Rennie: All Blacks know what’s coming

All Blacks coach Dave Rennie says they’re not expecting too many surprises from the Vodacom Bulls when the two sides clash at Loftus Versveld on Saturday.

Johan Ackermann has named a relatively strong match 23, featuring four Springboks, for the battle in Pretoria. Former Sharks and Munster winger Thaakir Abrahams will make his Bulls debut, as will flyhalf Curwin Bosch who has spent the past two seasons with Brive in France.

For the All Blacks, veteran hooker Codie Taylor returns from a calf injury to captain the side. The tour captain missed New Zealand’s opening 38-21 win of the Rugby’s Greatest Rivalry tour over the Stormers and Tuesday’s 54-0 demolition of the Sharks in Durban. beltedkingfisher.blog

MORE: Ackers relishing Rennie reunion

Both Rennie and Ackermann have spoken this week of the respect they have for each other.

“I coached against Johan. He was at the Lions when I was at the Chiefs. He was over in the UK at Gloucester – not that we came against each other then when I was at Glasgow – and basically he left Japan as I arrived,” Rennie said.

“I know him well. I respect what he’s done.”

ALSO: Ackers hails injection of ‘brilliant’ new recruits

Rennie expects Ackermann’s Bulls to bring their trademark physicality, but believes they are also more willing to attack than the two sides the All Blacks have already encountered.

“We know what’s coming. He’s always got a tough forward pack, but they do have a mindset where they’re prepared to play, a little bit more than the two sides we’ve faced so far,” he said.

“They’ll still kick a lot and they’ll still challenge us, but they will play if they get an opportunity.”

MORE: All Blacks wary of Willie, ‘big bodies’

Photo: Vodacom Bulls

The post Rennie: All Blacks know what’s coming appeared first on SA Rugby magazine.

The Council of East and Central Africa Football Associations this week confirmed that Rwanda will host the CECAFA Kagame Cup in both 2027 and 2028, extending a hosting run that began with this year’s edition.

It’s a rare vote of confidence from a regional body still rebuilding after years of financial strain, and it didn’t come out of nowhere, it came because Rwanda delivered.

There’s a moment in every football nation’s story when hosting a tournament stops being a favour and starts being a habit. For Rwanda, that moment arrived on 6 August 2026, inside a boardroom at the Mövenpick Hotel in Kigali, and it means East and Central Africa’s most storied club competition now has a permanent address, at least for the next two years.

The Rwanda Football Federation (FERWAFA) didn’t wait to be asked. Fresh off staging a smooth, well-attended 2026 tournament, the federation formally requested the right to keep the competition on home soil. CECAFA’s Executive Committee, chaired by president Paulos Weldehaimanot Andemariam, said yes – pointing to Rwanda’s stadiums, logistics and organisational polish as the deciding factors.

That means Kigali will have hosted the Kagame Cup for three straight editions by the time 2028 wraps up, a remarkable turnaround for a city that had gone quiet on the tournament calendar since 2019.

A final worth remembering

If CECAFA needed proof that Rwanda could carry a tournament, the 2026 final gave them all they needed. Hosts Rayon Sports staged a homecoming for the ages, edging record continental heavyweights Gor Mahia 2-1 after extra time at a newly renovated Amahoro Stadium. It was Rayon’s second Kagame Cup crown; and the kind of storyline broadcasters dream of.

Twelve clubs chased the trophy across a tournament that ran from July 24 to August 7, split between Amahoro Stadium and the Kigali Pelé Stadium. The field read like a who’s-who of the region: Kenyan champions Gor Mahia, Tanzania’s Simba SC and Singida Black Stars, Ugandan champions Vipers SC, and Sudan’s Al Hilal and Al Merriekh, alongside Rwanda’s own Rayon Sports and APR FC.

The Kagame Cup isn’t just silverware bragging rights; it’s a proving ground. For clubs across the CECAFA zone, the tournament doubles as a tune-up before continental campaigns in the CAF Champions League and CAF Confederation Cup, giving squads competitive minutes against regional rivals before the bigger stage comes calling.

That’s part of why multi-year hosting matters so much right now. The competition has weathered rocky seasons in the past, with funding and logistical hiccups occasionally threatening its rhythm. By locking in one host for consecutive years, CECAFA is betting on stability: steadier planning, stronger sponsorship conversations, and a tournament that feels less improvised and more premium each time it kicks off.

Kagame’s country, Kagame’s cup

The tournament has carried the name of Rwandan President Paul Kagame since 2002, and his government’s backing has been a constant thread through its more turbulent years. Now, with Rwanda holding the hosting rights outright through 2028, the symbolism is hard to miss: the cup returns home, and home is where it’s staying, for now.

CECAFA has already signalled it isn’t done expanding its footprint either, inviting member associations to throw their hats in the ring to host the Senior Challenge Cup, its other flagship competition.

For Rwandan football, though, the immediate story is simpler and sweeter. Amahoro Stadium’s lights will shine on the Kagame Cup again in 2027, and again in 2028: and after the drama Rayon Sports delivered this August, the region will be watching closely to see if home advantage can work its magic twice more.

The post Kigali’s football renaissance: Rwanda locks in CECAFA Kagame Cup through 2028 appeared first on SportsAfrica - Sports news | Live scores | Match highlights | Betting tips.

Highlighting his versatility for the All Blacks, coach Dave Rennie backs Rieko Ioane on Saturday to rip into the Vodacom Bulls and stake a claim for a Test spot next week.

Ioane, who has 88 caps for New Zealand, started on the wing against the Stormers last week but will run out at outside centre for the Loftus Versfeld clash.

The 29-year-old starred with a try in Cape Town, proving his worth after being omitted from Rennie’s first squad of 2026 following a sabbatical at Leinster.

Rennie admits Ioane’s expertise and adaptability makes him a contender for the opening Test of the Rugby’s Greatest Rivalry series against the Springboks next Saturday.

ALSO: All Blacks shed light on crocked stars

“I didn’t have much to do with Rieko prior to him going, but he’s been excellent since he’s come in. He’s been dynamic with the ball in hand,” the Kiwi boss said.

“He had a few issues under the high ball, which won’t be an issue as a midfielder, and he’s contributing on defence. Having a player who’s played as many Tests as he has brings a lot of experience.

“No doubt he’ll be trying to stake a claim for a Test spot next week.

“Primarily, we brought him over with the thinking that he’s a winger who could cover centre, and now he’s probably going to be a centre,” he added.

“He’s just realistic that wherever the opportunity lies, he gets to play.”

MORE: Rennie reveals Richie return plan

On the broader selection picture, Rennie said Saturday’s match against the Bulls could sway his thinking for the Bok showdown.

“You always go into the week with a group of guys in mind, but there are a number of spots where performances this weekend could tilt our thinking,” the coach noted.

“The side we’re playing against the Bulls will be quite different to the first Test team, but there’ll be a number of guys against the Bulls who will back up again.

“Even looking at our wingers, there are some tough decisions there as well. That’s what you want. The job of the players playing this weekend is to apply pressure.”

MALLETT: Bulls will play for coach, fans

Photo: Ashley Vlotman/Gallo Images

The post Rieko has ‘realistic’ chance of tackling Boks appeared first on SA Rugby magazine.