Durban, 03 July 2022: It’s the dawn of a new era at The Sharks, with the appointment of the globally respected Neil Powell as Director of Rugby and the announcement of our new coaching structure for the 2022/2023 season.

“Neil will be at the helm, to develop and oversee all rugby structures within the Cell C Sharks and to ensure that our teams are aligned in terms of the identified coaching DNA. He will implement and manage an effective plan to achieve the franchise’s objectives, which is ultimately to win trophies”, stated The Sharks CEO Dr Eduard Coetzee.

“He will oversee the Vodacom United Rugby Championship, as well as our first foray in the Heineken Champions Cup. As a globally respected and admired coach, we are confident that he will get the best out of players and brings a winning mindset to The Sharks.”

“Neil’s immediate focus and commitment over the next few months will be on the Blitzboks preparation for the Sevens World Cup in September and as proud South Africans, we wish him and the team much success. We look forward to him joining us before the start of the 2022/2023 VURC season starting in September.”

Although we made the playoffs of the Vodacom United Rugby Championship and qualified for the Heineken Champions Cup, we want to be even more competitive. A strong foundation has been laid, and the time has come for us to build from this.

We have assembled a formidable and committed group of current and new coaches, spearheaded by Sean Everitt, to harness the talent within this team and to take our rugby to the next level.

To this end, we are excited to confirm the appointment of Yannick Bru as the senior team’s breakdown coach for the European competitions. Bru is a former France international and a dual Heineken Cup winner with Toulouse. He has coached at the highest level, as forwards coach for France for five years and five years at Toulouse, before spending the last four years as Head Coach at Bayonne. As a coach who has worked with high profiled players and teams, he is a great addition to our coaching unit and joins us on a one-year deal with the option to renew.

The final addition to our new coaching structure is that of the highly regarded Joey Mongalo, who will work closely with our DOR, to oversee the Currie Cup competition and junior rugby at the Cell C Sharks. Mongalo’s coaching pedigree is impressive and is exactly what we need to take our rugby forward.

For the past two seasons, Mongalo has fulfilled the role of senior defence coach at the Vodacom Bulls and comes to The Sharks as a highly rated member of the coaching world. He spent nine seasons with the Emirates Lions in various coaching roles between 2011 and 2019, leading their Under 19s to silverware in 2016 and 2017 as Head Coach, and as Defence Coach or their U19s, U21s, Vodacom Cup, Currie Cup, Super Rugby (2018 finalists) and the Junior Springboks in 2016.

Dr Coetzee added, “In this upcoming season we will be participating in no less than five competitions. This means that not only is player depth important, but coaching depth too. It was therefore essential for us to get the right people involved and we have used the last 18 months to do exactly that.

“We believe that this new Cell C Sharks coaching structure will give us stability and an opportunity to fight for trophies and achieve success moving forward.”

ENDS.

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Following the conclusion of the first season of Vodacom United Rugby Championship action, the success of the South African contingent has earned three of the four local teams inclusion in the hugely prestigious Heineken Champions Cup.

On Tuesday 28 June, the draw was made for both the Heineken Champions Cup and EPCR Challenge Cup with the Cell C Sharks set to play French outfit Union Bordeaux-Bègles and England’s Harlequins on a home and away basis in their search for qualification for the round of 16 and knock-outs.

The 24 qualified clubs, pit the top eight finishers in the Vodacom United Rugby Championship, England’s Gallagher Premiership and France’s TOP 14 against one another in two pools, with the Cell C Sharks drawn in Pool A with fellow South Africans, the Vodacom Bulls.

The 12 teams in each pool are ranked in four tiers based on their final pool standings from their respective competitions

POOL A (with opponents in brackets)

Castres Olympique (Exeter Chiefs, Edinburgh Rugby)

Saracens (Lyon, Edinburgh Rugby)

Bulls (Exeter Chiefs, Lyon)

Union Bordeaux-Bègles (Gloucester Rugby, Sharks)

Harlequins (Racing 92, Sharks)

Leinster Rugby (Racing 92, Gloucester Rugby)

Racing 92 (Harlequins, Leinster Rugby)

Gloucester Rugby (Union Bordeaux-Bègles, Leinster Rugby)

Sharks (Union Bordeaux-Bègles, Harlequins)

Lyon (Saracens, Bulls)

Exeter Chiefs (Castres Olympique, Bulls)

Edinburgh Rugby (Castres Olympique, Saracens)

Key Dates:

Round 1 – 9/10/11 December 2022

Round 2 – 16/17/18 December 2022

Round 3 – 13/14/15 January 2023

Round 4 – 20/21/22 January 2023

Round of 16 – 31 March/ 1/2 April 2023

Quarter-finals – 7/8/9 April 2023

Semi-finals – 28/29/30 April 2023

Heineken Champions Cup final – Saturday 20 May 2023; Aviva Stadium, Dublin

The post Heineken Champions Cup Draw appeared first on The Sharks.

College Rovers go to the top of the log of the Optimum Premier Division league after the completion of their first round in style by beating Durban Collegians 39-12 at the home of Collegians last Saturday

Up 27-7 at the break Rovers went on to score six tries to two with Charles Mayeza crossing for three and Phiko Sabahle for two leading the charge. Sinovuyo Nyoko crossed for the sixth touchdown with Inny Radeba slotting three conversions and a penalty 

Varsity College beat Richards Bay 73-3 with Michael Scheepers (3) and Mvelo Mlangane (2) leading the way to a convincing win

Westville Old Boys had a good away 47-18 win against UKZN Pietermaritzburg and Crusaders beat UKZN Durban 62-14 

In the First Division Dynamo  Sports Travel Hillcrest beat Jaguars 64-0 and South Coast Warriors beat Ballito Dolphins 37-0

With the Hollywoodbets July Handicap the center of the spotlight this Saturday club rugby will take a break before returning to Round Two on 9 July.

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College Rovers go to the top of the Optimum Premier Division Moor Cup league log table after putting together their finest performance of the season when they completely destroyed Crusaders with an imperious 61-0 victory on their home grounds at Hollywoodbets Kings Park 3, while Synergy Westville Old Boys were edged out 21-17 by Varsity College at Riverside in Durban North 

The game at Riverside could well have gone either way but probably patience and discipline won the day for Varsity College with tries going to Tauren Craze and Malcolm Cele while JP du Preez converted one and added a penalty and Jean Smith kicked two penalties 

Westville replied with tries by Joshua Moon and Gav Scott who also added two conversions a penalty 

College Rovers went on the rampage against Crusaders crossing for eight tries scored by Ryan Muller (2) and one each from Phiko Sabahle, Charlie Mayeza, Inny Radeba, Minenhle Mthtetwe, Marley Ford, Jason Alexander and Gareth Bredenhann with Justice van Blerk and Radeba sharing the kicks 

In the other games Richards Bay beat UKZN Durban 64-31 and Durban Collegians beat Amanzimtoti Rugby Club 54-0

Next weekend Durban Collegians host College Rovers,  Varsity College entertain Richards Bay, Westville Old Boys travel to meet UKZN Pietermaritzburg at the Peter Booysen Stadium in the Capital and Crusaders are at home to UKZN Durban 

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As previously communicated, the pool draws for the 2022/23 Heineken Champions Cup and EPCR Challenge Cup tournaments will be staged at Dublin’s Aviva Stadium on Tuesday, 28 June.

Both draws will be streamed live on www.epcrugby.com and the event will start at 12.00 (UK-Irish time) / 13.00 (SA-Italian time) with the draw for the EPCR Challenge Cup pools which will be followed by the Heineken Champions Cup draw at approximately 12.25 / 13.25.

For the Heineken Champions Cup draw, which will feature the Stormers, Bulls and Sharks from South Africa for the first time, the 24 qualified clubs will be in four tiers based on their rankings from the TOP 14, Gallagher Premiership and the URC, before being drawn into two pools of 12 – Pool A and Pool B. Clubs from the same league in the same tier will not be drawn into the same pool. (See qualifiers and tiers below)

The number 1 and number 2 ranked clubs from each league will be in Tier 1 – this includes Castres Olympique and Montpellier Hérault Rugby who will compete in TOP 14 final on Friday – the number 3 and number 4 ranked clubs will be in Tier 2, the number 5 and 6 ranked clubs will be in Tier 3, and the number 7 and number 8 ranked clubs will be Tier 4.

The Tier 1 and the Tier 4 clubs which have been drawn in the same pool, but which are not in the same league, will play one another home and away over four pool stage rounds, as will the Tier 2 and Tier 3 clubs which have been drawn in the same pool, but which are not in the same league.

For example, the Stormers, who won last weekend’s URC Grand Final, will be in Tier 1 and will be drawn against either ASM Clermont Auvergne or Lyon, and against either the Exeter Chiefs or London Irish from Tier 4.

Similarly, Leicester Tigers, who triumphed in the Premiership final, will also be in Tier 1 and will be drawn against either ASM Clermont Auvergne or Lyon, and against either Edinburgh Rugby or Ospreys from Tier 4.

Meanwhile, the losing TOP 14 semi-finalists, Union Bordeaux-Bègles and Stade Toulousain, who will be in Tier 2, will be drawn against either Gloucester Rugby or Sale Sharks, and against either the Sharks or Munster Rugby from Tier 3.

The live-streamed draw for the EPCR Challenge Cup pools, which includes the Johannesburg-based Lions and the Cheetahs from Bloemfontein, will have 20 clubs in three tiers in order to create two pools of 10 – Pool A and Pool B. Clubs from the same league will not play against one another during the pool stage. (See qualifiers and tiers below)

The number 1 and number 2 ranked clubs from the URC, the TOP 14 and the Premiership will be in Tier 1, the number 3 and number 4 ranked clubs from each league, as well as the number 5 and number 6 ranked clubs from the URC, will be in Tier 2. The Dragons, Zebre Parma, USAP, Aviron Bayonnais, Bath Rugby and the Cheetahs will be in Tier 3.

The Tier 1 and the Tier 3 clubs which have been drawn in the same pool, but which are not in the same league, will play one another home and away over four pool stage rounds.

The Tier 2 clubs which have been drawn in the same pool, but which are not from the same league, will play one another home and away during the pool stage. In order to adhere to the key principle of no same-league matches, Tier 2 clubs from the TOP 14 will only play against opposition from the URC, and similarly, Tier 2 clubs from the Premiership will also only play against opposition from the URC.

For example, in Tier 2, the Lions will play against either Stade Francais Paris or CA Brive, and against either Worcester Warriors or Newcastle Falcons.

Once the draws have been concluded, EPCR will prepare the fixture schedules for both tournaments with an announcement of exact dates, venues, kick-off times and TV coverage to follow as soon as practicable.

The 2022/23 season will be played over eight weekends with four rounds of matches in the pool stage starting in December, followed by a knockout stage consisting of a Round of 16, quarter-finals, semi-finals, culminating in the Dublin finals at the Aviva Stadium on 19 and 20 May 2023.

2022/23 HEINEKEN CHAMPIONS CUP QUALIFIERS
TOP 14: Castres Olympique, Montpellier Hérault Rugby, 3 Union Bordeaux-Bègles, 4 Stade Toulousain, 5 Stade Rochelais, 6 Racing 92, 7 ASM Clermont Auvergne, 8 Lyon

Gallagher Premiership: 1 Leicester Tigers, 2 Saracens, 3 Harlequins, 4 Northampton Saints, 5 Gloucester Rugby, 6 Sale Sharks, 7 Exeter Chiefs, 8 London Irish

United Rugby Championship: 1 Stormers, 2 Bulls, 3 Leinster Rugby, 4 Ulster Rugby, 5 Sharks, 6 Munster Rugby, 7 Edinburgh Rugby, 8 Ospreys

Heineken Champions Cup pool draw tiers
Tier 1: Castres Olympique, Montpellier Hérault Rugby, Leicester Tigers, Saracens, Stormers, Bulls
Tier 2: Union Bordeaux-Bègles, Stade Toulousain, Harlequins, Northampton Saints, Leinster Rugby, Ulster Rugby
Tier 3: Stade Rochelais, Racing 92, Gloucester Rugby, Sale Sharks, Sharks, Munster Rugby
Tier 4: ASM Clermont Auvergne, Lyon, Exeter Chiefs, London Irish, Edinburgh Rugby, Ospreys

2022/23 EPCR CHALLENGE CUP QUALIFIERS
United Rugby Championship: 1 Glasgow Warriors, 2 Scarlets, 3 Connacht Rugby, 4 Lions, 5 Benetton Rugby, 6 Cardiff Rugby, 7 Dragons, 8 Zebre Parma

TOP 14: 1 RC Toulon, 2 Section Paloise, 3 Stade Français Paris, 4 CA Brive, 5 USAP 6 Aviron Bayonnais

Gallagher Premiership: 1 Wasps, 2 Bristol Bears, 3 Worcester Warriors, 4 Newcastle Falcons, 5 Bath Rugby
Invited: Cheetahs

EPCR Challenge Cup pool draw tiers
Tier 1: Glasgow Warriors, Scarlets, RC Toulon, Section Paloise, Wasps, Bristol Bears

Tier 2: Connacht Rugby, Lions, Benetton Rugby, Cardiff Rugby, Stade Francais Paris, CA Brive, Worcester Warriors, Newcastle Falcons

Tier 3: Dragons, Zebre Parma, USAP, Aviron Bayonnais, Bath Rugby, Cheetahs

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Optimum Premier Division debutantes Synergy Westville Old Boys kept their unbeaten record in tact when they beat Durban Collegians 27-18 on their home grounds at Jimmy Bellows Park in Westville.

Crossing for two tries apiece Westville came away without a bonus point, the difference being a penalty try against Durban Collegians and five penalties by Gav Scott with Ryan Coombe scoring the all important touchdown for the winners.

In the other games Crusaders RFC beat their visitors Richards Bay 50-7, while UKZN Durban had the better of Amanzimtoti winning 38-19 and Varsity College beat UKZN Pietermaritzburg 54-7.

College Rovers return back to action on Saturday when they host Crusaders. In the other games Varsity College entertain Westville Old Boys, Amanzimtoti will be at home to Durban Collegians and UKZN Durban travel to Zululand to meet Richards Bay. 

Other results are:

First Division 

South Coast Warriors 43 – Maritzburg Rugby Club 5

Dynamo Sports Travel Hillcrest 42 – Optimum Harlequins 17

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The Cell C Sharks take on DHL Western Province in Cape Town at 4pm today in the final pool match of the Carling Currie Cup competition, looking to play a composed, but exciting style of rugby.

Following a 35-20 first round win at Hollywoodbets Kings Park in the first round match, the Cell C Sharks won’t be looking at winning the double for pride, but to secure a top four finish, while waiting for the result of the Windhoek Lager Griquas and Airlink Pumas taking place later to confirm their final log position.

Currie Cup head coach Etienne Fynn has had the good fortune of having Vodacom United Rugby Championship players available to him and with as many as nine players involved in this match with recent URC experience, he has been able to name a formidable line-up.

“The guys showed incredible passion last week and we can’t fault their commitment, I was very proud of the effort they showed,” he explained of the penultimate pool clash last weekend. “I’m equally happy to have some reinforcements for this game.

“They add passion for the jersey, they are all real Sharks rugby men and they bring a lot of experience. Most importantly, there are elements of leadership they will add in having been there and done it.

“They understand and embrace the pressure and I’m sure we will see very positive performances from those guys.”

Having an experienced campaigner at flyhalf is vital to any team’s success and bringing in Curwin Bosch will no doubt add value in the crucial 10 jersey.

“Curwin, as we all know, has been through his ups and downs, but he’s certainly on an up. What he assured me from the outset was that he’s going to be there and deliver 100%. We have no doubt that we’ll see the best of him tonight.”

Knowing that qualification for the semi-finals requires, at the very least, a bonus point win later this afternoon, Fynn admitted that, “We’ve set clear targets for the guys, they all know what we need to do and that’s to get five points and a certain number of points on the scoreboard.

“While we don’t want to play frenetic rugby, we certainly want to play controlled and focused rugby.”

With just two wins under the belt, Province haven’t enjoyed the kind of success they would have hoped for in this competition and Fynn alluded to the fact that the South African franchises involved in the URC competition at the same time have been severely tested.

“Western Province is a proud union and they will certainly bring a massive effort. There are certain areas we believe we can probe and hopefully convert opportunities, but this is a quality Western Province outfit. “The squads also in the URC have all had their runs where they’ve been decimated by injuries and having to bring in a number of debutants at times. We still however all represent our franchises with pride in the Currie Cup.”

The post A Positive Performance appeared first on The Sharks.

In the final round of the pool stages of Carling Currie Cup 2022, the Cell C Sharks will travel to Cape Town to take on DHL Western Province on Friday afternoon, with added motivation and fire-power.

Head coach Etienne Fynn has made a number of changes to the side, bolstering the match 23 with Vodacom United Rugby Championship players available for this vital match as the fight for log positions reaches an exciting finale.

The Cell C Sharks must win, and win well against a side that has won just twice in 11 outings. Like the Sigma Lions in the last couple of weeks, Province will throw everything into this match, knowing that there is little else but pride to play for.

Fynn has brought in hooker Kerron van Vuuren, tighthead prop Khutha Mchunu, lock Le Roux Roets, eighthman Sikhumbuzo Notshe, scrumhalf Cameron Wright, flyhalf Curwin Bosch and wing Werner Kok to add experience to a young Currie Cup team that knows just how important this final pool clash is.

With five debutants involved in last week’s penultimate match, Fynn admitted that the excitement they brought was impressive against a strong Sigma Lions team.

“We played the Lions URC team, and while it was not a faultless performance, it was certainly a committed one, from which we took two valuable log points, with everything to play for against Western Province.

“All our preparation has been done for Friday’s game, now it’s all about consolidating it.”

Cell C Sharks

1. Dian Bleuler

2. Kerron van Vuuren

3. Khutha Mchunu

4. Le Roux Roets

5. Hyron Andrews

6. Mpilo Gumede

7. Jeandre Labuschagne

8. Sikhumbuzo Notshe

9. Cameron Wright

10. Curwin Bosch

11. Werner Kok

12. Murray Koster

13. Jeremy Ward (C)

14. Marnus Potgieter

15. Anthony Volmink

Replacements

16. Dan Jooste

17. Khwezi Mona

18. Wiehahn Herbst

19. Reniel Hugo

20. OJ Noa

21. Bradley Davids

22. Boeta Chamberlain

23. Ben Tapuai

The post Final Pool Match appeared first on The Sharks.

Synergy Westville Old Boys RFC,  in their debut Premier Division season, remain the only unbeaten side in the league with a four point  cushion at the top of the log over the perennial club champions College Rovers after their 26-14 victory over Crusaders 

Westville picked up a bonus point win scoring four tries to two in an enthralling and entertaining game on their home grounds at Jimmy Bellows Park with 

their tries coming from Arton Lawson, Josh Moon, Oliver Carmody and Gav Scott who also added three conversions 

Crusaders replied with two touchdowns one of which was a penalty try and two conversions 

College Rovers got the better of Varsity College beating the Durban North outfit at their Riverside Headquarters scoring two tries to one in their 23-7 victory with Charles Mayeza crossing for the. two touchdowns. Ruben van Blerk and Inny Radeba shared the kicks. 

All in all it was a good day at the office for Rovers with their three wins over Varsity College. 

In the other games Richards Bay beat Amanzimtoti at Hutcheson Park in Toti 34-0 and UKZN Pietermaritzburg beat UKZN Durban 38-3 leaving them and Toti holding the bottom of the log up

This weekend sees the return of Durban Collegians to action who will host Westville Old Boys RFC while Crusaders entertain Richards Bay and Varsity College travel to the Capital to face UKZN Pietermaritzburg with UKZN Durban at home to Amanzimtoti at Howard College. It is the turn for Rovers to have a bye before meeting Crusaders the following week.

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The Cell C Sharks suffered a last gasp 27-30 defeat to the Vodacom Bulls in their Loftus Vodacom United Rugby Championship quarter-final clash on Saturday.

Going into injury time play, the teams were deadlocked on 27 points apiece, this after the game was sitting at 13-all at half-time, but it was the home side who head for the semi-finals with a drop-goal to wrestle the win.

The set-piece was always going to be keenly contested and it was the Cell C Sharks who prevailed at the first scrum, a dominant effort that led to a kickable penalty that flyhalf Curwin Bosch converted to give his team the lead in the opening 10 minutes.

However the Bulls struck back with a try against the run of play, turning adversity into points as they got out of jail after being on a penalty warning before the referee called advantage over.

However, what was expected to be a tight match quickly erupted into a points’ fest after the Bulls knocked the kick-off on and then conceded a penalty which Bosch sent to touch before Bongi Mbonambi was driven over for the Cell C Sharks first try minutes later. With Bosch converting, the Durbanites held a 10-7 lead inside the first quarter.

The Bulls equalised shortly afterwards with their first penalty and then pushed hard for another score, enjoying momentum for nearly 10 minutes during which the Cell C Sharks’ defence was severely tested, but managed to handle everything the hosts threw at them.

However the Bulls finally pressed ahead with a second penalty just after the half hour mark to take back the lead, albeit by just three points.

When the momentum shifted back in the Cell C Sharks favour, they were made to work hard for their gains and when the Bulls conceded a lineout penalty, Bosch made no mistake, bringing the teams level again just before the stroke of half-time and that’s how the teams went into the change-rooms at the break, with the score level at 13-all.

The Bulls managed to build scoresheet pressure in the second half with two converted tries and at 27-13 ahead with half an hour to play, things looked ominous.

Heading for the final quarter, some good work on the break from eighthman Phepsi Buthelezi set up the fight back and Jaden Hendrikse was on hand to score after Makazole Mapimpi had got close to the line. Bosch’s conversation made it a seven point game.

Rising to the challenge, the Cell C Sharks worked hard for the equaliser which eventually came with five minutes remaining, Sikhumbuzo Notshe getting over and Bosch converting to set-up a thrilling finale.

Sadly, the drop-goal in the final moments put paid to the Cell C Sharks’ ambitions to close out a promising first season of URC action.

The post Gallant Effort appeared first on The Sharks.

The Cell C Sharks are in Vodacom United Rugby Championship quarter-final action today when the Vodacom Bulls host them in Pretoria after the conclusion of 18 rounds of excitement. 

This maiden year for the South African sides in the URC had some early frustrations, but it’s been a positive and successful run towards the knockout stages with three of the four local sides finishing in the top 5. 

The Bulls have been much-hyped for this knockout clash and Cell C Sharks head coach Sean Everitt admits that his team are more than comfortable with that scenario. 

“The underdog tag suits us and the guys are very motivated by that,” he said in the lead-up to the game. 

“We know the Bulls are formidable at home but we’ve had success here already in the tournament and the guys aren’t too daunted by the prospect.” 

Despite all the media hype around this game, Everitt admitted that the team hasn’t allowed this to impact on their preparations. 

“You have to focus on yourself in quarter-finals because anyone from one to eight has an opportunity in this competition to win it. 

“Knockout stages are all about being in it and we’re certainly there. We feel that we’ve played good rugby along the way to get to where we are. Unfortunately we didn’t get the result we wanted against Ulster, but that doesn’t make us a bad team. 

“So we take a lot of confidence out of our performances of late and certainly against the Bulls in the URC.” 

Having beaten the Pretoria side home and away this season (30-16 and 29-22 respectively), Everitt felt that team improvements in recent times have earned the deserved rewards. 

“If you look at the Cell C Sharks over the last couple of years, our set-piece has got a lot better and when we played them at Hollywoodbets Kings Park, we were quite dominant there. But they have also improved their set-piece. 

“Add set-piece success to defence and territory – those three things go together. 

“But anything can happen on the day and we just need to focus on our processes and play with discipline.” 

With this being a knockout game, where there is no picking yourself up after a loss and giving it another go next week, Everitt warned that focus is vital. 

“You can’t have soft moments defensively in knockout stages because with the pressure and motivation – for both sides – it’s really difficult to get across the line and so you can’t give any easy shots away.” 

With a number of Rugby World Cup winners in his side, including the Springbok captain, the Cell C Sharks coach admitted that importance contributions were expected from his senior players who have tasted success on the international stage. 

“Our big players need to stand up, not only them, but all 23 who play. 

“But they do have experience of knockout games in the World Cup which is the pinnacle of rugby. 

“Thank goodness we have them to lean on, that will give everyone within the group confidence. But I’m quite sure the calibre of player they are with their character, they’ll be on top of their game.” 

The post Vodacom Bulls vs Cell C Sharks Rugby Match Preview appeared first on The Sharks.

The Cell C Sharks team named to take on the Vodacom Bulls in Saturday’s Vodacom United Rugby Championship quarter-final clash shows just one change from the previous clash two weeks ago.

A bye week following the pools stages of the URC has given the teams time to prepare for the knockout rounds that take place this weekend, with the Vodacom Bulls hosting the Cell C Sharks at Loftus Versveld in Pretoria in the early afternoon derby match.

The Vodacom Bulls only just pipped the Cell C Sharks – by a solitary log point – to earn home ground advantage for the quarter-finals as late as the final round after the Durban side had led the South African charge and head coach Sean Everitt has largely stuck with the same starting XV as that named to play Ulster in round 18.

In the only change, Le Roux Roets starts in Ruben van Heerden’s place in the second row with the remainder of the side retained for this big game.

It has been a good week of training and the Cell C Sharks are rearing to go.

Saturday’s match kicks off at 1.45pm.

Cell C Sharks

1. Ox Nche

2. Bongi Mbonambi

3. Thomas du Toit (c)

4. Le Roux Roets

5. Reniel Hugo

6. Siya Kolisi

7. Henco Venter

8. Phepsi Buthelezi

9. Jaden Hendrikse

10. Curwin Bosch

11. Makazole Mapimpi

12. Marius Louw

13. Lukhanyo Am

14. Werner Kok

15. Aphelele Fassi

Replacements

16. Kerron van Vurren

17. Ntuthuko Mchunu

18. Khutha Mchunu

19. Ruben van Heerden

20. Sikhumbuzo Notshe

21. Grant Williams

22. Boeta Chamberlain

23. Ben Tapuai

The post Keeping Continuity appeared first on The Sharks.

The Cell C Sharks host the Sigma Lions in a vital Carling Currie Cup penultimate round clash at Hollywoodbets Kings Park this Saturday.

Head coach Etienne Fynn has made a number of changes to the side from their last outing – against the Toyota Cheetahs – in a bid to secure a top four finish with just two rounds of the pool stages remaining.

Dian Bleuler and Jason Alexander take over at loosehead prop and hooker for Khwezi Mona and Fez Mbatha (injured) respectively.

Thembelani Bholi shifts to lock in place of Emile van Heerden, with Jeandre Labuschagne taking his place on the flank, joining James Venter who reverts as captain and takes over from Dylan Richardson.

In the only changes to the backline, there is a new halfback partnership with Zee Mkhabela replacing Cameron Wright and Tito Bonilla replacing Boeta Chamberlain.

The Sigma Lions earned their first win of the tournament last week against DHL Western Province – who the Cell C Sharks play in next weekend’s final round – a 33-10 victory that no doubt will give them huge amounts of confidence after a disappointing season that hasn’t gone to plan, with 10 points in 11 matches.

The Cell C Sharks are being pursued by the Airlink Pumas on the log and an interesting weekend awaits with the Mbombela-based side traveling to Bloemfontein to take on the high-riding Cheetahs.

Cell C Sharks

1. Dian Bleuler

2. Jason Alexander*

3. Lourens Adriaanse

4. Thembelani Bholi

5. Hyron Andrews

6. James Venter (c)

7. Jeandre Labuschagne

8. Mpilo Gumede

9. Zee Mkhabela

10. Tito Bonilla

11. Anthony Volmink

12. Murray Koster

13. Jeremy Ward

14. Marnus Potgieter

15. Nevaldo Fleurs

Replacements

16. Jacques Theron*

17. Khwezi Mona

18. Keagan Glade*

19. OJ Noa

20. Nick Hatton

21. Gerado Jaars*

22. Jordan Chait

23. Sivi Zondani*

*Denotes Carling Currie Cup debut for the Cell C Sharks

The post All to Play For appeared first on The Sharks.

The latest round of the Optimum Premier Division Moor Cup produced some alarming results with College Rovers in particular running rampant in their 101-0 victory over UKZN Durban on their home grounds at Hollywoodbets Kings Park 3.

The result is clearly not at all good for the club game as it is not actually achieving anything except perhaps making the losing side feel despondent and wishing to throw in the towel 

In the end Rovers crossed for 15 tries with Ruben van Blerk and Marley Ford securing three touchdowns each while Inny Radeba contributed 29 point, as they led the charge.

In the only truly closely contested game of the weekend Durban⁹99 Collegians got the better of Crusaders in a hard fought victory on their home grounds last Friday evening beating their visitors 22-12 after leading 10-7 at the break. Werner Botha, Ronald Stanifeld and Bennie Mashabane crossed the line for Collegians with Duncan Campbell doing the rest with his trusty boot.

 Crusaders replied with a penalty try and a converted touchdown by Andile Makinana

In the other games UKZN Pietermaritzburg beat Amanzimtoti 38-19 and Synergy Westville Old Boys RFC came away with a hard fought victory beating Richards Bay in Zululand 66-36 scoring 10 tries to the six from the men from the Bay 

In the First Division South Coast Warriors lead the way on the log table after 

 beating Hillcrest 24-14  

Crusaders travel to meet Westville Old Boys on Friday evening and  Varsity College host College Rovers while UKZN Pietermaritzburg entertain UKZN Durban and Amanzimtoti play Richards Bay on the South Coast Terriers home grounds.

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With all the Optimum Moor Cup Premier Division and Wylie Cup games postponed due to the inclement weather over the weekend, which caused the fields at the respective clubs to be flooded, the Rovers main focus was on the First Division.

In the only game played Dynamo Travel Hillcrest beat Ballito Dolphins 36-13 on their home grounds at Shongweni.

Hillcrest scored six tries to two in quite the most difficult conditions with Robbie Skilton crossing for three touchdowns and the others going to Cameron Capes, Andries Botha and Martin van Rooyen. Mack Mackie was successful with four conversions 

The Dolphins RFC responded with Mark Akkers scoring all their points with two tries and a penalty 

In the Frank Norris Under 20 games UKZN Durban beat Durban Collegians 26-0, SKZN beat UKZN Durban B 36-6 and Varsity College edged out Crusaders 8-5 in a closely contested game   

This weekend sees Durban Collegians hosting Crusaders while Synergy Westville Old Boys RFC travel to Richards Bay,  College Rovers will be at home to UKZN Durban and Amanzimtoti will be visiting the Capital to play UKZN Pietermaritzburg at the Peter Booysen Stadium.

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Ulster proved to be a tough nut to crack as they ran out 24-21 Vodacom United Rugby Championship victors over the Cell C Sharks in Belfast on Friday evening.

The Northern Irish team had to withstand a late onslaught from the Cell C Sharks who threatened to completely upset the applecart at the death, but the home side delivered on defence when it counted, forced to work hard to keep out a determined Cell C Sharks team and ultimately taking their chances to earn the final round win.

It was an exciting start to the game as both sides adopted a ball in hand approach which didn’t always render the desired outcomes, but certainly provided strong threats on attack and delivered exciting rugby which only produced the first score after the opening quarter hour when Ulster were awarded a penalty which they converted to strike the first blow.

They struck again 10 minutes later after a sustained build-up as they tested the Cell C Sharks’ defence through numerous phases until eventually finding the space to send the ball wide to get over for the first try, well converted for a 10-0 lead.

Going into half-time 10 points down, the Cell C Sharks needed to score first in the second half, but it was the home side to put points on the board inside the opening five minutes, a strong run to set up their second try, under the posts to provide an easy conversion.

The Cell C Sharks were relentless in their drive to open their account, spending a huge period of the third quarter smashing away at the Ulster defence, but were up against an impenetrable wall that stood up well to everything that was thrown at them to deny the Durban side.

But the dam wall eventually had to break and after conceding a number of penalties on defence, Nthuthuko Mchun was driven over after taking a quick tap and powering over the line for the first try, with Curwin Bosch making no mistake with the conversion.

The joy was short-lived as Ulster struck back almost immediately, a break out wide and then enough space created for the Irish team’s third try, the conversion taking them into a 24-7 lead with 15 minutes remaining.

With five minutes remaining, replacement scrumhalf Grant Williams, always dangerous in open play, spied a gap following lineout time and then fed Marius Louw to cut the deficit to 10 points, with the Boeta Chamberlain conversion.

With a minute left to play and the Cell C Sharks defending inside their 22, Grant Williams was once again the danger man, chipping the ball outside his 22, chasing up and out-pacing the defence to score, Chamberlain reducing the deficit to three points.

Sadly there wasn’t enough time to change the outcome, but it was a brave rear-guard effort in the final analysis.

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It’s show-time as the Cell C Sharks take on Ulster in Belfast this evening in their final Vodacom United Rugby Championship clash before the knock-out rounds, and everything to play for as they chase a top two finish.

The opportunity to enjoy the rewards that a victory would bring are not lost on this team who have won eight of their last nine games and riding a wave of confidence.

For Cell C Sharks head coach Sean Everitt, this match takes on significant importance in the team’s quest for success.

“We’ve got better with each game and the last four wins have given us momentum into this game which is one of the most crucial of the competition,” he explained from the team’s base in Belfast ahead of the match.

“We know we have to stand up to the physical challenge that Ulster are going to bring, but the guys are fully aware of what is expected of them.”

Chasing a very favourable play-off position that a win would ensure, the Cell C Sharks coach admitted that this is almost knock-out time for his team who are chasing home ground advantage in the play-offs.

“For us to finish in the top eight or top six which guarantees European rugby, we’ve been in a must-win situation for a while. This weekend is no different, there’s a lot to play for.

“A top four finish gives you a home quarter-final and a top two a home semi-final, so there is a lot of motivation.”

Welcoming back Lukhanyo Am is a massive boost to the team’s ambitions for this match – and beyond – and Everitt confirmed this, saying, “Obviously we’re very happy to have Lukhanyo back, he’s a key member of our team and we missed him while he was away. It’s not only what he brings on the rugby field but off it as well because he’s a popular guy and the team were very excited to see him here when we arrived.

“He’s fitted in seamlessly, he’s a quality player and he’s trained really well with us this week.”

It seems like an age ago that the Cell C Sharks embarked on their maiden URC voyage to Ireland, when they were given a rude awakening in a new tournament. But Everitt admitted that the team has grown enormously since then.

“All the South African teams struggled in the beginning of the competition, but we have a different team to the one we had then and although it took us a while to build cohesion, we’ve come along nicely as a group.

“We’re playing an all-round game of rugby, mixing attack, kicking and some really good defence. This group is very tight and as they’ve spent more time together and having the fortune of being able to select pretty much the same match 23 every week has certainly helped with the cohesion of the group. We’re also very pleased that we’re scoring tries and we’re happy with where we are.”

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The inspirational Lukhanyo Am returns to the Cell C Sharks starting line-up for their Vodacom United Rugby Championship final pool clash against Ulster in Belfast on Friday evening.

Head coach Sean Everitt has made just three changes from the last outing, a 41-21 penultimate round victory over Connacht at Hollywoodbets Kings Park at the end of April.

There is a new lock pairing of Ruben van Heerden and Reniel Hugo who come in for Le Roux Roets and Gerbrandt Grobler respectively, with just the one change to the backline where Lukhanyo Am returns to action after his two-month sojourn in Japan, taking over from Ben Tapuai at outside centre.

The pool stages of the tournament couldn’t have ended on a more dramatic note, with only Leinster having guaranteed their position at the top of the log, and just six log points separating teams two through eight.

Home ground advantage is key in any competition come the knock-out rounds, but so too is the reward that comes with winning your country’s Shield and for this reason, there will be no holding back from the Cell C Sharks.

“We’re currently sitting on top of the South African Shield and third on the log, so there is everything to play for,” Everitt explains.

“We know what a huge challenge it is to go to Belfast to play at Kingspan, but we do believe we have the ability and the players, as well as the coaching team to go over there and do the job.

“It would be really good for us if we were able to come home and play in front of our fans at Hollywoodbets Kings Park in a quarter and semi-final.”

Cell C Sharks

1. Ox Nche

2. Bongi Mbonambi

3. Thomas du Toit (c)

4. Ruben van Heerden

5. Reniel Hugo

6. Siya Kolisi

7. Henco Venter

8. Phepsi Buthelezi

9. Jaden Hendrikse

10. Curwin Bosch

11. Makazole Mapimpi

12. Marius Louw

13. Lukhanyo Am

14. Werner Kok

15. Aphelele Fassi

Replacements

16. Kerron van Vuuren

17. Ntuthuko Mchunu

18. Khutha Mchunu

19. Hyron Andrews

20. Jeandre Labuschagne

21. Sikhumbuzo Notshe

22. Grant Williams

23. Boeta Chamberlain

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It all comes down to this final week of pool games in the Vodacom United Rugby Championship as teams jockey for log positions and knock-out appearances, while the Cell C Sharks couldn’t have received a more timely boost in their quest for the South African Shield.

After his two month sojourn in Japan, Lukhanyo Am has rejoined the Cell C Sharks for their final match – against Irish side Ulster on Friday evening – ahead of the quarter-finals.

Currently in third place on the URC log and leading the South African Shield, the Cell C Sharks are only too aware of the importance riding on this match. They have Ulster themselves, as well as the Stormers and Bulls all hoping the Durban side slip up and use that opportunity to leap-frog them into a better log position.

With Leinster and Munster engaged in a top of the table battle on Saturday, a win for the log leaders and the Cell C Sharks could ensure that the Durbanites finish in second place on the log and home ground advantage for the quarter and semi-finals.

Sean Everitt’s 27-man squad arrived in Belfast late Monday afternoon in preparation for the clash against Ulster at 8.35pm on Friday.

Cell C Sharks Touring Squad

Forwards

1. Ox Nche

2. Ntuthuko Mchunu

3. Thomas du Toit (c)

4. Khutha Mchunu

5. Lourens Adriaanse

6. Kerron van Vuuren

7. Bongi Mbonambi

8. Dan Jooste

9. Ruben van Heerden

10. Reniel Hugo

11. Hyron Andrews

12. Siya Kolisi 

13. Jeandre Labuschagne

14. Sikhumbuzo Notshe

15. Phepsi Buthelezi

16. Henco Venter

Backs

1. Grant Williams

2. Jaden Hendrikse

3. Cameron Wright

4. Curwin Bosch

5. Boeta Chamberlain

6. Marius Louw

7. Lukhanyo Am

8. Werner Kok

9. Marnus Potgieter

10. Makazole Mapimpi

11. Aphelele Fassi

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Varsity College beat Durban Collegians 18-9 in a hard fought Optimum Premier Division Moor Cup league game at their Riverside Headquarters in Durban North on Saturday afternoon 

For Varsity College coach David ‘Barel’ Clark it was a special afternoon for him as he had last achieved his winning success back in 2012 exactly 10 years ago.

Mvelo Mlangane crossed for the only two tries in the tense and hard fought match with Flyhalf JP du Preez kicking two penalties and a conversion 

In the other games Richards Bay beat the students from UKZN Pietermaritzburg 39-12 while Brandon Bailing led the charge with four tries in Synergy Westville Old Boys runaway 114-7 victory March and College Rovers  had Phiko Sabahlo in fine form with three touch downs in their convincing 94-19 win against Amanzimtoti Rugby Club  

Capital Legacy Crusaders had a bye and will be the only Premier Division side in action this weekend when they meet UKZN Durban on their home grounds in Durban North 

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