{
  "id": 14159289,
  "title": "Springboks nearing return to action: Who’s up next for Rassie Erasmus and his team?",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/13/springboks-nearing-return-to-action-whos-up-next-for-rassie-erasmus",
  "topic": "culture",
  "section": "Culture",
  "published": "2026-10-13T09:03:59.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "The Citizen",
    "slug": "the-citizen",
    "url": "https://www.citizen.co.za/sport/rugby/springboks-nearing-return-to-action-rassie-erasmus/"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "As the 2026/27 United Rugby Championship season progresses, the Springboks are on the cusp of resuming their competitive play. Coach Rassie Erasmus and his team are currently on a hiatus, but they are keenly monitoring the action in the URC and the upcoming Europe-based cup competitions. The Springboks' last outing came on September 27, when they suffered a narrow 42-38 defeat against Australia in Perth. Prior to that, they had secured a 3-1 victory over the All Blacks in a Rugby's Greatest Rivalry series, with the final match held in Baltimore, USA.\n\nThe Springboks are set to return to the field in November during the second part of the inaugural Nations Championship competition. In the inaugural tournament, the South Africans emerged victorious against England (45-21), Scotland (42-28), and Wales (43-0) in the first phase held in July. The next leg of the competition will see the Springboks face Italy in Turin (7 November, 1:40pm), France in Paris (13 November, 10:10pm), and Ireland in Dublin (21 November, 6:40pm). The outcome of these matches, along with the results of other teams in the competition, will have implications for the Springboks' final standings and potential places in the Finals Weekend showdown.\n\nAt present, the Springboks lead the \"Southern Hemisphere\" pool, followed by New Zealand, Australia, and Argentina. In the \"Northern Hemisphere\" pool, France is at the top, followed by Scotland, England, Ireland, Wales, and Italy. For a comprehensive overview of the Nations Championship results, fixtures, and standings, interested parties can visit the provided link.",
  "summary": "It's soon to be part two of the inaugural Nations Championship.",
  "key_points": [
    "Springboks nearing return to action in November.",
    "Coach Rassie Erasmus monitoring URC, Europe competitions.",
    "Springboks won first phase of inaugural Nations Championship."
  ],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}