How Springbok Call Ups Affected the Bulls, Stormers and Sharks in the United Rugby Championships

• The Hollywoodbets Sharks are the South African side without the most number of players in France
• The Vodacom Bulls top the URC table after the first week thanks to their superior points difference
• South Africa will battle New Zealand in the final of the 2023 Rugby World Cup for the Webb Ellis Cup

The Rugby World Cup is reaching the business end of the tournament, as a champion will be crowned on Saturday, October 28.

New Zealand will face South Africa in the final for the Webb Ellis Cup and the right to be called World Champions.

While the global showpiece is coming to an end, the United Rugby Championship is just getting started.

The tournament, which features 16 teams from five nations (Ireland, Wales, South Africa, Italy and Scotland), got underway this past weekend and will continue until June 22, 2024.

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Football

With the URC underway while the World Cup is ongoing, the South African sides have really suffered, as some of their stars are still in France.

Sports Brief looks at which teams have players away on national duty and how it affected them in the URC.

DHL Stormers

The Western Cape side started their URC campaign with a hard-fought win over fellow South African side, the Emirates Lions.

Playing away from home, the Stormers secured a 35-33 win in a game which saw nine tries scored between the two sides, the Stormers’ website confirmed.

Stormers stars in the Bok squad

While the Lions don’t have any players on national duty, The Stormers are without Frans Malherbe, Deon Fourie, Manie Libbok and Damian Willemse.

Vodacom Bulls

The Bulls may be without four of their players at the start of the tournament, but that didn’t stop them from running riot in the first game.

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As noted by SA Rugby Mag, the Bulls beat the Scarlets 63-21 in Pretoria. The big win takes them to the top, thanks to their superior points difference.

Bulls’ stars in the Bok squad

Marco van Staden, Kurt-Lee Arendse, Willie le Roux and Canan Moodie are now in France with the national side.

Hollywoodbets Sharks

The KwaZulu-Natal side are without the most players currently representing the Boks, which showed during their first game against Munster.

The defending URC champions suffered a 34-21 defeat to the Irish side in Ireland, Times LIVE reported.

Sharks’ players in the Bok squad

Vincent Kock, Ox Nche, Bongi Mbonambi, Eben Etzebeth, Jaden Hendrikse, Grant Williams and Lukhanyo Am are also . Am, the Sharks captain, was a late replacement for the injured Makazole Mapimpi, who is also a Sharks player.