Some of you have been here since 2004. Genuinely — since 2004. Since Jake White, since 42–33, since forums had post counts in the header and avatars that were 60 pixels wide. Some of you have argued with the same three people for two decades and, remarkably, are still on speaking terms with them.
I wanted to say something before you start clicking around.
Ruckers has needed a new home for a while. The old site had done twenty years of honest work, but it was starting to creak — slow to load, awkward on phones, and behind on all the things forums are supposed to do now. So I rebuilt it. Every thread you've ever posted, every reply, every "?" avatar of someone who hasn't logged in since 2011 — all of it is here. Nothing was lost. That was rule one.
A few things you'll notice:
The site is quick now. Really quick — tabs switch without reloading, threads load instantly. It works properly on your phone. Threads are sorted by latest activity, so a good argument stays near the top where it belongs. You can @mention someone (their inbox lights up), tag a thread with [#springboks](/tag/springboks) or whatever, and reply to a specific post in a conversation. There's a proper editor that handles images, YouTube embeds, and — for the spelling-challenged among us — an AI button that fixes typos without changing your voice. Even Rooinek should benefit.
Fixtures now scroll along the top of every page (URC, Currie Cup, Rugby Championship, the lot). Official articles have their own home under News, and Tom and Jonas are still writing — with better company arriving soon.
Some things I want to say plainly.
Your account still works. Log in with the email you registered with — or use Google if it's easier. Your username, your post history, your reputation among the regulars — all of it followed you here.
If something's broken, tell us. I'd rather hear about a bug than have it sit there.
And to the people who've been showing up for twenty years to argue about lineouts and coaching and whether the Bulls will ever get their scrum sorted — thank you. Genuinely. The site was worth rebuilding because of you.
See you in the threads.
Yours in rugga
Ed
PS: If you are having any issues on the site, please be kind - instead of ranting, drop us an email ed@ruckersforum.com