Eben Etzebeth closing in on his 12 week ban

Springboks lock, Eben Etzebeth's twelve week ban is coming to an end. He has missed 11 matches with the Sharks since the start of December 2025, which included four Investic Champions Cup fixtures and seven URC matches.

This weekends match against Cardiff will be the 12th and final game of his suspension. He will be free to to play in the sides round 16 match of the Challenge Cup against Connacht next week.

It will be a welcome return for head coach JP Pietersen and his charges ahead of what will be a challenging run to the end of the season.

The Sharks are ranked 11th overall on the URC standings and effectively need to win their remaining matches in the competition.

Etzebeth’s return will be a huge boost for the club that is enduring an injury crisis of sorts with several Springboks on the sidelines, including the likes of Aphelele Fassi, Bongi Mbonambi, Grant Williams and Siya Kolisi, who were all named amongst the players not considered for selection due to injury for the meeting against Cardiff.

If the Sharks are to overcome Connacht and progress to the quarter-finals of the Challenge Cup on Good Friday, they will face one of Montpellier or Perpignan in the quarter-finals of the EPCR competition the following weekend.

The Durbanites are the only South African team left in the Challenge Cup as the Lions failed to reach the knockout stages, while the Stormers and Bulls will face RC Toulon and the Glasgow Warriors, respectively, in the Champions Cup last-16.