Springbok assistant coach Mzwandile Stick said there was no place for complacency going into Saturday’s match against Italy at the Allianz Stadium, Turin, in their opening match of the Nations Championship Northern Series, saying the Boks have to be at their best against a determined Italian outfit. The Boks may be ranked higher than Italy on the world rankings, but Stick said this match was vital for the team to build momentum with two tough games against France and Ireland

NATIONS CHAMPIONSHIP 2026 SATURDAY – ITALY v SOUTH AFRICA @ ALLIANZ STADIUM, TURIN – KO 1.40PM (SAST) REFEREE NOTES Eoghan Cross (Ireland) Test debut: 18 December, 2021 – Netherlands 7-52 Spain Tests as referee: 12 Eoghan Cross will referee Italy for the first time with this fixture. South Africa won their only previous Test with the Irish official in the middle, beating Japan 61-7 at Wembley in November 2025. This will be Cross’ third Test of the year, having oversee

Can Man Utd build on dramatic European win when they host Villa? A stunning comeback from 2-0 down at home to Roma in the UEFA Champions League on Tuesday evening could be the electrifying win Manchester United need to kickstart their season. Matheus Cunha’s dramatic late winner was certainly one of the great Old Trafford moments in recent times. Michael Carrick will be desperate to ensure his side bottle that feeling and ride the momentum into Sunday’s headline game – which

Bo Reed, the Team SA flagbearer at the opening ceremony, came close to earning a medal at the Youth Olympics here on Friday but it was the equestrian equivalent of football’s penalty shoot-out, or golf’s sudden death play-off, which cruelly put paid to her hopes. The 17-year-old had gone into Friday’s final at the Equestrian Centre as one of the medal favourites. On Thursday, in the second of the qualifying rounds, she had topped the leaderboard on her horse Carrera De Groom,

Following a breakthrough year in 2025, the Springbok Women concluded their 2026 international season with more achievements, firsts and entries into the record books, while also leaving their mark on an ever-growing supporter base. Following their unprecedented top eight finish at last year’s Women’s Rugby World Cup in England, much was expected of the South Africans in 2026 and despite some injury setbacks and a change in their coaching structures during the season, the Bok

Former Springboks Jongi Nokwe and Keegan Daniel, as well as several retired provincial players are among 48 coaches from South Africa and two from Zimbabwe who have been invited to take part in World Rugby Level 3 coaching courses in Pretoria and Cape Town in November. SA Rugby is accelerating its efforts to delivering globally qualified coaches to the growing rugby community in the country, having last month, successfully concluded its first standalone World Rugby Level 3 co

Mark Alexander, the President of SA Rugby, expressed his condolences to the family of former South African Rugby Football Federation (SARFF) player Christie Noble, who passed away in the early hours of Friday morning at the age of 63, after a short illness. Noble’s contribution to South African rugby extended across several provincial unions and generations of players – he enjoyed a distinguished playing career, representing Western Province, WP Liga, Eastern Province and Nat

The 2026/27 Hollywoodbets Pro Series season returns for its fifth weekend of action as the Hollywoodbets Dolphins and Warriors host the DP World Lions and Fidelity Titans, respectively, in the Hollywoodbets Pro50 and Pro20 Series competitions on Saturday and Sunday. Entry to matches at Hollywoodbets Kingsmead Stadium in Durban and the Nelson Mandela University in Gqeberha will be free, with all games streamed live on Cricket South Africa’s YouTube channel. In the Dolphins’ cl

The 10bet Lions join a number of teams that have experienced loss on a personal level this season. 10bet Lions This year, there have been moments in rugby when we’ve been reminded that it is, after all, just a game. Moments when a loss has cut far deeper and has far more meaning than anything a scoreboard reflects on the field. As the All Blacks prepare for their Nations Championship clash with Scotland in Edinburgh this Saturday, they do so against the background of what a f

The Springbok Women’s Sevens ‘A’ side that will contest the 2026 Rugby Africa’s Women’s Sevens Cup in Kenya this weekend will leave no stone unturned to deliver the best results possible, not only for themselves, but also for the country. That is the view of team captain, Vianca Boer, who is confident that the talents and energy of her team will come to the fore when they take on Rwanda, Zimbabwe and Zambia in Pool A at the RFUEA Grounds in Nairobi on Saturday Six of the grou

BRIT Award-winning singer-songwriter Myles Smith is set to bring his tour to a blockbuster finale at Allianz Stadium, London, on Friday 27 November, headlining a packed weekend of live music and elite international rugby as the Nations Championship Finals Weekend takes over the capital. Fresh from a tour spanning England, Ireland, Scotland and Wales, the chart-topping British artist will bring his global hits, including Stargazing and Nice To Meet You, to one of the world's m

What began as a chance discovery hearing about an international design competition has taken Spanish designer Pilar Barbadillo Vicario all the way to the Dakar 2026 Youth Olympic Games (YOG). Watching the young athletes in Dakar receiving the medals she designed, Pilar felt as if she was truly part of the moment. “I feel as if I had won one of those medals myself. Athletes express themselves through sport, and for me, it's art,” she said. For Pilar Barbadillo Vicario, the mom

Eric Kotze has concluded his Youth Olympic campaign, signing off with a third final in as many events. The 17-year-old finished fourth in the 50m backstroke final, fifth in the 50m butterfly and eighth in the 50m freestyle. Despite missing out on the medals, Kotze was delighted with his performances after leaving the pool for the last time in Dakar. “I gave it my best shot and although I did not medal at this competition, I am extremely proud of myself and more fired up than

Luke Brown. Tyrone Winfield/Sunshine Tour Everybody wants to know the secret to Luke Brown’s current form on the Sunshine Tour. And quite frankly, so does Brown. “People have asked what I have done differently to suddenly be at the top of the leaderboard doing well. If I knew I would have done it four years ago,” Brown said after opening with a nine-under-par 63 at Country Club Johannesburg to share the first-round lead in the Telkom PGA Championship. Kyle de Beer, winner of

In three years of playing rugby, Siphesihle Marule and his twin brother Thubelihle, have climbed the ranks to play a significant role in the Team SA rugby sevens squad that won the silver medal at the 2026 Youth Olympic Games. Before the route to the final, in which Team SA went down narrowly to France for the gold medal, Marule spoke of the journey he and his brother have been on and the support they have received to help them overcome the adversities blocking their potentia

The Emirates Group (www.Emirates.com) today announced its half-year financial results, posting a profit before tax of AED4.1-billion ($1.1-billion) for the first six months of 2026-27, a remarkable performance against the disruption and high fuel prices caused by the ongoing conflict in the Gulf region. After accounting for income tax charges, the Group’s profit after tax is AED3.6-billion ($1-billion), down 66% from last year. Illustrating its strong operating performance, t

The United Rugby Championship is calling on ambitious young women from around the world to take the next step towards their future in sport, as applications open for the 2027 URC Women’s Leadership Academy (WLA). Because the future of sport needs more women leading it. And every great career begins with someone believing in your potential. Now entering its fifth year, the CVC-supported Academy has established itself as a powerful platform for aspiring female leaders, helping

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 Mike Dada to its Advisory Board. Dada is President and Founder of the All Africa Music Awards (AFRIMA), the continent's flagship music awards platform, established in 2014 in partnership

Around 50 guests, including business leaders from various industries, sat down for breakfast at tables positioned directly on the ice at The Grove Mall in Pretoria on Friday, 18 September, while South African figure skaters performed around them. The unusual setting was part of Evolution On Ice’s first Breakfast with Champions, organised to introduce potential sponsors to local skating talent and the support athletes need as they progress through the sport. Guests watched a p

Damian Willemse and Ruan Nortje made it clear that the Springboks would not underestimate Italy when the teams meet in Saturday’s Nations Championship Test in Turin and said a strong performance was vital to ensure that the Boks do everything in their power to stay in contention for a place in the final match of the competition. The top-ranked teams from the southern and northern hemisphere will meet in the final match of the inaugural competition on Sunday, 29 November in an

The Hollywoodbets Dolphins Ladies are looking forward to an important weekend of Hollywoodbets Pro Series action when they host the DP World Lions Ladies in a Hollywoodbets Pro50 and Pro20 double-header at Hollywoodbets Kingsmead Stadium on Saturday and Sunday. With the competition beginning to take shape, the Dolphins will be keen to make the most of home ground advantage against a traditionally strong Lions outfit as they look to build on the progress made during the openin

Betway SA20 is turning five and this summer the fans are the ones unwrapping the gifts, with tickets going on sale from today. The upcoming fifth season of South Africa’s premier T20 cricket League will take centre stage around the country from 17 January to 21 February 2027. To beat the “Janu-worry” blues, Betway SA20 is offering its loyal fans the opportunity to secure match tickets with prices starting at an incredibly low R50 for all opening matches and other selected mat

The Vodacom Bulls have announced the acquisition of World Rugby Player of the Year Malcolm Marx, who will join the club on a long-term contract with effect from July 2027. The signing is a major statement of intent from a team that, under coach Johan Ackermann, is building a formidable title-chasing squad. It follows the recent acquisition of Springbok loose forward Kwagga Smith. Marx (32) is a two-time Rugby World Cup winner with the Springboks (2019 and 2023) and one of the

Last season’s T20 Challenge winners Dafabet Warriors welcome Dafabet Boland to the Dafabet St George’s Park on Thursday evening in the YesPlay Pro20 Cup, in a repeat of 2025’s thrilling decider between the two teams. The final played at Boland Park in Paarl was one for the history books, with both sides finishing on 142 runs and Warriors edging it marginally in the Super Over to claim the title. The meeting in Gqeberha this evening will be the first between the sides in a T20

The Hollywoodbets Sharks are thrilled to announce the signing of Springbok flyhalf Manie Libbok, who will join the club on a multi-year deal from July 2027. A Rugby World Cup winner with more than 30 Test caps, Libbok is one of the most creative and dangerous playmakers in world rugby. His decision to commit his future to the Sharks is a clear statement of intent as the club builds a new era of Sharks rugby under head coach JP Pietersen. Libbok brings a wealth of experience a

Molemo Losaba came through the toughest test of his career so far with flying colours at the 2026 Youth Olympic Games. Despite being eliminated after the skateboarding heats, the 17-year-old spoke with pride about the experience of being in Dakar as a member of Team South Africa. “I am very happy with my performance. I was nervous over the past few days and I was worried I would not be able to compete well, but I was not far off the top six and I think I put my best effort in

Some of Africa’s leading women footballers, including former winners and emerging talents Marie Ngah Manga, Michaely Bihina and Monique Ngock, alongside established stars Temwa Chawinga, Thembi Kgatlana and Barbra Banda, feature prominently among the nominees for several women’s categories of the CAF Awards 2026 that were announced on Tuesday. The CAF Awards 2026 are to take place in Lagos, Nigeria, on Monday, 7 December 2026. Cameroon's historic triumph at the TotalEnergies

Some of Africa's biggest football stars, including reigning African Player of the Year Achraf Hakimi, former winners Sadio Mané and established internationals Antoine Semenyo, Brahim Diaz and Amad Diallo, feature among the nominees for the Men's categories of the CAF Awards 2026, unveiled by the Confédération Africaine de Football (CAF). The prestigious awards ceremony will take place in Lagos, Nigeria, on Monday, 7 December 2026, bringing together Africa's leading football p

Rosco Williams left his family in Mitchells Plain, Cape Town, at 12 to pursue his career in rugby. His school in Cape Town did not offer the sport that he and his family loved for generations, and after playing at the club Collegians, he was scouted and moved across the country alone. Now, the 17-year-old is a Youth Olympic silver medallist with the Team SA Sevens rugby side and is fuelled by his passion for the sport, and his love for his family, to push on and achieve great

Siya Kolisi with the children of Eluxolweni Primary School. Emirates, European Professional Club Rugby (EPCR) and the Kolisi Foundation have brought the Emirates Nourishment Programme to life in Cape Town, highlighting the power of nutrition, education and sport to help children overcome barriers to learning and realise their potential. EPCR, organisers of the Investec Champions Cup and EPCR Challenge Cup - tournaments that involve the five South African rugby franchises - te

Emirates SkyCargo has launched AI Tech, a dedicated product designed to help customers move critical and sensitive AI infrastructure safely and on time. Tailored for AI server racks, semiconductors, GPUs, capital equipment and other critical hardware infrastructure, the product combines priority loading, specialised handling and proactive shipment monitoring through Emirates SkyCargo’s command centre in Dubai to keep deployment schedules on track. With increasing sophisticati

Vianca Boer will captain the Springbok Women’s Sevens ‘A’ at the Rugby Africa Women’s Sevens tournament in Kenya this weekend, where South Africa will face Zambia, Zimbabwe and Rwanda in Pool A of the tournament. Boer is one of only four squad members who has HSBC SVNS experience as head coach Cecil Afrika opted for a relative inexperienced group of players as their preparations for the 2027 season ramp up. One qualifying spot for World Rugby’s HSBC SVNS 3 series is up for gr

International rugby's newest prizes and silverware have received the highest level of security in London, as preparations get underway for the final set of Nations Championship fixtures that culminate in the first of its kind Finals Weekend, which takes over London this November. The Nations Championship Trophy and Hemisphere Shield were placed under guard at the iconic Tower of London, prior to one of the world’s sporting capitals welcoming the twelve strongest international

Team South Africa added two more medals to their haul at the 2026 Youth Olympics, with the first gold medal coming courtesy of rower Callum Dreyer and a silver medal thanks to Chanel Veldsman. The swimmer became Team SA’s first multi-medallist at the Games. The medal tally for Team South Africa sits at five, comprising one gold, three silver and one bronze heading into Wednesday. Dreyer turned an event that was completely unknown to him, to Youth Olympic gold as he won three

Jerry Flannery spoke highly about Italy ahead of their opening match of the Nations Championship Northern Series against Italy in Turin on Saturday, saying they are a quality team with a strong set piece and dangerous backs, with the Springbok assistant coach making it clear that they expect a massive battle against the Azzuri. The Springboks may be ranked first in the world, with Italy in 11th place but Flannery said they posed challenging threats with their forward pack and

Callum Dreyer turned an event that was completely unknown to him into Youth Olympic gold as he won three races, the quarter-finals, semi-finals and the final, in quick succession in rowing’s coastal beach sprints solo competition and one gets the impression that this is just the start of something special for him on the international stage. Dreyer cruised to the first gold medal for Team South Africa after defeating Spaniard Diego Molina Martinez in the, with a time of 2:15.6

Proteas spinner Simon Harmer, fresh from the best Test performance of his career, believes Betway SA20 has “rejuvenated domestic cricket” and is assisting the development of the grassroots game in South Africa. The Durban’s Super Giants star was sensational at Newlands, where he took 6/16 as Australia collapsed to 111 chasing 288. It was a career-best return, delivered in 21.1 overs before tea on day five. His match figures of 10/120 made him the first South African spinner t

The silver medal-winning SA Under-17 Sevens team were praised by coach Sandile Ngcobo for fighting spirit in their final two matches as they clinched a first medal at the Youth Olympic Games in Dakar on Monday evening. The SA U17s – who won all three their pool games on Sunday – trailed 12-0 in their semi-final against Argentina, before coming back to win 24-12 to reach the final. In the gold medal match, France – who won their semi-final against Canada by 58-0 – raced into a

Team South Africa picked up two medals at the 2026 Dakar Youth Olympics on Monday, as Chanel Veldsman secured a bronze in the 200m breaststroke and the rugby sevens squad won silver after going down narrowly to France. The two medals took Team SA’s overall total to three. Veldsman, who finished behind Mana Ishikawa of Japan and Mohan Chang of China, reflected on a hard swim with the bronze medal shining around her neck. “I am so proud to have won this medal. It is an incredib

The South African SPAR Proteas will travel to England for a three-match Test series in the New Year. With less than a year to go until the Netball World Cup 2027 (NWC2027) in Sydney, Australia, the Vitality Roses will play world No 5 South Africa in London and Leicester next year, providing fans with a final opportunity to watch live international netball at home before next summer's pinnacle event. Currently ranked third in the World Netball world rankings, England will head

World Rugby has today unveiled the Women's 15s Dream Team of the Year 2026 and confirmed Pauline Bourdon Sansus (France) as the scorer of the International Rugby Players' Association (IRPA) Women's 15s Try of the Year 2026, bringing the women’s awards celebrations and the 2026 international window to a close. The announcements recognise the exceptional individual performances and memorable moments that have defined another compelling year of international women's rugby, follo

Springbok coach Rassie Erasmus on Monday named a seasoned match-23 for their opening game of the second phase of the 2026 Nations Championship against Italy in Turin on Saturday, in a match which is expected to set the tone for their European tour with the Finals Weekend only a few weeks away. Erasmus selected a largely settled squad. The only player in the group who will make his first appearance in the green and gold jersey this season is lock Salmaan Moerat, who missed the

The UEFA Champions League stars are back in action, with Matchday 4 games taking place on Tuesday and Wednesday. Here we take a look at the key facts and stats from every fixture as the league phase continues. All matches kick off at 9pm CET unless stated. Tuesday Shakhtar Donetsk v Sporting CP (6.45pm) The sides' only previous meetings came in the 2008/09 Champions League group stage, when Sporting CP won 1-0 away and 1-0 at home. Sporting CP have never lost to Ukrainian opp

The 10bet Lions have announced FiveWest as their Official Payments and Settlements Partner for a period of three years. The partnership gives FiveWest exclusivity in the payments and settlements category for Lions Rugby. As part of the agreement, the FiveWest logo will appear on the right collar of the Lions jersey in the Vodacom United Rugby Championship (URC), the EPCR Investec Champions Cup and the Currie Cup. The agreement brings together one of South Africa’s iconic bran

The golfer who insists they do not need anything for Christmas is often the same person browsing new caps before their next tee time. BooYaa has taken the hint and launched its Christmas Boxes, offering ready-to-give combinations of apparel and accessories starting at R850, with savings of up to R1 844. The collection brings a little BooYaa personality to festive gifting, with options for anyone looking to spoil the golfer in their life or perhaps treat themselves. The boxes

Hollywoodbets Kingsmead Stadium will create a piece of South African cricket history on Tuesday when it becomes the first venue in the country to host 100 domestic T20 matches. The milestone will be reached when the Hollywoodbets Dolphins take on the YesPlay Western Province Cobras in their YesPlay Pro20 Cup Super 8 clash, marking a significant moment for one of South Africa's most established cricket venues. The journey to 100 matches began on 11 April 2004, when the Dolphin

Bubba Watson. Getty Double Masters champion Bubba Watson is headed to Sun City and will make his debut in the Nedbank Golf Challenge in honour of Gary Player from 3-6 December. Watson is the fourth Major champion to be added to this year’s field for Africa’s Major at the revamped Gary Player Country Club. The winner of the 2012 and 2014 Masters and a former world number two joins current US Open champion Wyndham Clark and former US Open champions Bryson DeChambeau and Justin

The South Africa Men’s selection panel has today named a 15-player squad to face Bangladesh in the two-match Dafabet Test series later this month. Captain Temba Bavuma, who recently led the Proteas to a gripping 2-1 series victory over Australia, will once again lead the newly-ranked No 1 Test side in the two-match series on the Highveld. The first Dafabet Test will take place at the DP World Wanderers Stadium in Johannesburg from 15-19 November, followed by the second Dafabe

The Proteas Women’s maiden home tour against Australia will now take place from 24 March-18 April 2027 after the inaugural ICC Women’s Champions Trophy was confirmed for 14-28 February The historic bilateral tour will include three T20 Internationals (T20Is) on 24, 27 and 30 March in Kimberley, Benoni and Potchefstroom and three One-Day Internationals (ODIs) on 3, 7 and 10 April in Durban, Paarl and Gqeberha. The Australian visit will conclude with a one-off Advtech Test from

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