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Venue Guide
Stadium	Lady Bay Sports Ground
City	Nottingham
Capacity	3500

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Markus waxes lyrical over Handré

Schoolboy sensation Markus Muller has opened up on meeting his idol at the Springboks’ alignment camp. At just 18, Muller was one of two teenagers invited to Rassie Erasmus’ first alignment camp of 2026 – a clear sign of the long-term succession plan taking shape ahead of the next Rugby World Cup. “Handré Pollard has always been my hero and it was really nice to meet him,” he said on the Behind the Ruck podcast. “I had a teacher at school, Miss Myburgh, who has been at Paarl Gym for years. She also taught Handré and she knew I liked him a lot. “So before inter-schools he sent me a message. I was shocked but then I knew she had said something to him. So yes, it was really nice to meet him.” SCHOOLS WRAP: Grey College hammer Helpmekaar His addition to the Bok squad and making his Stormers XXIII debut over the weekend, has only intensified the hype around him. But for Muller, the call-up came completely out of the blue. “I honestly didn’t expect it at all. I think none of us, who were in Georgia, did,” he said. “I didn’t have the slightest idea what was going on. However, two days later we were all added to a WhatsApp group (for the) Springbok alignment camp. I couldn’t believe it. “It only felt real to me the day when I arrived at the alignment camp.” ALSO: Bulls, Stormers snap up brightest schoolboy 10s Thrown into a group filled with World Cup winners, Muller admits the experience was surreal – but not intimidating. “They were all extremely friendly. From management to players, all of them. They welcomed me very well. So, that was an incredible experience,” he said. “It’s strange for me as these guys won the World Cup while I was in primary school, looking at them, and here I am, with them in a room.” Photo: @Springboks/X The post Markus waxes lyrical over Handré appeared first on SA Rugby magazine.

41 minutes ago

Wallabies dealt brutal Skelton blow

Will Skelton is facing a race against time to be fit for the 2026 Test season, with fears the towering lock has suffered a season-ending injury while on club duty. The 33-year-old lasted just 30 minutes in La Rochelle’s 26-15 Top 14 defeat to Bayonne on Saturday before being forced off with a suspected ruptured Achilles, struggling to leave the field. It comes just a week after Skelton returned from a two-month layoff with a calf injury, making the latest setback even more cruel. While the full extent of the injury is yet to be confirmed, the early signs are ominous. MORE: Wallabies land All Blacks mastermind “There’s a suspected Achilles tendon rupture,” La Rochelle assistant coach Rémi Talès said. “It’s tough for a player like him, given the effort he’s put in to come back after his calf injury. “We’re all thinking of him and hope he recovers quickly, because we need him.” Talès admitted Skelton’s absence had an immediate impact, particularly at the set-piece. “We were playing well,” he said. “When you see (Levani) Botia (who suffered a calf injury) and Skelton go off, even if you’re down to fourteen men, you gain a psychological advantage. “We paid dearly for Will’s absence in the mauls, as we conceded two tries in the second half. We lacked experience.” If confirmed, the injury would likely rule Skelton out for the remainder of the club season – including La Rochelle’s Top 14 and EPCR Challenge Cup commitments – and place serious doubt over his involvement in the Wallabies’ 2026 campaign. ALSO: Boks to play Wallabies Down Under Australia are set for a packed international schedule, including Tests against Ireland, France, Italy, Japan, Argentina, the Springboks and the All Blacks. Losing Skelton for that stretch would be a significant blow to Joe Schmidt’s plans. Photo: Paul Childs/Action Images via Reuters The post Wallabies dealt brutal Skelton blow appeared first on SA Rugby magazine.

1 hour ago