CAPE TOWN, SOUTH AFRICA - JANUARY 24: Yaw Penx of the Sharks during the United Rugby Championship match between DHL Stormers and Hollywoodbets Sharks at DHL Stadium on January 24, 2026 in Cape Town, South Africa. (Photo by Ashley Vlotman/Gallo Images)
The Sharks and Bulls emerged as the big winners from the weekend’s United Rugby Championship action, while the Stormers slipped from first to second on the table after suffering their first defeat of the tournament.
The Lions, meanwhile, remained seventh following a second consecutive draw.
The headline fixture saw the Sharks stun the previously unbeaten Stormers 30-19 in front of a sold-out Cape Town Stadium.
After eight straight URC wins, the Stormers squandered several chances and were hampered by two yellow cards – one for repeated infringements and another for a high tackle – as they were outplayed by their coastal rivals.
The defeat allowed Glasgow Warriors to move to the top of the standings, although the Scottish side are only three points clear of the Stormers after playing one more match.
The Sharks climbed from 14th to 11th on the log with just their third win of the campaign. Interim head coach JP Pietersen, who now has four wins from six matches since taking charge, warned that the Stormers would respond strongly in the return fixture in Durban this weekend.
“I think the contest was good. Aerially, defensively, set-piece-wise, it was good,” Pietersen said. “We took our opportunities more than they did. They had some unforced errors when they got into the 22, and they will kick themselves.
“They created opportunities but couldn’t finish, and they will definitely come back harder next week.”
Bulls break Edinburgh hoodoo
The Bulls secured back-to-back wins for the first time since the opening two rounds of the URC three months ago, following up their Champions Cup victory over Pau with a hard-fought 19-17 win against Edinburgh in cold, wet and windy conditions at Hive Stadium.
It was the Bulls’ first-ever win in Edinburgh, achieved on their fourth attempt.
Head coach Johan Ackermann praised his side’s resilience after they moved from 11th to ninth on the table, but cautioned against reading too much into the result.
“Everything that we spoke about, the players executed in the second half,” Ackermann said after his team overturned a 17-5 halftime deficit, scoring two tries and keeping Edinburgh scoreless after the break.
“It wasn’t pretty, but we’ll take it. The mood is positive, but there’s still a lot of work to be done. It’s only another game, and there’s a lot of rugby left this season.”
The Bulls will be without Cheswill Jooste and Sebastian de Klerk for their derby against the Lions at Ellis Park next weekend, with both players sidelined under concussion protocols.
Lions remain seventh on URC table
The Lions were forced to settle for a 24-24 draw with Ospreys, following their 20-20 stalemate with Perpignan the previous week.
Battling difficult conditions, the Johannesburg side struggled for momentum until the second half. They will rue a period when Ospreys dominated, and scored, while down to 14 men.
A scrappy final 10 minutes saw both teams miss chances to win, including a late Lions opportunity when Angelo Davids failed to gather a slippery grubber kick.
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