"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." – Rassie Erasmus 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, Currie Cup: Free State Cheetahs versus the Blue Bulls let’s get down to the subject at hand: rugby. Last in Bloemfontein. And then, on Saturday, the Rugby weekend saw the final of the 2018 Super Rugby Championship kicks off with Australia v New Zealand tournament played between the Johannesburg's at around midday and South Africa v Argentina in Emirates Lions and the New Zealand Crusaders, in Durban just after 5pm. In next week’s newsletter, we Christchurch. 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 the Rugby Championship 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 World Rugby'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 season 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 Flow State Training Program (Advertisement) Cutting edge Physical and Mental Meditation Techniques to Hack The Flow State by expert trainer C Wilson Meloncelli. Want to eliminate fear while boosting performance? This is important if you want to: Eliminate fear Stop your inner critic over powering your intentions Boost productivity by 500% Accelerate learning speed by 490% Unlock your 200% creativity spike Check out this video on Hack the free Flow State Courses. 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 New Zealand rugby 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: Rasta Rasivhenge 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 rugby union 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, France and Australia. Earlier this year he became the first referee to officiate in more than 250 rugby sevens matches. Read more about Rasta here. You can find all the new laws of the game we love here, and in seven languages nogal. Page 4 Click on the image for more information Page 5 Player Profile: Aphiwe Dyantyi 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 Golden Lions 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 England. 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 Fiji in a Singapore Cup semi-final, a round that Fiji went on to win. Then, to compound matters, the Blitzbokke stumbled again in the penultimate tournament in London, 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 Paris 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: Spain, 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.