Gerhard Pepler. Tyrone Winfield/Sunshine Tour Gerhard Pepler is in a commanding position on 17-under par at the halfway mark of the Kit Kat Cash & Carry Pro-Am at Irene Country Club, leading by six shots from Jacques P de Villiers, Justin Walters and Welshman Jack Davidson. Pepler backed up an opening 63 with a 64 in Friday’s second round. The round had to be suspended because of darkness, with only a few players who will have to complete their second rounds on Saturday morni

Can Spurs overcome Stamford Bridge struggles and beat Chelsea? It wasn’t long ago Tottenham Hotspur supporters feared that their trip to Stamford Bridge would give rivals Chelsea the opportunity to relegate them, but the upturn in form under Roberto De Zerbi - eight points from the last four games - has changed the mood. No matter what West Ham United do on Sunday evening against Newcastle United, Spurs will know that victory at Chelsea - who have earned just one point from t

The Vodacom Bulls XV delivered a strong second half performance to break the Lions XV's hearts in the final of the inaugural SA Rugby U23 Cup, with the team from Pretoria taking the title courtesy of a 33-32 victory at Ellis Park in Johannesburg on Friday afternoon. The first half belonged to the hosts but the visitors fought back strongly after the break with three tries to on in the second half and despite being reduced to 13 players for the last five minutes, the Bulls did

Cricket South Africa (CSA) proudly announces the launch of the official Cricket SA Mobile App on Friday, marking a bold new era in how the organisation connects with cricket fans across the country and beyond. Available now on both Android and iOS, the new platform has been designed to deliver a more innovative, responsive and fan-first cricket experience, placing supporters at the heart of the game like never before. As part of CSA’s wider digital transformation to create a

The Sanlam Boland Kavaliers will be buoyed by the return from injury of the duo James Tedder and Jade Stighling for the SA Cup semi-final encounter with the Suzuki Griquas. This match will mark Lunathi Nxele's (31) 50th match for the Wellington side when he takes to the field on Saturday at the Suzuki Stadium in Kimberley. Tedder has completed the return-to-play HIA protocols, while Stighling recovers from a hamstring niggle sustained against the Dotsure SWD Eagles. Domenic

The Junior Springboks have named a training squad for the forthcoming U20 International Series with Chili, Fiji and Georgia, with regulars such as Luan Giliomee, Christian Vorster, Jordan Steenkamp and Pieter van der Merwe back in the group after they missed the recent U20 Rugby Championship due to injury. The first batch of the squad will assemble on Monday, 18 May at their Stellenbosch Academy of Sports base, while players who carried a heavy workload in Gqeberha recently g

Lyon is set to take centre stage once again as the OL Stadium prepares to host the Investec Champions Cup Final and EPCR Challenge Cup Final in May 2027, reviving the unforgettable atmosphere of its sold-out 2016 showcase. The official ticket sales timeline for the 2027 EPCR Finals Weekend has now been confirmed. The rugby showpiece will see the EPCR Challenge Cup Final take place on Friday 21 May, followed by the Investec Champions Cup Final on Saturday 22 May. Two days. Two

For the Vodacom Bulls’ final VURC pool clash against Benetton, the matchday squad features a significant strategic reshuffle that sees several heavy hitters return to the starting XV. The most notable change up front is a complete rotation of the starting props. Gerhard Steenekamp and Johan Grobbelaar move from the bench to the starting lineup, with Jan-Hendrik Wessels and Marco van Staden providing cover as finishers this week. In the second row, the leadership group receive

The Fidelity SecureDrive Lions take on Irish side Munster in Round 18 of the Vodacom United Rugby Championship in the tournament’s fixture this Saturday night. A win for the men from Johannesburg will secure them a place in the play-offs – a first for the club since the inclusion of South African teams in the competition back in 2021. On the back of a spirited effort against Leinster last weekend, head coach Ivan van Rooyen has tweaked his match 23 slightly, amongst them bein

In 50 days, the Nations Championship makes its debut, with the 12 strongest teams in international rugby lining up in two groups representing the Northern and Southern Hemisphere respectively, to begin their campaign to win the first ever edition of the new biennial tournament. Turning the two existing July and November international rugby windows into one cohesive and competitive tournament where every match matters to every team, the Nations Championship injects greater jeo

Gerhard Pepler. Tyrone Winfield/Sunshine Tour This week Jayden Schaper makes his Major championship debut in The PGA Championship. Only a few years ago in 2021, Schaper finished tied fifth in the Kit Kat Cash & Carry Pro-Am. It wouldn’t be too much of a stretch for every Sunshine Tour professional competing at Irene Country Club this week to be thinking of a similar career progression. Gerhard Pepler is the man at the forefront of chasing that long-term goal after opening wit

The Board of Directors of the Free State Cheetahs (Pty) Ltd. hereby provides an update to our stakeholders, partners and supporters regarding the appointment of a new Chief Executive Officer (CEO). The Board is still looking to fill the CEO position. We believe it is essential not to rush this process, as the right selection is crucial for the franchise's future. Instead of an immediate appointment, the Free State Cheetahs (Pty) Ltd are currently following a full-scale strate

The CGL Board of Directors and Management Executive members recently participated in a governance leadership session at the DP World Wanderers Stadium, facilitated by globally recognised corporate governance expert and author of the King Reports on Corporate Governance, Professor Mervyn King. The 2026 Board Evaluation highlighted a highly collaborative leadership group that values organisational diversity and continues to champion the growth and promotion of cricket. While th

The Fidelity Titans Women can confirm that head coach Pierre de Bruyn will conclude his tenure with the Titans Women at the end of July 2026, following his appointment as head coach of the Netherlands Women’s National Team, which he will officially assume on 1 August 2026. De Bruyn joined the Fidelity Titans ahead of the 2025/2026 season, making the transition from men's cricket, where he had built his coaching reputation at the highest level - to take charge of a professiona

The Western Province Cricket Association (WPCA) has congratulated the Western Province Women's players selected in the Proteas Women 15-player squad for the upcoming ICC Women's T20 World Cup 2026, set to take place in England and Wales from 12 June to 5 July. After missing the series against Pakistan and the tour of New Zealand due to illness and a calf injury respectively, Marizanne Kapp and Dané van Niekerk return to the national setup after their recoveries. The experienc

Thuto Motsie CA (SA), the CEO of Thamani. Spend enough time around CEOs and founders, and a pattern emerges. No matter the industry, whether professional services, property, manufacturing or retail, the same question surfaces, often framed differently: “How are we really doing?” It is usually asked in a boardroom. Sometimes over coffee. Occasionally in moments of quiet concern when something just does not feel right. The uncomfortable truth is this: your business has already

Across Friday 22 and Saturday 23 May, the Champions Rugby Village is coming to Bilbao, bringing an electric festival atmosphere as part of the EPCR Finals Weekend celebrations. Located just steps from San Mamés Stadium in Doña Casilda Park, the free-to-enter fan village will serve as the heartbeat of the weekend. It will feature live music, entertainment, food and drink stalls, family-friendly activities, cultural activations and special appearances from rugby legends. For fa

Connacht's Ben Murphy (left) and Josh Ioane. Inpho Photography Play-off chasing Connacht Rugby are ready to embrace the pressure as they head into their make-or-break United Rugby Championship clash with Edinburgh Rugby. Going into the final weekend of the regular season, the west of Ireland province are one point outside the all-important top eight in ninth place. To make the URC Play-Offs, they need to win at the Hive Stadium on Friday night and hope that other results go t

Tighthead prop Neethling Fouché will lead the DHL Stormers in their final Vodacom URC league match of the season against Cardiff on Friday night. Fouché takes over the captaincy with Deon Fourie sidelined with a knee injury and Ruhan Nel still recovering from a calf injury, as the DHL Stormers end the regular season at Cardiff Arms Park in a match that kicks off at 8.45pm (SAST). There are just two changes to the forward pack, with Fouché starting in the front row and Paul de

SA Rugby spent a quarter of its total income directly on the Springboks, Springbok Women, Springboks Sevens, Junior Boks and other national teams in 2025, according to the Annual Financial Statements, which were presented to member unions at Thursday’s Annual General Meeting in Cape Town. SA Rugby’s group revenues increased by 29% from R1.5-billion in 2024 to R2-billion in 2025 with R500-million spent directly on the Springboks (R281-million) and the High-Performance Departme

The 2026 SA Cup reaches another crescendo this weekend as Suzuki Griquas, the Airlink Pumas, Toyota Cheetahs and Sanlam Boland Kavaliers battle it out for places in next weekend’s final. While the four semi-finalists have already qualified for the 2026 Carling Currie Cup Premier Division, the focus now shifts firmly to the pursuit of silverware. Defending champions, the Pumas and the Cheetahs kick off the play-off action on Friday at 6pm at Mbombela Stadium in Nelspruit in th

The Hollywoodbets Sharks eight try thrilling Vodacom United Rugby Championship victory over Benetton at Hollywoodbets Kings Park showed how exciting the young backline is but not without a platform from which to show their attacking prowess. For Sharks head coach JP Pietersen, without a foundation, much of what the team achieved on attack wouldn’t have been possible. A dominant scrum, an effectively competitive line-out and power at maul time delivered the backline the perfec

The DHL Stormers have already locked in home ground advantage for the quarter-finals but the Vodacom Bulls and Fidelity Securedrive Lions will go flat out in their final Vodacom United Rugby Championship pool matches this weekend to ensure they are also playing their top-eight encounters at home. On Friday night, the second-placed Stormers – currently on 59 points, one behind log-leaders the Glasgow Warriors – will line up against the seventh-placed Cardiff in the Welsh capit

Ryan Elias leads out Scarlets. Inpho Photography As a father to two young children, Ryan Elias has a fresh perspective on life, as well as a renewed love for the game of rugby. The Scarlets and Wales hooker admits he went through some tough times in recent years amid a catalogue of injury issues with his Achilles, neck, hamstring and bicep. Those fitness problems contributed to him spending some 15 months out of the international picture, while he concedes he wasn’t playing h

Prof. Bart O. Nnaji Africa’s energy journey is often portrayed as a stark choice between climate responsibility and development. In reality, the continent faces a more nuanced challenge: finding a fair, gradual energy transition that matches its unique needs and ambitions. Technology and innovation can drive this change, helping secure affordable and sustainable energy for all. In the coming decades, Africa’s population is expected to soar to nearly 2.5 billion. Cities will g

Ngaa Murombedzi. South Africa’s introduction of long‑acting injectable HIV pre‑exposure prophylaxis (PrEP), Lenacapavir, is a welcome addition to the choices people have to protect against HIV. It signals scientific progress and renews hope in a country that remains at the heart of the global HIV epidemic. With approximately 7.8 million people living with HIV and an estimated 170 000 new infections recorded in 2024, our prevention response must be bold, people‑centred and gro

DHL Stormers' Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu. Inpho Photography Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu has been warmly praised for the way he has added maturity and game management to his “generational” talent. The Springbok flyhalf is now the joint top points scorer in the United Rugby Championship with 147, a tally which has helped the DHL Stormers secure a home quarter-final in the play-offs with a round of matches to spare. He drew level with the Lions’ Chris Smith with his two-try 21 poin

The Transformative African Leadership (TAL) (www.TALJourney.com) programme is a new pan-African initiative reshaping how leadership is practised across the continent. It moves beyond conventional models, grounding leadership in African realities and placing collective responsibility at the centre of how leaders are developed. Launched on 23 March 2026, TAL is a 10-month, practice-led executive journey for mid-career professionals across government, private sector stakeholders

Springbok coach Rassie Erasmus on Wednesday named a “purpose and goal-driven” 40-man squad for the team’s second in-person alignment camp in Cape Town next week, featuring two players invited to their first camp in Sibabalwe Mahashe and Zekhethelo Siyaya. Embrose Papier, Francke Horn, Andre-Hugo Venter and Henco van Wyk, who have all attended alignment camps in the past, have also been included in the group. With several experienced national players, who have been in the set-

Round 18 brings a final-day shoot-out across the United Rugby Championship, with first-placed Glasgow Warriors and second-placed DHL Stormers still separated by just a single point at the top of the table. Glasgow travel to Ulster Rugby on 60 points, while the Stormers head to Cardiff Rugby on 59, with both sides still chasing the No 1 seed ahead of the quarter-finals. Leinster Rugby are also still in the mix on 58 points as they host Ospreys in Dublin. The play-off race is j

The electric atmosphere generated by the people of Italy during the spectacular Milano Cortina 2026 Olympic Winter Games has been recognised by the International Olympic Committee (IOC) with the Olympic Cup. IOC President Kirsty Coventry presented the Olympic Cup on Tuesday during a ceremony at Palazzo del Quirinale in Rome to the President of the Italian Republic, Sergio Mattarella, who accepted it on behalf of the Italian people. The IOC President also awarded the Olympic O

Following the most extensive anti-doping investigation ever undertaken in rugby, World Rugby can confirm six members of the Georgia senior men’s 15s team and a member of support personnel have been sanctioned for involvement in urine sample substitution over an extended period prior to Men’s Rugby World Cup 2023. Sample substitution (“tampering or attempted tampering”) is a practice prohibited by the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) Code and World Rugby Anti-Doping Regulation

Karl Dickson will referee the Investec Champions Cup Final. With the Investec Champions Cup and EPCR Challenge Cup Finals now just 10 days away, EPCR has confirmed the Match Official appointments for what promises to be an unforgettable weekend of international club rugby at Bilbao’s San Mamés Stadium. England’s Matthew Carley will referee the EPCR Challenge Cup Final on Friday 22 May between Montpellier Hérault Rugby and Ulster Rugby. The fixture will mark Carley’s sixth EPC

Following his appointment as referee for the 145th FA Cup Final on Saturday, the South Yorkshire-based official takes us through his thoughts on the game, his journey so far, the ups and downs of refereeing and dubious pre-match meal choices ... Congratulations on being selected as the 2026 Emirates FA Cup final referee – this must constitute the pinnacle of your career to date? Absolutely. When you’re coming through the levels and it starts getting more serious and you becom

Cardiff scrumhalf Johan Mulder. Inpho Photography Life in Wales has already far exceeded Johan Mulder’s expectations but the best may yet be to come. The South African joined Cardiff Rugby amid little fanfare in the summer of 2024 and appeared to be coming on board as very much the third choice scrumhalf. But he has gone on to make 33 appearances over the past two seasons while establishing himself as a pivotal figure in the squad. Now he has the opportunity to help the club

A team of young South African swimmers returned to the country this morning from the African Swimming Championships in Algeria with an impressive haul of 84 medals. Both a senior and junior team competed in the coastal city of Oran, with the juniors earning 25 gold, 15 silver and 12 bronze medals to finish well on top of the continental medal table. The seniors claimed nine gold, 13 silver and 10 bronze medals to finish third on their medal table behind Egypt and Algeria. Lea

The inaugural SA Rugby U23 Cup Final is scheduled to kick off at 1pm at Ellis Park in Johannesburg on Friday and will be streamed live on YouTube and will pit the undefeated Lions XV against the Vodacom Bulls XV. The Lions XV capped a dominant league campaign with a comprehensive 43-19 victory over the DHL Stormers XXIII at Ellis Park last Friday. No 8 Morne Venter was central to everything positive for the hosts, crossing the tryline four times in a barnstorming Player of th

Zac Ward of Ulster. Inpho Photography It’s been some season for Zac Ward and he’s not finished yet. The former Ireland Sevens star has made a huge impact with Ulster Rugby in his first full campaign for the province. As well as scoring 13 tries in all competitions, the winger has also beaten more defenders (55), made more clean breaks (27) and gained more metres (960) than any other player in the United Rugby Championship. They really are remarkable figures. His outstanding f

The South African Women’s National Selection Panel has today confirmed the 15-player squad for the upcoming ICC Women’s T20 World Cup 2026, set to take place in England and Wales from 12 June-5 July. Aiming to continue inspiring the future generations of women’s cricket in the country, the Proteas squad, captained by Laura Wolvaardt, features the return of fast bowler Shabnim Ismail, as South Africa go in pursuit of their maiden world title. The 37-year-old, who last represen

Tuesday marks the official opening of the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) (https://FSC.org) Stadium of Life, Africa's first stadium constructed with sustainably sourced timber. The structure, which sets a new standard for responsible construction practices in Africa, was independently certified by DNV Business Assurance against Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) requirements under project certification (DNV-PRO-002776). The FSC Stadium of Life is the latest development at the

New Zealand teams have secured the top four places in the DHL Super Rugby Pacific competition with three rounds remaining. The Hurricanes lead the table with 45 points, five ahead of the second-placed Chiefs. The Blues sit third, two points behind the Chiefs, while the Crusaders have moved to fourth after beating the Blues 36-20 in Christchurch. The Crusaders are six points behind the Blues. The Brumbies remain in fifth place after their win over the Force, while the Reds sit

Johnny Matthews (right) wants to hold the URC trophy one more time. Inpho.ie Johnny Matthews says he will always support Glasgow Warriors as he looks to sign off with the club by winning another United Rugby Championship title. The hooker will bring down the curtain on a seven-year stay with the Scottish side at the end of this season when he moves on to join French outfit Montauban. But first he will be aiming to help them claim the league crown for the second time in three

The Blue Bulls Company (BBCo) is proud to announce the appointment of Springbok women’s legend Zenay Jordaan as the new head coach of the Isuzu Bulls Daisies. Jordaan, a pioneer of the women’s game in South Africa, steps into the role with a pedigree that few can match. Her transition from a storied playing career to the coaching ranks has been seamless, underpinned by an elite technical foundation. She remains one of only two women’s coaches in South African rugby to hold a

The Vodacom Bulls have officially fired a massive warning shot to their rivals, confirming a high-profile recruitment drive aimed at fortifying their squad for the next three seasons. In a consolidated announcement on Monday, the Pretoria-based franchise confirmed the acquisition of several top-tier talents and rising stars, following what the franchise described as a rigorous scouting and assessment process to bolster key positions. The headline acquisition is former Springb

Neethling Fouché. Openfield When Neethling Fouché and every other DHL Stormers player opened the door to their hotel room in Belfast last week, on their beds there was a letter waiting for each of them. The letter was from their Irish hosts Ulster before their Vodacom United Rugby Championship league game last weekend, which ended in a 38-38 draw. “It was a letter showing sympathy for our loss of uncle Chippie (Solomon – their late team manager) with some photos of him. It sh

Lucas Herbert started the week at Maaden LIV Golf Virginia 2026 battling the flu. The 30-year-old Australian ended it with an impressive wire-to-wire victory and his first LIV Golf individual trophy. The Ripper GC star shot a final-round 3-under 69 to hold off Fireballs GC Captain Sergio Garcia, winning by four shots at 24-under at Trump National Washington, D.C. Garcia had closed the gap to a single stroke early on the back nine but Herbert responded to the pressure with a t

FBC Zim Open champion Altin van der Merwe with Thomas Abt, Commissioner of the Sunshine Tour, and the leading amateur, Andries van der Vyver. Carl Fourie/Sunshine Tour South African golfers dominated around the world this past weekend in a true representation of the Sunshine Tour’s statement that “Greatness Begins Here”. In one of the country's most impressive collective performances in one weekend, South African professionals won on three different tours. In Spain, Yurav Pre

All the blood, sweat, and tears. The injury woes of 2025. The not knowing if he’d ever return to the top step again. Now though, he's done exactly that. Jorge Martin (Aprilia Racing), for the first time since the 2024 Indonesian Grand Prix, emerged victorious on Sunday in Le Mans with a ridiculously impressive ride that saw the #89 reel in and overtake teammate Marco Bezzecchi in the closing stages. It was a day to remember for Aprilia because not only did they lock out the t

The United Rugby Championship Play-Off race is going down to the final weekend of the regular season with five teams fighting it out for four spots. Leinster Rugby and the Vodacom Bulls have now joined Glasgow Warriors and the DHL Stormers in booking their places in the knock-out stage. That leaves the Fidelity SecureDrive Lions, Munster Rugby, Cardiff Rugby, Ulster Rugby and Connacht Rugby competing for the four remaining spots with just four points separating the five of th

The final round of the SA Cup produced another thrilling bout of action as the Toyota Cheetahs and Sanlam Boland Kavaliers booked their places alongside Suzuki Griquas and Airlink Pumas in next week’s two semi-finals. In doing so, the foursome also qualified for the prestigious 2026 Carling Currie Cup Premier Division. The weekend’s round nine action got underway on Friday evening and in the most dramatic fashion in Bloemfontein, when the Cheetahs ended log leaders Griquas’ e