Rugby news from KwaZulu-Natal:
Team Release: Hollywoodbets Sharks vs Ulster:
The big guns have been brought out for the first home game of the Vodacom United Rugby Championship as the Hollywoodbets Sharks look to unleash powerfully and emphatically against Ulster at Hollywoodbets Kings Park on Saturday.
Back from their heroics in the Castle Lager Rugby Championship and a break to revitalise energy levels are forwards Ox Nche, Eben Etzebeth and Siya Kolisi who join fellow Boks Bongi Mbonambi and Vincent Koch after the pair played off the bench last week.
Scrumhalf Grant Williams and inside centre Andre Esterhuizen join a star-studded backline with Siya Masuku getting his first start of the campaign after playing off the bench last week, joined by another player making his return from injury, Jordan Hendrikse, who provides cover off a powerful bench.
“It’s very exciting to be back playing at Hollywoodbets Kings Park this weekend,” said wing Ethan Hooker, fresh off his Springbok heroics, and try-scorer in last week’s final tour match against Leinster before heading back to Durban.
“I want to make my home team proud, the vibe is pretty good being back and you get that sense of a home feeling.
“We’re all keen and looking forward to going out on Saturday and performing for our fans. They can look forward to this week’s game as much as we are. We’ve trained really hard, exciting things are coming and we hope to see a full stadium coming out in support and watching a really good game of rugby.”
Saturday’s match kicks off at 4pm.
Hollywoodbets Sharks
- Ox Nche
- Bongi Mbonambi
- Vincent Koch
- Eben Etzebeth
- Marvin Orie
- Siya Kolisi
- Vincent Tshituka (C)
- Phepsi Buthelezi
- Grant Williams
- Siya Masuku
- Makazole Mapimpi
- Andre Esterhuizen
- Jurenzo Julius
- Ethan Hooker
- Edwill van der Merwe
Replacements
- Fez Mbatha
- Simphiwe Matanzima
- Ruan Dreyer
- Bathobele Hlekani
- Emmanuel Tshituka
- Jaden Hendrikse
- Jordan Hendrikse
- Lukhanyo Am
The post Team Release: Hollywoodbets Sharks vs Ulster appeared first on The Sharks Durban.
4 Reasons You Need A Seasonal Membership:
We’re already a couple of weeks into the new 2025/2026 rugby season, and the action has been thrilling. If you’ve been debating on whether or not to get a seasonal membership, let us convince you. A seasonal membership is the smart way to watch the season. Here’s why.
Guaranteed Seats
Listen, our seats will fly fast – especially for big games. If you’re not quick enough, you’ll end up with seats so far back, you can’t even see the player number. And that’s just not the vibe. With a seasonal membership, you’re locked into a specific seat for the season. This way, you always have a great seat in front of the action.
Exclusive Benefits
A seasonal membership doesn’t just guarantee you a seat. No, we’ve gone above and beyond to include some exciting benefits that really add value to your matchday experience. Some benefits include:
- Dedicated turnstile access so you can breeze on through to your sets
- An exclusive members bar & kiosk so you can get yout drinks and snacks so much faster
- Access to two exclusive Sharks training sessions, with a meet & greet
- A parking pass so you don’t have to park far away or Uber
And so much more. Now, why wouldn’t you want all of that?
Epic Concerts
It’s not just action on the field that you get with us. Matchdays are all about the full entertainment experiences, which is why we have a thrilling lineup of post-match performances from some of the biggest names in South African music. One ticket, double the entertainment.
Be entertained by performers like Mafikizolo, Mi Casa, Freshlyground, Veranda Panda and more!
Big Savings
Our seasonal memberships really give you more bang for your buck. When you compare buying individual tickets over a seasonal membership, it’s a no brainer. You can save up to R1200 with a seasonal membership. Plus, all memberships include tickets to all knockout games, giving you even more savings of up to R1750. Those numbers are pretty impressive to us.
Convinced? We thought so. Grab your seasonal membership now!
The post 4 Reasons You Need A Seasonal Membership appeared first on The Sharks Durban.
Home Ground Advantage:
There’s no denying the value of playing at home in front of a home crowd, the invaluable support the team receives and the energy they take from their passionate supporters.
Which is exactly what the Hollywoodbets Sharks will embrace as they return to Durban this weekend when they host the visiting Ulster side at Hollywoodbets Kings Park.
The early weeks of the Vodacom United Rugby Championship have been challenging, there’s no denying just how tough the Hollywoodbets Sharks had it, playing their opening three games in Europe, having the disruption of losing their Springboks to the winning Castle Lager Rugby Championship cause, a sizable injury toll and a short turnaround time between the Carling Currie Cup and the new season.
All of which are not excuses, but they certainly provide food for thought when analysing the early season statistics.
And what of the champions? Leinster came to South Africa, without numerous British & Irish Lions internationals and found the going just as tough, losing to the DHL Stormers and Vodacom Bulls in their two-week tour, finishing the opening fortnight of the competition near the bottom of the log.
Does that make them a bad side?
No, because they returned home, were boosted by five returning internationals and defeated the Hollywoodbets Sharks – at home.
Hollywoodbets Sharks head coach John Plumtree expressed his disappointment after the game, saying, “Obviously we’re really disappointed, we weren’t good enough and we have a massive job ahead of us in the next two weeks, a couple of home games at Hollywoodbets Kings Park and we have to work really hard and get into this competition.
“It was always going to be a tough tour for us with all the disruptions, but there are no excuses. We have to get back home and play very well in front of our fans.”
And that’s exactly what they will look to do for their first home game of the campaign this Saturday.
Because… home ground advantage.
Of the 24 scheduled fixtures, two games were postponed, and there was one draw (the Hollywoodbets Sharks against the Dragons), and of the remaining 21 games completed, just two went the way of the visiting side.
Meaning that home ground advantage accounted for a 90% success rate for the hosts.
Indeed, the Hollywoodbets Sharks made Hollywoodbets Kings Park their fortress last season, winning eight of their nine games, including the quarter-final against Munster – their only loss was to the eventual champions.
But they took that energy and passion from the crowd to deliver victories over past winners the DHL Stormers, Munster and Glasgow Warriors to underline the value of playing at home.
Ulster present a formidable challenge, but Fortress Hollywoodbets Kings Park awaits, as do the motivated Hollywoodbets Sharks and an impassioned and fervent support base.
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Know your Opposition – Ulster:
The Hollywoodbets Sharks have returned from a tough three-week tour ahead of their fourth round Vodacom United Rugby Championship clash with Ulster at Hollywoodbets Kings Park on Saturday.
Ulster come to Durban with a two-from-two record, having played one less game, their second round clash with Edinburgh being postponed due to adverse weather following the landfall of Storm Amy in Scotland.
This year has been one of consolidation from the past, the team not showing too much change from last year’s side that finished in a lowly 14th place on the log, but they have already enjoyed a bright start this this year’s campaign, opening their account with a 42-21 victory over the Dragons, and then defeating the Vodacom Bulls 28-7 over the weekend to retain their unbeaten record and finish the round in fifth place, one of three sides boasting a 100% record.
Talking records, Ulster Rugby was founded in 1879 and before that, for 11 years as the North of Ireland FC, the earliest club to operate in the province.
Ulster’s success came early, they were the first Irish side in the professional era to win the Heineken Cup (in 1999)
Celtic Cup and Celtic League success followed in the early 2000s, and following a lull, the team enjoyed a period of revival that coincided with the signing of former Hollywoodbets Sharks stars Ruan Pienaar and Johann Muller, later Louis Ludik and Marcell Coetzee, and more recently, Werner Kok.
This season they have largely promoted from within, bringing in three players from their academy and recruiting South African back-rower Juarno Augustus among another four new signings, while nine players have left, been released or retired.
Ulster (‘Ulaidh’ in Irish, the name is derived from the group of tribes that once lived there) is located in the north of Ireland, one of four historical provinces and the second largest in the country, after Munster.
The biggest city in Ulster is Belfast (occupied since the Bronze Age), the capital of Northern Ireland. and Belfast cities are seen around the world including America (more than 10), Australia, Canada, New Zealand and even South Africa.
Ulster’s history is storied and the scene of many a war and invasion from foreigners. Originally the heart of the Gaelic world, The Normans came in the 12th century and the English followed in the late 16th century.
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