Kimi Antonelli became the youngest ever Formula 1 World Champion as third place in the Mexico City Grand Prix was enough for the Mercedes driver to claim the 2026 crown, with Max Verstappen taking race victory from Lewis Hamilton. Antonelli entered Sunday's 71-lap race at the Autódromo Hermanos Rodríguez needing only to finish ninth to claim a maiden F1 title, regardless of where rivals Hamilton and Mercedes teammate George Russell finished. The 20-year-old started fourth and

As the sun began to sink on day two of the 2026 Dakar Youth Olympic Games, Team SA will have swimmer Leah Markgraaff to celebrate for getting the medals momentum, while the boys Sevens squad flexed their muscles ahead of what’s to come on the rugby field, where they have reached the semi-finals. Markgraaff got Team SA on the medals table when she powered down the lanes to pick up the silver medal in the 400m freestyle at the 2026 Youth Olympic Games. In the relentless low 30°

A career-best 114 from Hanu Viljoen wasn't enough as the Dafabet Boland batters chased down 175 to claim a final over seven wicket victory over the Hollywoodbets Dolphins in the YesPlay Pro20 Cup at Hollywoodbets Kingsmead Stadium on Sunday. The Dolphins found themselves in early trouble after being sent in to bat, with the Boland bowling attack making an immediate impact to reduce the hosts to just 12/3 inside the fourth over. Glenton Stuurman struck first when Romashan Pill

Leinster Rugby's Joey Carbery. Inpho Photography There are new leaders in the URC in the shape of Glasgow Warriors who are now the only unbeaten team in the competition. They went top on Friday night by claiming a 29-20 bonus point win over the 10Bet Lions at Scotstoun and stayed there with previous frontrunners Edinburgh Rugby going down to their first defeat of the season at the hands of Benetton Rugby. For the second round in a row, Glasgow left it late. Last weekend, they

Gary Player (left) congratulates the winning team of Linda van der Nest, James Mack, Kade Wolhuter and Rainier van der Nest. GVPI Giving is better than receiving and Gary Player was – as always – in a giving mood on his 91st birthday on Sunday. The Grand Slam golfer gave a quick lesson on the practice range that helped the team of Sunshine Tour professional James Mack, rugby star Kade Wolhuter and business leaders Linda van der Nest and Rainier van der Nest claim victory in t

Casandra Alexander from South Africa won the Wistron Ladies Open at Sunrise Golf and Country Club in Chinese Taipei on Sunday. LET/Maria Beautell South Africa’s Casandra Alexander put on a show on the final day of the Wistron Ladies Open winning by three strokes after a final round of 64 (-8) at Sunrise Golf and Country Club. The South African star led after a 64 on the first day of action in Chinese Taipei and produced rounds of 71-68-64 over the next three days to win with

We are watching a master at work. 80 MotoGP victories. A third at the PETRONAS Grand Prix of Malaysia. And now, staring down the barrel of a first match point at the Lusail International Circuit next weekend. Marc Marquez (Ducati Lenovo Team), by a dominant 4.1s, marched to a seventh win of 2026 to take one giant leap towards sticking another plaque on the famous Tower of Champions. It’s now a healthy 44-point lead the seven-time MotoGP King has over injured rival Jorge Marti

The Vodacom Bulls, DHL Stormers and Hollywoodbets Sharks all recorded good victories in the fifth round of the Vodacom United Rugby Championship to remain in the top four spots on the log as the competition goes into a break for the Nations Championship this month. Unfortunately, the 10bet Lions went down to the only unbeaten team left in the competition when the Glasgow Warriors won their match by 29-20 on Friday evening. On Saturday, the Stormers shifted gears after the bre

The first day of action at the 2026 Youth Olympic Games in the Senegalese capital saw Team SA involved in two different sports, with action concluded before all roads led to the Abdoulaye Wade Stadium for Saturday’s opening ceremony. Callum Dreyer had a smart start to his Games when he qualified in fourth in the first of the rowing coastal beach sprints solo time trials but the beach volleyball pair of Evra King and Duncan Davids lost their opening Pool D match against Norway

The Springbok Women did not finish their season the way they wanted but for the team’s co-head coaches, Laurian Johannes-Haupt and Franzel September, a lot of growth, the building of depth in certain positions, and some crucial wins along the way were massive positives, although both admitted their defeat to Ireland in Cape Town on Saturday was disappointing. The Bok coaches were quick to congratulate Ireland on their 38-17 victory at Athlone Stadium, where they finished stro

Rolene Strauss. GVPI A weekend united in giving back was the perfect inspiration for this field of Sunshine Tour professionals, sports stars, celebrities and business leaders on what was one of the most competitive opening rounds in the history of the Gary and Vivienne Player Invitational at the Lost City Golf Club on Saturday. A magnificent day at Sun City also helped to bring out the best in the golfers for this 36-hole tournament, which annually raises funds for the Gary a

The Vodacom Bulls U20 were crowned the champions of the 2026 SA Rugby U20 Cup after defeating the Fidelity ADT Lions by 43-40 in a thrilling final in Pretoria on Saturday. In a match that delivered 13 tries and several momentum swings, the hosts built a 29-19 first-half lead before withstanding a spirited fightback by their Gauteng neighbours to secure the national title. The home side struck early when Migael Turner crossed for the opening try inside the first few minutes, w

The Springbok Women suffered yet another frustrating defeat against Ireland at Athlone Stadium in Cape Town, with the visitors winning their WXV Global Series clash by 38-17 (half-time 14-10) on Saturday afternoon. Their experience again paved the way for the visitors, and while the South Africans showed glimpses of what they can do, they made too many mistakes and conceded too many penalties against the fifth-ranked team in the world. Despite playing against the stiff breeze

The DHL Stormers scored five tries on their way to a 33-7 bonus point win against Ulster in their Vodacom United Rugby Championhip encounter at DHL Stadium on Saturday. That makes it four consecutive bonus point wins at home in October heading into the international break. Ulster scored first but that was to be their only contribution on the scoreboard as the hosts ran away with it in the end. The game got off to a tense start, with several handling errors in the warm conditi

Kagiso Rabada breathed fire in his opening spell, while Simon Harmer confounded the batters with his turn to guide South Africa to a famous win in Cape Town. With this, South Africa won the series 2-1. This was a remarkable result as the Proteas had lost the opening Test by a hefty margin, before they fought back to win the series. The result helped South Africa overtake Australia to become the No.1 ranked side in the ICC Men's Test Team Rankings, and also helped push Austral

World Rugby has announced New Zealand forwards Kaipo Olsen-Baker and Elinor-Plum King as the winners of two of the most coveted individual accolades in women's rugby, recognising their exceptional performances throughout the 2026 international season. Black Ferns back-row Olsen-Baker has been named World Rugby Women's 15s Player of the Year 2026, while teammate King has been crowned World Rugby Women's 15s Breakthrough Player of the Year 2026, highlighting the exceptional dep

Bo Reed and Duncan Davids. Team SA/SASCOC Media Team SA’s campaign at the 2026 Dakar Youth Olympics officially gets under way when Duncan Davids and Bo Reed carry the nation’s flag at Saturday’s opening ceremony in the Abdoulaye Wade Stadium. The two 17-year-olds, from beach volleyball and equestrian show jumping respectively, were announced as flagbearers for the first-ever Olympic event to be held on the African continent. In making the announcement, Team SA chef de mission

Is this when Liverpool launch title challenge? Liverpool’s form has sneaked up out of nowhere. An apparently wobbly start to the campaign had left pundits assuming Andoni Iraola's team cannot challenge for the title this season, and yet on closer inspection there are very few barriers to a challenge. Indeed three wins in their last four Premier League matches have slowly changed perceptions, not least because their new front four – Bradley Barcola, Florian Wirtz, Cody Gakpo,

The excitement in the air is tangible as Dakar gets ready to host the first ever Olympic event on African soil, with the fourth Youth Olympics getting under way on Saturday. Among the 46 athletes representing Team SA across 15 sports is Evra King. He is the second half of the pair from boys beach volleyball, along with Duncan Davids. King spoke about his unexpected transition to beach volleyball and the quick progression he has made in the sport ahead of these Games. The 17-y

Centuries from Ryan Rickelton and Wiaan Mulder helped South Africa stage a magnificent lower-order fightback, leaving Australia a formidable target of 288 runs to win the ICC World Test Championship 2025/27 series-deciding third Test at Newlands in Cape Town. Resuming their second innings under pressure at 140/4 on the fourth morning, South Africa were eventually bowled out for 387 in 134.4 overs. The hosts' total was anchored by a heroic 154-run partnership for the sixth wic

Netball South Africa President Mami Diale with her Executive Committee, Government delegation as well as some of the players who modelled the Netball Friday merchandise. With only 300 days to go before the first centre pass at the 2027 Netball World Cup in Sydney, Netball South Africa launched the Road to Sydney Campaign and Netball Friday initiative. Mall of Africa’s Crystal Court was a hive of activity on Friday with government officials, sponsors, netball players and membe

The Springbok Women experienced a mixed bag of emotions this week as they prepared to take on Ireland in the WXV Global Series, a week after being defeated 40-27 at Athlone Stadium, the same venue for the second Test on Saturday. According to Bok Women captain Sizophila Solontsi, there was frustration because they had to wait for a week for the opportunity to right the wrongs, but the week also provided some time for reflection on how much they played against themselves with

Gary Player. GVPI Bryson DeChambeau has called him a “force for good”, and a selection of sports stars, celebrities, Sunshine Tour professionals and business leaders will similarly seek to join forces with Gary Player and support his drive for a better South Africa in this weekend’s Gary and Vivienne Player Invitational at Sun City. The 36-hole tournament, to be played at the Lost City Golf Club on Saturday and Sunday, will once again raise vital funds for the Blair Atholl Pr

African Collaborations Group (ACG) (www.ACGafrica.com), the leading strategic project origination and collaboration platform focused on the industrialisation of sport in Africa through the origination of bankable sport and entertainment district ecosystems, today announced the appointment of João Peseiro Monteiro to its Advisory Board. Peseiro Monteiro is a leading broadcast and media sports events consultant who has contributed to the production and broadcast operations of m

YesPlay Cobras' Faye Tunnicliffe is ahead of the pack with the bat in the Hollywoodbets Pro50 Series. CSA The first month of the Hollywoodbets Pro Series has produced a number of standout performances, with some of South Africa’s leading international and domestic cricketers making their mark in both the Hollywoodbets Pro50 and Pro20 Series. From three centuries on the opening day to match-winning five-wicket hauls, the country’s premier women’s domestic competition has deliv

Three of South Africa's leading amateur golfers, Charlotte Millard, Isabella Ferreira and Lourenda Steyn, will fly the flag for the country in the 2026 All Africa Challenge Trophy at the IBB International Golf and Country Club in Abuja, Nigeria from 2-7 November. The All Africa Challenge Trophy is one of the continent's premier women's amateur team championships, bringing together leading players from across Africa to compete for continental honours. The trio heading to West

The 2026 Pick n Pay Gold Cup will be remembered not only as a tournament that took club rugby to new heights but also one which offered a tantalising glimpse into the future of the community game in South Africa. This is the view of long-time Northam Platinum Rhinos coach, Flip de Kock, who watched on as an ambitious plan hatched a decade ago finally came to fruition in Durban last Sunday, when the Limpopo-based mining club lifted the iconic trophy for the first time in their

The Hollywoodbets Dolphins are looking to carry their positive momentum into the Super 8 phase of the YesPlay Pro20 Cup when they host Dafabet Boland at Hollywoodbets Kingsmead Stadium on Sunday. The Dolphins enjoyed a largely consistent round-robin campaign, despite suffering two defeats and head coach Quinton Friend believes his side is in a good position as the competition enters a crucial new phase. With the standard expected to rise and a place in the semi-finals up for

WXV Global Series SOUTH AFRICA v IRELAND – ATHLONE STADIUM, CAPE TOWN (3PM) The match will be streamed live on RugbyPass TV where no local broadcaster REFEREE NOTES Jess Ling (Australia) Test debut: 1 May, 2022 – Fiji 14-28 Japan Tests as referee: 10 Jess Ling will take charge of this fixture for the second time, having overseen Ireland’s 40-27 victory at this venue last weekend. This is the third time she will referee South Africa this year after taking charge of their 55-

A continuing partnership between Lithuania’s ISM University of Management and Economics and South African organisations is creating opportunities for senior executives to apply their current studies to real business challenges, exchange international perspectives and contribute to organisational development. Led by Dr Audronė Nakrošienė, Associate Professor and Director of ISM’s Executive MBA programme, the initiative brings Executive MBA participants to South Africa for cons

Rugby's biggest global celebration will showcase the game in all its forms in 2027, with the World Wheelchair Rugby Cup set to take centre stage in Brisbane alongside Men's Rugby World Cup 2027. Rugby's biggest global celebration will showcase the game in all its forms in 2027, with the World Wheelchair Rugby Cup set to take centre stage in Brisbane alongside Men's Rugby World Cup 2027. Taking place from 25-29 October 2027 between the Round of 16 and quarterfinals of Men's Ru

The Confédération Africaine de Football (“CAF”) Executive Committee (“EXCO”) has unanimously decided that the CAF Africa Cup of Nations (“AFCON”) will return to taking place every two years. The President of CAF Dr Patrice Motsepe announced at the CAF Strategy Conference in Cabo Verde which was held from 7-9 October 2026, that the CAF EXCO would be re-assessing and reconsidering the decision it took last year, for the AFCON to take place every four years. This reassessment an

Nathan Lyon ended South Africa captain Temba Bavuma’s resistance in the middle as Australia closed Day 3 of the third ICC World Test Championship Test in an advantageous position. With a 40-run lead in the second innings, the Proteas are four wickets down in the second innings at the score of 140. The hosts had mounted an impressive display earlier on Day 3, restricting Australia to 429 after they began the day’s play with six wickets in hand and 330 runs on the board. Josh I

SASCOC Acting President Lwandile Simelane. The South African Sports Confederation, Olympic and Paralympic Committee (SASCOC) announced Durban as South Africa's preferred Host City for the proposed 2036/2040 Olympic and Paralympic Games on Thursday. It is a milestone in the country's ambition to bring the world's greatest sporting celebration to African soil for the first time. Addressing the media, SASCOC Acting President Lwandile Simelane said the ambition rests on a simple

The 10bet Lions take on Scottish outfit Glasgow Warriors in Round 5 of the Vodacom United Rugby Championship on Friday. Kick off at the Scotstoun is at 9.45pm (SAst) Following last week’s stumble against Edinburgh, the Johannesburg side go into Friday’s fixture eager to end off a difficult tour on a high before travelling back to South Africa. Head coach Ivan Rooyen, in his team selection, has opted for a new-look front row which sees SJ Kotze (loosehead), Tiaan Lange (hooker

The Hollywoodbets Sharks take on Munster in their third tour match on Saturday and following their EPCR Challenge Cup win over Lyon and Vodacom United Rugby Championship victory over Cardiff, could pull off a remarkable and enviable record on the road this Saturday. For prop Thomas du Toit coming back to the Sharks after a lengthy stint with Bath in the UK, this is the kind of opportunity he relishes. “My experience has been great coming back, the guys have been very welcomin

The Springbok Women will be without Sanelisiwe Charlie for their final Test of the year, while the team’s co-coaches, Laurian Johannes-Haupt and Franzel September, decided to make a number of tweaks to the starting team to face Ireland at Athlone Stadium in Cape Town on Saturday. The Test is the second against Ireland in the WXV Global Series, with several changes to the side that came up short 40-27 last weekend. Charlie sustained a serious knee injury at training in the wee

South Africa U19 Women head coach Dinesha Devnarain is looking forward to the ICC U19 Women’s T20 World Cup, taking place in Bangladesh and Nepal from 21 January-6 February 2027, following the recent announcement of the tournament schedule and group-stage opponents. South Africa, who hosted the inaugural edition in 2023 and reached the final in 2025, have been drawn in Group B alongside New Zealand, Samoa and Pakistan, whom they faced in a successful Youth T20 International (

The Vodacom Bulls have made 13 changes to their match-day 23 for Saturday’s final home Vodacom United Rugby Championship fixture of 2026 against the Scarlets at Loftus Versfeld. In all, there are eight changes to the starting XV, with coach Johan Ackermann reshaping the line-up following last week's outing. Having been cleared on a disciplinary charge after being cited this week, regular captain Marcell Coetzee will play off the bench. In the backline, Willie le Roux returns

Hollywoodbets Sharks head coach JP Pietersen. Inpho Photography It’s the team that gave JP Pietersen everything and shaped him for the better as a person. Now he is looking to give back to the Hollywoodbets Sharks as head coach. Pietersen made 197 appearances for the Durban-based side over two spells and it was the launchpad for him winning 70 caps for the Springboks, sharing in the 2007 World Cup triumph. Now the former winger is at the coaching helm at King’s Park and doing

The four South African sides participating in the Vodacom United Rugby Championship will be gearing up for big battles this weekend, as the cross-hemisphere competition heads for a break for the Nations Championship next month. The Vodacom Bulls and DHL Stormers will be looking to make the most of their last home games before the Nations Championship break, while the Hollywoodbets Sharks and 10bet Lions will be determined to finish their overseas legs on a high note against q

Matt Renshaw and Cameron Green scored gritty half-centuries in a 126-run third-wicket partnership to stabilize Australia’s batting order in the deciding fixture of the ICC World Test Championship series against South Africa. Replying to South Africa's first-innings total of 329, the visitors were 184 for 2 before Marco Jansen broke through on Day 2 of the Cape Town Test. The pacer first dismissed Renshaw for a hard-fought 74, which also marked Jansen’s 100th wicket in Test cr

African Collaborations Group (ACG) (www.ACGafrica.com), the leading strategic project origination and collaboration platform focused on the industrialisation of sport in Africa through the origination of bankable sport and entertainment district ecosystems, today announced the appointment of Lee Martin to its Advisory Board. Martin has worked as a Senior Advisor to the Executive Committee of Getty Images, one of the world’s leading visual content companies and the official vi

Scarlets' Gareth Anscombe. Inpho Photography It was 12 years ago this week that Gareth Anscombe first arrived in Wales amid a blaze of publicity. He had come over from New Zealand to join Cardiff having been targeted by Warren Gatland after sharing in the Chiefs’ 2013 Super Rugby title triumph, starting at fullback in the final. The Auckland-born Anscombe had represented the land of his birth at U20s level, starring at flyhalf as the Kiwis won the 2011 Junior World Championsh

Ospreys' Sam Parry. Inpho Photography Sam Parry has joined a very select group by scoring his 50th try for the Ospreys. The Welsh international hooker brought up his half century when he touched down during last Saturday’s 31-14 bonus point victory over Dragons RFC at St Helen’s. That saw him join wing legend Shane Williams (57), fullback Dan Evans (52), scrumhalf Rhys Webb (51) and current winger Keelan Giles (51) in the exclusive 50-club. As the first forward to reach the m

The stakes are rising in the YesPlay Pro20 Cup, with the Catch Prize increasing from R2-million to R3-million as the competition enters the Super 8 stage, where eight teams will battle it out for a place in the semi-finals. WSB Eastern Storm and Garden Route Badgers are the only Division 2 teams to progress to the Super 8 stage, earning the opportunity to test themselves against some of the country’s leading domestic sides. With home fixtures on the horizon, both teams are ca

The DHL Stormers team to face Ulster in a Vodacom United Rugby Championship encounter at DHL Stadium on Saturday features 10 changes and one positional switch. The Stormers will be looking to make it four consecutive home wins when they face the Irish outfit at 2.45pm on Saturday. Tickets are available from stormers.co.za. Ruhan Nel returns to lead the side from outside centre and will link up in midfield with Jonathan Roche, who has recovered from concussion. Warrick Gelant,

The Sharks have confirmed that the Club and Bongi Mbonambi have mutually agreed to bring his playing contract to an end with immediate effect. The decision follows constructive discussions between both parties and has been reached on amicable terms. Both parties appreciate the support shown by Sharks supporters and the wider rugby community. Sharks CEO Shaun Bryans said: “Bongi is a Rugby World Cup-winning Springbok whose contribution to South African rugby speaks for itself.

Jayden Schaper. The 10th edition of the AfrAsia Bank Mauritius Open will be a gathering of former champions at Mont Choisy Le Golf this December, with three past winners looking to make history in this Sunshine Tour and DP World Tour co-sanctioned event. South Africa’s Jayden Schaper returns as the defending champion following his thrilling victory last year at La Réserve Golf Links, where he chipped in to beat American Ryan Gerard in a play-off. He will be joined by England’

Springbok coach Rassie Erasmus on Wednesday named six uncapped players in a 37-man squad for the second leg of the Nations Championship in November, with Yaqeen Ahmed, Sebastian de Klerk, Luan Giliomee, Markus Muller, Riley Norton and Emmanuel Tshituka all earning their first national call-ups for the Boks’ last four Tests of the season. All six players have been involved in the Springbok set-up before. Ahmed, Giliomee, Muller and Tshituka represented the SA ‘A’ team against