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Home , Aphiwe Dyantyi, Cheetahs (rugby union), Justin Geduld, Rassie Erasmus, Rasta Rasivhenge, Super Rugby

"I really think we can win the World Cup. If we can get it right quickly then we are definitely in with a chance – but we have to manage our talent." –

As one door closes, another opens Welcome to the inaugural issue of our new weekly South African Rugby Newsletter – ENGAGE. Share it with friends, family and even with the supporters of rival teams – just remember to tell them that it’s free and that we’re working on a few deals to get free tickets to gamers and a few other special offers that could make subscribing worth their while. Most of our content is sourced from specialist and supportive rugby web sites so, if you like the few paragraphs that we lifted to get your attention, please click Looking ahead to next weekend it begins with a bang through to the originator sites to read the rest of the again next week Friday with the first match of 2018 article that caught your eye. But enough about us, : versus the Blue let’s get down to the subject at hand: rugby. Last in . And then, on Saturday, the Rugby weekend saw the final of the 2018 Championship kicks off with v tournament played between the 's at around midday and v in Lions and the New Zealand , in just after 5pm. In next week’s newsletter, we . As a South African, the result was expect to bring you more detailed previews of those disappointing, but not entirely unexpected, matches and more. For now, you can content yourself especially given the way in which the New Zealand with the news this week of coach Rassie’s squad for team has dominated the competition this year. If along with the other you're a masochist or, like a friend of mine, just don't content we have lined up for you. like the Lions, click on the photograph below to get the Telegraph's take on the final. Otherwise, move along quickly; nothing to see here.

Think of this newsletter as a teaser but feel free to email me with your criticisms and suggestions for our newsletter. Brian Bakker Editor

KEY TOPICS IN THIS NEWSLETTER REGULAR FEATURES  2017/18 Guinness PRO14 Review  's New Simplified Law Book  SA Leaving Super Rugby Could Bankrupt NZ  Referee Profile  Currie Cup Slashed to Single Round Action  Player Profile  Rugby Around the World  Team Profile  Fixtures

Page 1 2017/18 Guinness PRO14 Review In any event, the analysis of just how well they did do, despite the odds being stacked against them, makes With the excitement already building ahead of the for interesting reading. You can find the first of the new Guinness PRO14 set to kick-off in articles, in which the authors look back at all the September, the series organisers have decided to action from last September, here. look back at what they describe as a truly memorable 2017/18 campaign. With the division moving to 14 teams and including two South African clubs for the first time many observers spoke of 2017/18 as the best season yet.

However, if you consider that the two South African teams in the competition had just finished a full season of Super Rugby when they embarked on the adventure, it is probable that they'll do much better this time around

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SA Leaving Super Rugby Could Bankrupt New Zealand

There have been mutterings abouit South Africa pulling out of SANZAR for years but few people have taken much notice of the rumours. But lately, however, the stories are beginning to cause panic in the antipodes, particularly New Zealand, and with good reason.

A recent opinion piece by scribe, Mark Reason, wonders if there isn't more than a little good sense (for South Africa) and terrible news (for New Zealand) in the recent reports of SA pulling out of Super Rugby in favour of competing in European competitions. And he could have a valid point.

He calls SANZAR CEO, Andy Marinos's denials feverishly wishful thinking and writes that the reports are full of substance and make absolutely terrifying reading for New Zealand Rugby.

He continues: If South Africa do decide to leave but for a skeleton team or two in Super Rugby, then the competition's revenue streams will plummet. Such a fall would be enough to bankrupt NZR by 2023.

At their current rate of spending, New Zealand Rugby need a significant rise in income from their next Super Rugby television contract just to break even. Read the full column here. Page 2

Click on the image for more information Page 3 World Rugby's New Simplified Law Book Referee Profile:

At the beginning of this year, World RWorld Rugby's A former maths teacher and rugby winger new simplified law book ugby took a longawaited himself, Fhatuwani 'Rasta' Rasivhenge was born step by releasing a new simplified law book. The in Johannesburg on 3 January 1986 and attended goal of the publication is to try to improve the global Jeppe High Schools for Boys. He is a South understanding of the sport, while also enhancing African referee who is a member of accessiblity, without altering any of the the the South African Rugby Union (SARU) Premier substance or the intent of the laws themselves. Panel and has plied his chosen trade all around the world with aplomb.

Almost two years of work reportedly went into simplifying rugby's much maligned and very complicated laws. The book (and website) are full of useful and interesting information, for example, consider the allowed size of a field and various areas therein:

Rasivhenge has been a regular referee on the IRB Sevens World Series circuit since the 2011–12 season and also refereed in domestic rugby union competitions in South Africa, and Australia. Earlier this year he became the first referee to officiate in more than 250 matches.

Read more about Rasta here.

You can find all the new laws of the game we love here, and in seven languages nogal.

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Click on the image for more information

Page 5 Player Profile:

Lions, and now Springbok speedster, Aphiwe Dyantyi, gave up rugby after school when he was told he was too small to play. But rugby wasn't quite so ready to give up on him.

After finishing school at Dale College, he enrolled at University of Johannesburg to study BCom Marketing and played soccer. But, not for long. “I was living on res at campus. Some of my friends from school asked me if I could play for the Koshuis team as they needed players.

"They played on a Wednesday, so I was happy to help them out. After a few games, I was asked to train with the Varsity Cup team and that’s when things started happening,” he has said. Indeed, in 2014, he played for UJ’s Young Guns and sevens. In 2015, he played for the senior side and was one of the star performers during the Varsity Cup.

This saw him called up to the U21s. In 2016, he continued his good form for UJ, which saw him earn his first professional contract with the Lions. Last season, he made his senior provincial début for the union during the SuperSport Rugby Challenge and played his first Currie Cup match.

And this season, he was selected for and played for the Springboks against . Read more about this impressive young man here.

Team Profile: The Blittzbokke

A couple of months ago, South Africa’s national Sevens Rugby team won its second successive IRB Rugby Sevens World Series title, defeating England in the final of the last tournament in the 2017/18 series. What is perhaps most remarkable about this feat is the fact that with only two rounds left, the Blitzbokke appeared to have butchered a season-long lead in the series standings with yet another loss to in a Cup semi-final, a round that Fiji went on to win.

Then, to compound matters, the Blitzbokke stumbled again in the penultimate tournament in , losing to Fiji again in the final, allowing the islanders to extend their sender lead in the series to an almost insurmountable seven points. But that silver medal won in London would prove important across the channel a week later when Fiji stumbled by going down to England in the quarter-finals.

Suddenly, the Blitzbokke had a sniff. The result meant that the best Fiji could do in was fifth (13 points) and if the Blitzbokke could win (22 points), they could also snatch the series.

They nearly fell at the first hurdle: , where an extra time try by play-maker Justin Geduld saved the day. This lead to a semi-final against a resurgent New Zealand and a final against, England. It was enthralling, edge- of-the-seat rugby. Page 6 Currie Cup Slashed to Single Round Action

Every game will be vital when the 2018 Currie Cup Premier Division kicks off on Friday, August 17 with an abbreviated format. Gone are the usual home-andaway fixtures against all opposition. Instead, the country’s top teams will take each other on only once before the play-offs, with home and away venues assigned on a rotating basis.

The action culminates on Saturday, October 27 with the 2018 Currie Cup final, which will be preceded by the finals in SA Rugby’s Provincial Under-21 and Under-19 competitions. The fixture list includes three Saturday triple-headers, while the action will be limited on the days of the Springboks local Tests in the Rugby Championship, against the (August 18 in Durban), Wallabies (September 29 in ) and the All Blacks (October 6 in ).

The seven teams that participated in the competition last season - Western Province, , Golden Lions, , , Pumas and - will again battle it out for the trophy.

The Currie Cup First Division starts on Friday, August 24 and concludes on Friday, October 19 with the final (including the SA Rugby Provincial Under-20 competition). This competition will follow the same format as last season with eight teams playing a double round of matches followed by the semi-final and final. The First Division will be contested by the , Valke, , Boland Kavaliers, SWD Eagles, , and Eastern Province. You can read more of the detail on Sport24 .

Rugby Around the World

With the globalisation of the game these days there are South African players doing duty in international and domestic competitions all around the world. First, and perhaps most obvious is Super Rugby, the latest season of which finished just last weekend with New Zealand’s Crusaders crowned champions for the ninth time. That competition won’t roll around again until mid-February next year but there is much else to pique our rugby viewing interest.

As intimated on page 2, there’s the Pro 14 where two local teams (Free State Cheetahs and ) compete against Irish, Italian, Scottish and Welsh opposition. Last year they were thrown in the deep end virtually immediately after finishing very tough, and largely unsuccessful, Super Rugby campaigns. Expect both teams to give a better account of themselves when that tournament kicks off at the end of August.

At least three other international competitions will kick off around the same time, each featuring a liberal sprinkling of South African players. In France, the tournament gets underway on 25 August and runs well into May 2019.

A week later and across the channel in England, the newly renamed (after a new sponsor) premier club rugby competition, the Gallagher Premiership, kicks off. On the same day, albeit a good few hours earlier thanks to massive time differences, the Rugby gets going as well. Click on the image for more information Page 7 Matches to Look Forward to

As mentioned on the first page of this inaugural rugby newsletter, next weekend will see the beginning of two tournaments that will generate massive interest. As a committed rugby fan you don't need to be reminded that the Rugby Championship features international teams from Argentina, Australia, New Zealand and South Africa.

Oh yes, and don't forget to tell your friends to subscribe to our new weekly newsletter. It is free, gratis and mahala.

Click on the image for more information Last But Not Least Thank you for reading through our inaugural newsletter. We need your feedback to make it better – and only you can give us that feedback. Please take the time to send us an email. We want to hear from you – good, bad or ugly, a pat on the back or a kick in the butt!

If you haven’t done so yet, please register with us to make sure you get your own issue each week.

See you next week. Thanks from the Leopard Rugby Newsletter Team.

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