Rugby news from KwaZulu-Natal:
Know Your Opposition:
This week the Hollywoodbets Sharks host Scarlets at Hollywoodbets Kings Park in the final Vodacom United Rugby Championship match before the tournament pauses for the November test window.
Currently occupying bottom spot on the overall VURC log, they will come to Durban looking to change their season around, much like the Hollywoodbets Sharks who are looking to give their fans plenty to cheer about before the month-long recess.
Based in the Welsh city of Llanelli and originally known as Llanelli Scarlets, the 22-year old club have played their rugby out of the 14 870-seater Parc y Scarlets since 2008. But their history stretches back to their formation as Llanelli RFC in 1872, before Welsh Rugby was regionalised in 2003.
Llanelli RFC has the rare distinction of capturing one of the greatest scalps ever in rugby when they defeated the New Zealand national team 9–3 in 1972.
The name Llanelli is Welsh for ‘St Elli’s Parish’ and the town traces its roots to the Iron Age, and later the Roman conquest of Wales. It became a popular site for raiders including pagans, Christians, local British, Irish and Norman invaders throughout the middle ages and beyond.
The Scarlets were crowned Celtic Champions in their first season and had mixed fortunes in the Heineken Cup over the years, although winning all their pool games in 2006/07 put them amongst only four other teams to have done so. 2017 was their biggest season as they saw off Leinster and Munster (both away) in the semis and final to be crowned Guiness Pro 12 champions.
For the 2025/26 season, Scarlets released 10 players, including Alex Craig to Glasgow Warriors, Charlie Titcombe to Leicester Tigers and Sam Wainwright to Cardiff, and in their place, brought in numerous replacements, including Joe Hawkins from Exeter Chiefs, Dane Blacker from the Dragons, Ioan Jones from Gloucester and Tristan Davies from Ospreys, while Kirby Myhill from Miami Sharks, Steve Cummins from the Dragons, Fletcher Anderson from the Crusaders, Harvey Cuckson from Bath and Alex Groves from the DHL Stormers are all on short-term loan.
Featuring predominantly Welsh players, including 17 who have played test rugby for the country, their current squad also includes players from South Africa, Australia, Scotland, England and Tonga.
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