Rugby

New Zealand rugby is flying at the moment and hosting a Rugby Championship that they would be overwhelming favourites to win is just the tonic they need after their failure in Japan at the World Cup.

New Zealand Rugby’s announcement that their Super Rugby future lay within the Australasia-Pacific region paves the way for SA Rugby's move to Europe.

New Zealand has been confirmed as the preferred hosts of a centralised Rugby Championship later this year.

After weeks of uncertainty, SA Rugby and the British & Irish Lions have confirmed that the 2021 tour to South Africa will go ahead as scheduled.

Werner Kok, the World Sevens Player of the Year in 2015 and an Olympic Games bronze medallist (2016), joined the Sharks last week after 183 appearances for the Blitzboks.

EW Viljoen will add depth to the Lions backs as he is comfortable in the centres and on the wings. He is also able to play fullback, where he shone as a schoolboy.

I must stress to the public that there is no clarity or confirmation just yet. These are the proposals that are being looked at but nothing is cast in stone. – Sean Everitt

Former Bulls captain Burger Odendaal has swapped Pretoria for Joburg and will turn out for the Lions when rugby action gets under way again.

Unless SA Rugby bosses are able to launch some kind of competition, fans should forget about the Springboks playing any Test rugby in 2020.

The home side had built a 12-0 lead by halftime and 17-0 shortly after, but despite dominating possession were unable to pull too far away from the visitors.