It gives me great pleasure, for the fifth time, to write a special birthday message for one of our “founding fathers, Oubaas KSA Shark. [...]

Should the Sharks do the unthinkable and actually lose to the Western Force tomorrow, it would mark the first time in well over a decade that the side has lost six straight matches within a single campaign. [...]

The unfortunate circumstances under which Sharks wing Odwa Ndungane earned his 100th Super Rugby cap last week will be made up for tomorrow, as the veteran winger leads the team out to celebrate his 101st career cap in the flagship Southern Hemisphere competition. [...]

Just a few more weeks to go and already there appears to be a divide emerging between those teams playing for a trophy this year – and those playing only for pride. [...]

The Cheetahs will face the Reds in Bloemfontein this weekend with Elgar Watts back at flyhalf, after Burton Francis got himself dropped right out of the 22 after last week’s loss to the Hurricanes. [...]

Bulls captain Pierre Spies will earn a 100th Super Rugby cap for the franchise as he leads the team out against the Highlanders at Loftus this weekend. [...]

Deon Fourie starts at flank for the Stormers against the Rebels this weekend, as Allister Coetzee has been forced to name a loose trio missing a traditional big ball-carrier. [...]

The Stormers have been found guilty of match-day misconduct and fined a whopping twenty-five thousand Australian dollars. [...]

I usually try to get something written by Tuesday. But after this weekends rugby I was just floored, shocked and angry. [...]

I think after starting the year off by pointing out that the Australian teams are getting a bit of a free ride in the conference system, it is only fair to concede that although this was true of last year, in recent weeks most Australian teams have proven me wrong. The Waratahs especially are looking very strong; they have a few exciting backs, but also manage to put the phases together with their forwards. The Brumbies and Reds are still pushing on and even the Rebels and Force have played some passionate, committed and probably even entertaining rugby. [...]

The Boland Cavaliers have announced the signing of six new players for the approaching Currie Cup season, with four of those boasting strong ties to the Sharks. [...]

Sharks captain Keegan Daniel has raised the middle finger at suggestions that there is a rift between English and Afrikaans players in the Sharks squad, with him at the centre of it. [...]

The Sharks team announced to take on the Force sees little change from the team that went down to the Reds. [...]

I had originally planned to talk about the new (and final instalment in the New History Warfare trilogy) Colin Stetson album, but when I think about what to say I feel kind of like the apes in the opening scene from 2001: A Space Odyssey – Confounded. Intimidated. Confronted by something beyond my frame of reference, but that I feel compelled to get close to. And completely at a loss for words. [...]

According to a frankly unbelievable article in Beeld this morning, the Sharks tour squad currently on tour in Australia are a divided lot, with cultural differences between players at the heart of the discord. [...]