The rugby community in Bloemfontein and the Free State is in mourning following the passing of Oom Tat Botha.

Widely regarded as a legend of the game, Botha was well-known for identifying and recruiting many of South Africa’s future Springboks to play their rugby for the University of the Free State Shimlas and the Toyota Cheetahs.

Botha passed away on Sunday morning at the age of 79 after a lengthy illness.

Springbok and Cheetahs great Ruan Pienaar told OFM Sport that Botha had a profound impact on his career, as well as the careers of many other players.

The T20 Knockout final between the Flexbrands Knights and Eastern Cape Iinyathi in Bloemfontein will resume on Monday morning after rain brought an early close to play.

On Sunday, the Knights won the toss at the Mangaung Oval and elected to have a bat first. The Knights were on 92/3 after 10.2 overs when the umpires asked the players to leave the park due to lightning in the vicinity.

Captain Malusi Siboto told OFM Sport that it's definitely not ideal, but they do already have runs on the board.

The Eastern Cape Iinyathi are confident and ready ahead of the CSA T20 Knockout final on Sunday when they face the Flex-Brands Knights at the Mangaung Oval in Bloemfontein.

It will be the second time in less than a week that these two sides go head-to-head in Bloemfontein after the Knights edged the team from East London by 3 runs via the Duckworth-Lewis-Stern method on Tuesday in Qualifier 1.

Earlier in the competition, Border managed to beat Free State by 4 wickets at Buffalo Park, and Sunday’s final will truly be a decider between the two top teams, as well as the most dominant sides in the competition.

Captain Nathan Roux told OFM Sport that while they have travelled a lot in the last week, they will be fresh and ready for one last big push, and they are excited by the challenge.

The two-time Rugby World Cup-winning Springbok hooker Malcolm Marx became the fourth South African to be crowned the World Rugby Men’s 15s Player of the Year on Saturday.

Marx’s outstanding season was capped off with the sport’s highest individual accolade after being nominated for the prestigious award for the second time.

Marx said that while he is thrilled to be recognised for his achievements on the field, rugby remains a team sport, and the honour is rooted in a collective effort.

The Springboks reaffirmed their status as the world’s number one team with a commanding 24-13 victory over Ireland at the Aviva Stadium in Dublin on Saturday, breaking a long-standing hoodoo.

This highly anticipated Test, part of the End-of-Year tour, saw the South Africans secure their first win in Dublin since 2012, largely powered by an unstoppable scrum and a relentless defensive effort.

Coach Rassie Erasmus reflects on his teams fourth straight win on tour.

The Springboks are preparing for what could be a season-shaping Test on Saturday when they meet Ireland in Dublin. Both teams understand the significance of this clash for their seasons.

It’s the first time since July last year that these two giants of the game will clash, and the Irish will feel confident after beating the Wallabies 46-19 a week earlier, while in their last meeting with the Springboks they edged a 25-24 win at Kings’ Park in Durban. Supporters on both sides expect an intense and tightly contested encounter.

Springbok captain Siya Kolisi said there is a reason they haven’t beaten the Irish in the Land of Saints and Scholars for more than 12 years, and they are preparing for another gruelling contest against a team that usually manages to fire itself up much like the South Africans.

The former Toyota Cheetahs winger and Blitzboks star David Brits chats about the upcoming Dubai Series and the season that lies ahead.

The Proteas have been dealt a blow ahead of the second and final Test against India, with fast bowler Kagiso Rabada ruled out through injury. The Test gets underway on Saturday morning in Guwahati, and the current crop of Proteas are on the brink of writing the next chapter in their own history.

Proteas captain Temba Bavuma said they’re keeping their cards close to their chest until they’ve properly assessed the surface – which, notably, has never hosted a Test before.

Die Suzuki Griekwas-spoedvraat, Dylan Maart, is slaggereed en opgewonde om sy staal op ’n hoër vlak in die Verenigde Rugbykampioenskap te wys.

Na afloop van die Poubloues se Curriebeker-veldtog, waar hulle die wêreld se oudste plaaslike rugby toernooi vir die eerste keer in 55 jaar gewen het, is Maart, saam met Gurwin Wehr, na die Kaap gelok om met die Stormers te oefen.

Maart het aan OFM Sport gesê dit is ’n groot geleentheid wat hom opgewonde maak, en hy gaan dit sonder twyfel met albei hande aangryp.

The Springbok lock, RG Snyman, will reach his 50th cap for South Africa on Saturday when he comes off the bench during the eagerly anticipated Test against Ireland in Dublin.

While the Test will be played on Snyman’s home field, coach Rassie Erasmus has opted to play the towering second-rower off the bench, as is the norm, providing cover for Ruan Nortjé who starts alongside Eben Etzebeth.

Speaking about Snyman’s milestone game, Erasmus said they hope to make it a memorable occasion for the 2,06m tall player.