Three players on Springbok debut against Georgia

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Rosko Specman, Aphelele Fassi and Jasper Wiese are in line to make their Springbok debuts on Friday when the Rugby World Cup champions line up against Georgia at Loftus Versfeld in the team’s first Test since lifting the Webb Ellis Cup in November 2019.

Toyota Cheetahs speedster Specman – who is no stranger to international rugby with an Olympic Games bronze medal and numerous Blitzbok tournament successes to his name – will start on the right wing, while Fassi, who has been in hot form for the Cell C Sharks, has been named on the left wing.

Wiese, a former star for the Toyota Cheetahs who has since moved to the Leicester Tigers, has been included on the bench and will earn his first Test cap should he take the field.

Springbok coach Jacques Nienaber, who will guide the Springboks in his first Test as head coach, named 18 Rugby World Cup winners in his matchday squad – 12 of whom featured in their 32-12 final triumph against England.

Six of these 12 players will start against Georgia. They are Bok captain Siya Kolisi and his loose forward partner Pieter-Steph du Toit, Eben Etzebeth (lock), Bongi Mbonambi (hooker), Willie le Roux (fullback) and Handré Pollard (flyhalf).

The other players who featured in the grand finale of the international extravaganza are Frans Steyn (centre), Franco Mostert (lock), Malcolm Marx (hooker), Steven Kitshoff, Frans Malherbe (both props) and Herschel Jantjies (scrumhalf).

Kolisi will earn his 51st Test cap after striking his half century in the RWC final, while Pollard, Kitshoff and Kriel will all take a step closer to reaching the significant career milestone of 50 caps. Pollard will earn his 49th Test cap and Kriel his 47th, while Kitshoff will earn his 48th cap if he takes the field.

“We have selected the best team with an eye on what we would like to achieve in this Test against Georgia and we believe that we have a good balance with a number of experienced campaigners and a few young players who have made a strong statement this season,” said Nienaber.

“Most of the players in this squad are Rugby World Cup winners, while others have been part of the national squad for a few seasons, and this will be invaluable against a team that boast the passion that Georgia exhibit.

“We are also excited to see what the uncapped players bring to the table after impressive performances for their franchises in the last few seasons. Each one of them has proved that they deserve an opportunity at this level, and the commitment and enthusiasm they displayed at training has been striking.”

Nienaber was excited to return to the field after a 19-month absence from international rugby and said the physical challenge they would face against Georgia was exactly what they needed to prepare themselves mentally and physically as they look forward to the Castle Lager Lions Series.

“We are expecting Georgia to come out guns blazing with their passionate and physical rugby, so we need to find our rhythm early on and build up a good 80-minute performance,” said Nienaber.

“We know how big this challenge will be, but it is vital that we build a solid foundation in the next two Tests in order to refine our skill set, match readiness and ability to perform under pressure.”

Springbok team to face Georgia at Loftus Versfeld:

15 Willie le Roux, 14 Rosko Specman, 13 Jesse Kriel, 12 Frans Steyn, 11 Aphelele Fassi, 10 Handre Pollard, 9 Cobus Reinach, 8 Kwagga Smith, 7 Pieter-Steph du Toit, 6 Siya Kolisi (captain), 5 Franco Mostert, 4 Eben Etzebeth, 3 Trevor Nyakane, 2 Bongi Mbonambi, 1 Ox Nche

Substitutes: 16 Malcolm Marx, 17 Steven Kitshoff, 18 Frans Malherbe, 19 Marvin Orie, 20 Jasper Wiese, 21 Herschel Jantjies, 22 Elton Jantjies, 23 Damian Willemse

 

Facts and Stats

  • It will be the Georgians’ first trip to South Africa to face the Springboks.
  • This match marks the second time these two nations meet – the first was in their pool match at the 2003 Rugby World Cup in Australia, which the Springboks won 46-19.
  • Frans Steyn requires nine more points to reach the milestone of 150 Test points.
  • Elton Jantjies is one penalty goal short of his 50th for the Springboks – and should he achieve this feat, he will match Naas Botha in fifth place for the most career penalty goals.

 

Head to head v Georgia

Played: 1, Won: 1; Points for: 46; Points against: 19; Tries for: 7; Tries against: 1; Win%: 100%

 

Miscellaneous

  • The total Test caps for the Springbok starting line-up is 550.
  • There are 236 caps in the backline with 314 caps amongst the forwards. On the bench there are a further 174 caps.
  • The average caps per player in the backline are 33, the forwards 39 while the players on the bench average 21.

 

Match officials

  • The referee is Mike Adamson of Scotland. This will be his first Test as a referee of a match involving South Africa and his second career Test match.
  • The assistant referees are Wayne Barnes of England and Marius van der Westhuizen of South Africa. Marius Jonker of South Africa is the TMO.

 

ISSUED BY SA RUGBY COMMUNICATIONS

All you need to know about the United Rugby Championship

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A new era will kick off for South African rugby when the Cell C Sharks, DHL Stormers, Emirates Lions and Vodacom Bulls join 12 Guinness PRO14 clubs for the United Rugby Championship, which will kick off in September 2021 in a brand new, world-class 16-team league format.

It also holds out the prospect of South Africa’s teams being eligible to qualify for the Heineken Champions Cup from the 2022/23 season, subject to the finalisation of contract terms with European Professional Club Rugby (EPCR), which owns the competition.

The United Rugby Championship will be bigger, bolder and stronger than its predecessors. Teams from five of rugby’s elite nations Ireland, Italy, Scotland, Wales and South Africa will transform club rugby in a league of super clubs, which will embrace diversity and celebrate its athletes, as a league that can proudly represent its fans and cultures.

This game-changing agreement between SA Rugby and PRO14 Rugby will strengthen their existing partnership and will drive greater growth of the game for the benefit of all 16 teams in the league.


Crossing New Horizons in Rugby

This agreement will create a pathway for SA Rugby to become a full shareholder in Pro Rugby Championship alongside the Celtic and Italian unions. In a sporting landscape looking towards the post-pandemic future this unification of north and south provides everyone involved in the United Rugby Championship with optimism for prosperous days ahead.

This accord also paves the way for South African teams to compete in European tournaments with every team in the United Rugby Championship eligible to qualify for EPCR competitions.


The Format

The 18-round regular season in the United Rugby Championship will see the return of a single-standing table that will prevent clashes with International weekends and leave little margin for error for those chasing the title.

Every game will count in the league, and will be strengthened by an expanded knockout series that brings even more drama with a full schedule of quarter-finals and semi-finals capped off by a Grand Final played in a destination venue.

The United Rugby Championship will set the stage where the diversity of playing styles, languages and fan cultures will clash across iconic locations in rugby heartlands week after week. The new league will also allow South Africa’s former Super Rugby sides to operate in a common time zone, which will help open up greater audiences across the league and increase commercial appeal.

The URC will use one league table to rank the teams who will reach the knock-out stages and compete to reach the title and become the champions.

Fixtures: The regular season of the United Rugby Championship will take place across 18 rounds with each team’s fixtures comprising of six (6) home AND away fixtures against their regional pool opponents and 12 home OR away fixtures against the remaining teams in the league.

Regional pools

Irish Pool: Connacht, Leinster, Munster, Ulster

Welsh Pool: Dragons, Cardiff Rugby, Ospreys, Scarlets

South African Pool: Cell C Sharks, DHL Stormers, Emirates Lions and Vodacom Bulls

Italian & Scottish Pool: Benetton Rugby, Edinburgh, Glasgow Warriors, Zebre Rugby Club

Final Series/Play-Offs: One league table will be used to rank teams and after 18 rounds the top eight sides will qualify for the Play-Offs. Teams will be seeded from 1 to 8 and will receive home advantage according to their seeding.

A full round of quarter-finals and semi-finals will take place to produce two teams who will qualify for the Grand Final.


United Rugby Championship European Qualification

A total of eight teams from the United Rugby Championship will qualify each season for the following season’s Heineken Champions Cup. The balance of teams will participate in the Challenge Cup.

Subject to the finalisation of contract terms with EPCR, South African teams will be eligible to qualify for the Heineken Champions Cup from the 2022/23 season if they have finished in the United Rugby Championship qualification places from the prior season.

All points won during the URC season will contribute to rankings in the regional pools and the highest-ranking team in each of the four pools will earn a place in the Heineken Champions Cup for the following season. This addition to the format is expected to add even greater intensity to these age-old local rivalries.

The remaining four places in the Heineken Champions Cup will be awarded to the four highest-ranked teams from the single-standing league table who have not already qualified through the four regional pools.

Issued by SA Rugby Communications

MTN renews Springboks headline sponsorship

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Good news coming out from SA Rugby headquarters that MTN has renewed its headline sponsorship of the world champion Springboks, with the multinational mobile telecommunications giant also confirmed as a principal partner for the eagerly awaited Castle Lager Lions Series, SA Rugby announced on Wednesday.

The renewal was negotiated for a five-year period and extends into 2025, supporting the ongoing effort to rugby enhance development and transformation in South Africa.

MTN took over as Springbok headline sponsor prior to the 2017 international season, a period during which both embarked on a journey of transformation that culminated in the Springboks becoming word champions in 2019.

“Confirming the renewal of our partnership with MTN is massive for SA Rugby and we are thrilled to continue on this road with them,” said Jurie Roux, CEO of SA Rugby.

“When we named MTN as our new headline sponsor four years ago, we realized that it represented a pivotal moment for SA Rugby and that welcoming a company of MTN’s size and reach was a significant moment for the sport.

“They have been a wonderfully supportive partner during a time of regeneration for the Springboks and the wider South African rugby fraternity, and have stuck with us through the pandemic. We are excited to continue to have MTN by our side.

“For MTN, it was never only about having their logo on the front of the Springboks’ jerseys. They wanted a powerful partnership and that is exactly what we have established in the last four years.

“When they came on board, rugby was in a precarious position, but they understood where we were headed and what we wanted to achieve, to inspire the nation, and as one of South Africa’s success stories in the last three decades, MTN fully supported us in that.”

Mapula Bodibe, Chief Consumer Officer for MTN SA, said: “We found it fitting to continue to back the Springboks following a very successful period during which they became the World Champions, warming the hearts of our nation.

“MTN has been a long-time supporter of South African sport and the renewal of our sponsorship of the Springboks further entrenches our position as an ardent supporter of South Africa’s sporting ambitions.

“Sports fans have had to endure a frustrating year. Teams and their supporters were left with very little to cheer about due to COVID-19, but we are finally getting to the stage where our team is preparing to take to the field again and unite our nation as only they can.

“We are delighted to renew our headline sponsorship just ahead of the important Lions tour in July, providing the Springboks and South African rugby with the necessary support to grow well into the future, while also offering our fans great digital platforms to enjoy their love of the game, especially as they can’t be in the stadiums,” she added.

MTN also announced that fans can look forward to being rewarded over the coming months with plenty of unique experiences, exciting new prizes and competitions, including a daily mobile Bok Trivia quiz in which MTN customers can test their Springbok rugby knowledge and stand a chance to win R100,000 every week

“To celebrate the sponsorship and to bring the joy of rugby back for supporters, lifting spirits where we can, a total of R50m in prizes will be given away over the next few months across different MTN platforms,” explained Bodibe.

“At MTN we believe in transforming realities and we are committed to this purpose, just as we are committed to supporting the Boks over the next five years.”

About the MTN Group

Launched in 1994, the MTN Group is a leading emerging market operator with a clear vision to lead the delivery of a bold new digital world to our customers. We are inspired by our belief that everyone deserves the benefits of a modern connected life. The MTN Group is listed on the JSE Securities Exchange in South Africa under the share code ‘MTN’. Our strategy, Ambition 2025, is anchored on building the largest and most valuable platform business, with a clear focus on Africa. Visit www.mtn.com or www.mtn.co.za or follow on Twitter @MTNza

Issued by SA Rugby Communications