The 2024/2025 season of the French Pro D2 is about to start, and the number of international players keeps growing with the likes of Courtney Lawes, George North, Chris Farrell, and Curwin Bosch having joined it.
While most of the focus is currently on the Rugby World Cup in France, the 2023/24 BKT United Rugby Championship season gets under way this weekend.
Club teams normally have to wait twelve years for a second crack at the Lions but the Sharks are now set to play them twice in four days.
The Sharks let a 10-point lead slip to suffer a heart-breaking 19-26 loss to the Bulls in the Currie Cup final at Loftus Versfeld on Saturday.
The Sharks advanced to the Currie Cup final after they edged Western Province 19-9 at Newlands in Cape Town on Saturday.
Curwin Bosch landed an injury-time penalty from 40 metres out to sneak a one-point win for the Sharks over Griquas in Kimberley on Friday.
Thirty-two capped Springboks – 13 of whom were part of the Rugby World Cup-winning squad in Japan a year ago.
Follow all the action on the RugbyPass live blog from the Guinness PRO14 match between the Cheetahs and Southern Kings at Toyota Stadium.
