulls to Super 14 and Currie Cup victories under Meyer’s mentorship. A possible return to rugby by Matfield is likely to lure the likes of Fourie du Preez, Bakkies Botha and Gurthrö Steenkamp back to the national team since they left for opportunities abroad.

“Everyone knows what I think about Heyneke, but we must wait until Friday (tomorrow) before we talk about it. Let’s wait and see what happens, we will talk. Everything has consequences. Playing? I don’t know but we will see. It depends if he wants me. I really don’t know, it is difficult to say …,” Matfield said.

However, the fact that Matifield has recently signed a television contract with SuperSport makes it almost  impossible for him to return as Springbok captain. Should he not choose to return to the playing field, perhaps he would take up a position on the management team.

SuperSport Blitz, channel 200, will broadcast the announcement live this week.

Sources: Sport24, iol.co.za

Sanzar announced this morning that the Springboks will be meeting the Pumas at the opening game of the new “Castle Rugby Championship” in South Africa in August 2012. The re-branded Tri-Nations now includes the Argentinian rugby team (joining Australia and New Zealand) that will take part in the new-look and new fixture line-up tournament.

The agreement was made official at a signing in Auckland recently with the Sanzar Joint Venture partners after several months of negotiations and included the Unión Argentina de Rugby (UAR) and the International Rugby Board (IRB).

Sanzar CEO Greg Peters said that “The invitation to Argentina to join the Championship is a defining moment for Southern Hemisphere rugby and significant for world rugby.”

The fixtures are as follows with venues to be announced in due course:

18 August 2012
Australia vs New Zealand
South Africa vs Argentina

25 August 2012
New Zealand vs Australia
Argentina vs South Africa

1 September 2012
Travel Bye

8 September 2012
Australia vs South Africa
New Zealand vs Argentina

15 September 2012
Australia vs Argentina
New Zealand vs South Africa

22 September 2012
Travel Bye

29 September 2012
South Africa vs Australia
Argentina vs New Zealand

6 October 2012
South Africa vs New Zealand
Argentina vs Australia

source: SA Rugby

The new franchise from the Eastern Cape (formerly known as the Southern Spears) will officially be known as the Southern Kings.

The Eastern Cape franchise will launch with a game against the British & Irish Lions in Port Elizabeth on 16 June. The Kings squad will be named at a later date, but is set to include a host of Vodacom Cup players as well as players originally hailing from the region.

A coach is yet to be appointed, although former Bulls mentor Heyneke Meyer has been linked to the job. WP and the Stormers have confirmed Rassie Erasmus will see out his contract with the Cape union which expires at the end of 2010.

Source: keo.co.za

The Sunday Times reports that the former SA Rugby Union (Saru) deputy president is an unopposed candidate for the position of independent director at Friday’s Saru AGM.

Stofile hasn’t been involved in rugby since failing in his attempt to become president in 2008, however, it is widely believed he still has ambitions on the presidency.

One of two independent directors (the other being either the Griffons’ Dr Jan Marais or incumbent Keith Parkinson) will hold the influential position of chairman, as they will sit on the Presidents Council.

However, it is believed that neither Stofile or Marais are hugely popular with the presidents of the big five unions, who think they lack the aptitude for the role.

‘They are supposed to have strong business and rugby acumen but I don’t think either of them has,” a leading member of the big five unions told the Sunday Times. “They’ve both only worked with small businesses and unions. Also, when Stofile left the last time he suggested his exit was racial. I wonder what’s changed.’

Source: keo.co.za

According to a report in Afrikaans Sunday newspaper Sondag, Steyn has emerged as the major target of French club Racing Metro on their trip to South Africa next month and has been offered “one of the biggest contracts ever in rugby history” to make the move to France.

Steyn has apparently not signed anything yet, but according to Sondag’s information he is the only Springbok who is still looking overseas after the recent contract offers from SA Rugby.

SA Rugby’s player of the year Jean de Villiers, has reportedly said no to a massive offer of almost R4 million per season from Irish province Munster. Steyn’s contract offer is said to be in the region of R4.5 million per season.

SA Rugby yesterday announced the names of 19 players who signed contracts, but confirmed that CJ van der Linde has not signed a contract by the deadline on Saturday.

Steyn’s agent Gerrie Swart meanwhile admitted the young utility back has been approached about the contract.

“He hasn’t signed anything yet and will look at the offer with the same careful consideration and the knowledge of both SA Rugby and the Sharks. Frans needs to discuss the offer in his own time with his family and must then take a decision that will have all the implications considered,” Swart said.

Steyn accepted his contract with SA Rugby and has been contracted until the end of October at the Sharks.

The contracted players are:

Sharks: JP Pietersen, Adrian Jacobs, Ruan Pienaar, John Smit, Bismarck du Plessis, Frans Steyn, Tendai Mtawarira.

Lions: Jaque Fourie

Free State Cheetahs: Juan Smith

Blue Bulls: Fourie Du Preez, Victor Matfield, Pierre Spies, Bryan Habana, Danie Rossouw, Bakkies Botha

Stormers: Conrad Jantjes, Enrico Januarie, Jean de Villiers, Schalk Burger

Source: sport24.co.za

Pic: mg.co.za

According to reports the new laws – described as draconian and which were innocuously delivered by Stofile and his department in December when leadership of most sporting bodies were on annual leave – were withdrawn late on Tuesday.

As ridiculous as it sounds, the bill would enable the sports minister to decide on individual selections in specific positions for any representative South African team.

Apart from the questionable timing of delivery of the bill to sporting bodies and the equally ridiculous limited time for comment, it was only published as a supplement to the existing law on sport and recreation.

However, according to the Afrikaans daily newspaper Beeld, a highly-placed source revealed that the regulations were set to be withdrawn, as they are apparently illegal.

Some of their proposed rulings that would have been implemented are as follows:
* No selection process is valid unless national trials have been held where each athlete who qualifies is given a chance.
* Management cannot receive national colours, with the exception of coaches. Motivation needs to be given for assistant coaches.
* Only South African passport holders can receive national colours, so players like Tendai Mtawarira and Brian Mujati cannot represent SA.
* Teams need to be chosen at least 30 days before any international competition and need to be sent to the Minister for approval.
* The Minister has the sole right to award national colours and to take them away or refuse them.

The bill would also have included a contradictory clause that would prohibit government from interfering with team selection, but there would have to be motivation as to the selection of certain players.

South African Rugby Union president Oregan Hoskins on Tuesday had already expressed his opposition to the proposed bill and took a stance that would have placed SARU on a collision course with the government over these draconian laws.

“SARU has instructed its attorneys to review the regulations and will discuss their findings with its stakeholders before deciding on a final position for the submission,” Hoskins said in a statement on Tuesday.

“We are concerned about some of the proposed regulations, but will discuss those internally before making our submission,” Hoskins added.

Deputy Minister of sport Gert Oosthuizen denied the aim was to interfere in sport however.

“We just want to prevent someone that runs onto a rugby field for a second from getting national colours. That is not interfering,” he said.

Source: rugby365.com

“The decision was taken to accommodate the application of the National Sports Emblem – the King Protea – and to bring SA Rugby in line with other South African sports federations and planned legislation.

As a consequence of the change the Protea that is currently displayed above the leaping Springbok, will be removed from the Springbok logo.

“The Council took cognisance of the advice they received from the Sports Minister on pending national legislation and a consensus was reached,” said Mr Oregan Hoskins, SARU President.

“The possibility of retaining the Springbok on the left-hand side was discussed, as council had not taken a decision on the positioning and legislation remains to be promulgated. However, it was the decision of council to avoid confusion by making the move now and to prevent a future necessity of making a second change in due course.”

The timing of the change will be confirmed once logistical considerations have been finalised.“

Source: sarugby.co.za

“The 27-year-old Vodacom Western Province player was the clear winner in a poll of South African rugby journalists for the SA Rugby Player of the Year title ahead of four players from the Sharks Bismarck du Plessis, Adrian Jacobs, Ryan Kankowski and Beast Mtawarira.

De Villiers completed a memorable double as he was also awarded the prestigious Players` Player of the Year Award, voted for by members of the South African Rugby Players` Association (SARPA) the first man to complete the double since Ashwin Willemse won both in the 2003 season.

Ryan Kankowski`s outstanding year was recognised with four nominations although he had to settle for just one award as the Sharks No 8 was chosen Vodacom Super 14 Player of the Year. He was also nominated for Sasol Young Player of the Year and Absa Currie Cup Premier Division Player of the Year as well as for the main award.

His back-row colleague Jean Deysel also had his devastating form in the Sharks run to the title recognised when he was named Absa Currie Cup Premier Division Player of the Year.

And completing the Sharks joy was the award of two of the three new categories introduced this year. John Plumtree was chosen as Absa Coach of the Year after helping the Sharks end their 12-year wait for a title with victory on the Absa Currie Cup final, while the Sharks Super 14 was named as Vodacom Team of the Year after returning to the play-offs for a second successive year,

Other big winners on the night were Vodacom Free State Cheetahs centre Robert Ebersohn who was named Sasol Young Player of the Year from a strong field as well as the Sasol Under-20 Player of the Year.

Kennedy Tsimba was named as Absa Currie Cup First Division Player of the Year, six years after he was named as the Premier Division Player of the Year after his return to fitness in the Griffons? impressive surge to the First Division title.

Flyhalf Burton Francis of the Vodacom Blue Bulls was chosen as the Vodacom Cup Player of the Year while Ricky Januarie`s score against the All Blacks in Dunedin was named as SuperSport Try of the Year.

In women`s rugby, Lorinda Brown of Eastern Province capped a fine year in which she played for the national sevens and 15-a-side teams and was part of an inter-provincial title-winning side by being named as Women`s Player of the Year.

SA Rugby Award Winners

SA Rugby Player of the Year
(The outstanding rugby player of the 2008 South African season) Winner: Jean de Villiers (Vodacom Western Province) Also nominated: Bismarck du Plessis, Adrian Jacobs, Ryan Kankowski, Beast Mtawarira (all Sharks).

Sasol Young Player of the Year
(The outstanding young rugby player of 23 years or younger of the 2008 South African season- born in 1985 or later) Winner: Robert Ebersohn (Vodacom Free State Cheetahs)
Also nominated: Heinrich Brussow ((Vodacom Free State Cheetahs), Ryan Kankowski, (Sharks), Nick Koster (Vodacom Western Province), Beast Mtawarira (Sharks).

Players` Player of the Year
Winner: Jean de Villiers (Vodacom Western Province)
Vodacom Team of the Year
(The outstanding South African team or province of the 2008 season. This may be awarded for performances in a single tournament or for a province/franchises performances across a range of competitions)
Winner: Sharks (Vodacom Super 14 team)
Also nominated: Platinum Leopards, Sharks (Absa Currie Cup team), Vodacom Blue Bulls, Vodacom Stormers.

Absa Coach of the Year
(The outstanding coach of the 2008 South African season)
Winner: John Plumtree (Sharks, Absa Currie Cup)
Also nominated: Eugene Eloff (Xerox Golden Lions), Rassie Erasmus (Vodacom Stormers), Frans Ludeke (Vodacom Blue Bulls). Chaka Willemse (Platinum Leopards).

Vodacom Super 14 Player of the Year
(The outstanding player of the 2008 Vodacom Super 14 season) Winner: Ryan Kankowski (Sharks)
Also nominated: Andries Bekker, Jean de Villiers, Conrad Jantjes (all Vodacom Stormers), Rory Kockott (both Sharks).

Absa Currie Cup Premier Division Player of the Year
(The outstanding player of the 2008 Absa Currie Cup Premier Division season) Winner: Jean Deysel (Sharks)
Also nominated: Heinrich Brussow (Vodacom Free State Cheetahs), Ryan Kankowski (both Sharks), Wynand Olivier (Vodacom Blue Bulls), Stefan Terblanche (Sharks).

Absa Currie Cup First Division Player of the Year
(The outstanding player of the 2008 Absa Currie Cup First Division season)
Winner: Kennedy Tsimba (Griffons).
Also nominated: Cecil Afrika, (Griffons), Clayton Durand (Platinum Leopards), Ashley Johnson (Griffons), Vuyo Zangqa (Platinum Leopards).

Vodacom Cup Player of the Year
(The outstanding player of the 2008 Vodacom Cup season)
Winner: Burton Francis (Vodacom Blue Bulls)
Also nominated: Isma-eel Dollie (Vodacom Western Province), Rocco Jansen (both Vodacom Blue Bulls), Ashley Johnson, Wilton Pietersen (both Vodacom Free State Cheetahs).

SuperSport Try of the Year
Winner: Ricky Januarie (SA v New Zealand, Dunedin)

Sasol Sevens Player of the Year
Renfred Deysel

Sasol SA Under-20 Player of the Year
Robert Ebersohn (Vodacom Free State Cheetahs)

Women`s Player of the Year
Lorinda Brown (Eastern Province)

SAA National Club Champs Player of the Tournament
Lola Waka (Pukke)

Marriott Refereeing Achievement of the Year
Mark Lawrence

Coca-Cola Craven Week Player of the Tournament
Sampie Mastriet (Boland)

Sasol Springbok Journalism Awards
Sasol Springbok Journalist of the Year: Simnikiwe Xabanisa (Sunday Times).
Sasol Springbok Broadcasters of the Year: Dawie van Rensburg, Gert Roets (SuperSport for Springbok Saga)
Sasol Springbok Photographer of the Year: Craig Nieuwenhuizen (Rapport)“

source: sarugby.co.za

Meanwhile, the Verenigde Gereformeerde Kerk (by word of James Mac Kay) where De Villiers is a member of have backed him, stating that he might be the target of supporters of the old regime because of his race.