After an exciting weekend of the United Rugby Championship, URC StatMaster has identified the top players from R1 along with the overall top team and player performances from the league so far. Click Below To View URC Player Stats Click Below To View URC Team Stats Top Players From R1 Carries: 21 Matt Fagerson (Glasgow Warriors) Defenders Beaten: 19 Andre-Hugo Venter (DHL Stormers) Line-outs Won: 8 Alex Mann (Cardiff Rugby) Metres: 144 Todd Lawlor (Leinster Rugby) Passes: 11

As Dubai gears up for a busy winter season, Emirates (www.Emirates.com) is inviting travellers from across its global network to experience the city, with care, comfort, and exclusive value at every step. Timed with Dubai’s packed winter season of festivals and world-class events, Emirates’ multi-market campaign is giving travellers even more reasons to explore the city. Adnan Kazim, Deputy President and Chief Commercial Officer, Emirates said: "Dubai offers an extraordinary

It was only two seasons ago that Xoliswa Khuzwayo made her Test debut against Spain in Valladolid but since then, the Springbok Women prop has added two Rugby Africa Women’s Cup titles and a Women’s Rugby World Cup to her CV, as well as a recent tour to Fiji, where she started in both of South Africa’s Test victories. Coming back to Spain feels like things have gone full circle for the 27-year-old, although this time she is in Seville, where the Bok Women will take on their h

South Africa have already secured an unassailable 2-0 ODI series lead against Australia after victories in Durban and Johannesburg and spinner Keshav Maharaj stressed the importance of finishing the series one step higher against the reigning ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup champions. "You want to try and be as clinical as possible in a series of this magnitude," Maharaj said. "They are the world champions, so it's always nice to build confidence. "It is probably just over 12 mon

Any other South African matriculant is preparing for their matric dance before the year ends, but when you have represented the country in an ICC U19 Cricket World Cup, before producing an innings of your young career with a magnificent double century against England U19 you simply will go to the record books. Jason Rowles, who recently captained the Junior Proteas side in a historic multi-format tour to England believes his achievement is the result of years of learning and

Gianluca Gnecchi (ITA) will referee the Investec Champions Cup opener as Gloucester Rugby host Union Bordeaux Bègles. EPCR has confirmed the teams of match officials who will take charge of the opening 21 fixtures of the 2026/27 Investec Champions Cup and EPCR Challenge Cup, with just over two weeks to go until the new season gets underway. Referees from seven unions have been appointed for a blockbuster opening round from 16 to 18 October, that will feature reigning champio

The Pick n Pay Gold Cup got off to a stirring start last weekend, with post-hooter drama and a couple of nail-biting, one-point wins headlining the opening Round of 32 of the ‘FA Cup’ of South African club rugby. The country’s pre-eminent knockout championship for non-university clubs – which is sponsored by Pick n Pay for the second time as part of a four-year agreement that includes becoming Tier 1 sponsors of the world champion Springboks – is also supported by Northam Pla

Springbok flanker Paul de Villiers, who earned his fifth Test cap in Perth last Sunday, was visibly disappointed following the 42-38 defeat against the Wallabies but said it inspired the team even more to come back fighting when the Nations Championship resumes in November. Springbok coach Rassie Erasmus made 13 changes to his starting lineup for the match after their 3-1 series victory in the gruelling Castle Double Malt Rugby’s Greatest Rivalry against New Zealand, as he lo

UJ are the Varsity Netball 2026 champions after beating defending champions NWU Eagles 56-44 in this year’s final at the Mafikeng Great Hall. It is the first time in the history of the competition that the Orange Army walk away with the title. The Johannesburg side controlled the contest from the opening whistle. Strong defence, accurate shooting and relentless pressure helped them dominate all four quarters and deny NWU back-to-back titles. UJ made their intentions clear in

Eastern Cape Iinyathi successfully defended 151 runs to claim a 13-run victory over North West Dragons in the YesPlay Pro20 Cup at Buffalo Park in KuGompo City on Monday. After being asked to bat first, Iinyathi made steady progress throughout their innings to end on 151/4 from their allotted 20 overs. Jason Niemand top-scored with a composed 44 off 32 balls, while Jerome Bossr contributed 33 off 28. Michael Copeland gave the innings a timely boost, remaining unbeaten on 29.

Edinburgh Rugby's James Grayson. Inpho Photography After a whirlwind of a summer, James Grayson has made a storming start with Edinburgh Rugby. The former Northampton flyhalf enjoyed a dream debut for his new club on the weekend, helping them open their URC campaign with a 34-29 bonus point victory away to Ulster Rugby. He brought assured tactical control at No 10 and also landed six shots at goal during Friday’s night’s notable triumph in Belfast. The son of former England i

Hollywoodbets Sharks' Luan Giliomee during warm-up ahead of their game against Ospreys. Inpho Photography Luan Giliomee has been dubbed an “exceptional talent” as he approaches a crossroads in his young career. The 20-year-old demonstrated his huge potential with a two-try Player of the Match display for the Hollywoodbets Sharks in their 41-24 victory over the Ospreys in Durban on the weekend. His first touchdown was especially impressive as he sliced through from his own hal

The weekend's SA Rugby U20 Cup competition dished up another round of thrilling action which saw a brilliant comeback win for the DHL Stormers Bolts, a first loss of the season for the Vodacom Bulls and a first victory for the Toyota Cheetahs, while the semi-final fixtures for the SA Rugby U21 Shield were also determined. Playing on Friday, the Cheetahs defeated the Hollywoodbets Sharks GEN 34-33 in Bloemfontein. On Saturday, the Stormers Bolts had to dig deep for their thril

Chelsea coach Sonia Bompastor's return to OL Lyonnes and teams aiming to build on promising starts are among the highlights to look forward to on Women's Champions League Matchday 2. The league phase of the 2026/27 UEFA Women's Champions League reaches its second week, with nine games taking place across Wednesday and Thursday. We preview the action and look at the key storylines and players to keep an eye on, including an OL Lyonnes v Chelsea match-up involving two leading c

Boland Cricket wishes to clarify the circumstances that resulted in the organisation not meeting Cricket South Africa’s (CSA) stipulated deadline for recognition as a Member in Good Standing. On 3 September 2026, Boland Cricket formally submitted a request to CSA seeking written approval to host its Annual General Meeting (AGM) on 23 September 2026. Under the Members Operational Model Agreement (MOMA), member entities are required to hold their AGMs at least 14 days prior to

The South Africa Men’s selection panel has today named a preliminary 18-player squad for the first Dafabet Test against Australia, scheduled to take place from 9-13 October at the Hollywoodbets Kingsmead Stadium in Durban. Hollywoodbets Dolphins batter Marques Ackerman is the only uncapped player in the squad, earning his maiden Test call-up following an impressive run of form for South Africa 'A' (SA ‘A’). The 30-year-old has amassed more than 1 000 runs in his last 10 red-b

Springbok No 8 Jasper Wiese, who earned his 50th Test cap in the team’s 42-38 defeat against Australia in Perth on Sunday, was confident that the Boks will become stronger from the lessons learned in the match when they return to the field in November for the second leg of the Nations Championship in Europe. The Springboks will depart Australia late on Monday night (local time) to return to their clubs and provincial unions and will begin their preparations for the northern h

After South Africa won a thrilling encounter against Italy in Pordenone, England and New Zealand put on a blockbusting show at Allianz Stadium, the USA win a tight encounter in Wales and an improved France hold Canada at bay in La Rochelle. A year on from England’s Women’s Rugby World Cup win at the Allianz Stadium, Zoe Harrison scored an 80th-minute interception try in front of nearly 60 000 fans to extend England’s unbeaten run to 41 matches and end New Zealand coach Whitne

It was another action-packed day in the YesPlay Pro20 Cup as the YesPlay Western Province Cobras, Momentum Multiply Titans and DP World Lions all secured victories on Sunday. At YesPlay Newlands, Daniel Smith struck a match-winning unbeaten 86 off 46 balls when Cobras edged Flexbrands Knights by five wickets in a thrilling finish. Knights posted 168/7 after being sent in to bat, led by Jonathan Bird (41), Ruan Haasbroek (39) and an unbeaten 30 from Emmanuel Motswiri. Josh Bre

Brandt Snedeker jumped to his feet, raised two jubilant fists and lifted Keegan Bradley into the air. The two most recent captains in US team competition, both Bradley and Snedeker had helmed a Sunday rally in Singles’ play on home soil. While Bradley’s came up short last year at the Ryder Cup, Snedeker’s troops got across the line on a course that had become a hallmark of US disappointment 14 years ago. A few feet in front of them on the 18th green, Jacob Bridgeman had just

South Africa sealed the series against Australia with an all-round performance in the second ODI, securing a 32-run victory. South Africa sported their pink kits for the game, with each member of the squad taking to the field with their jerseys showing the names of a breast cancer fighter or survivor. On a special occasion, the Proteas delivered a memorable performance in a run-fest to take an unassailable 2-0 series lead. Australia got off to the perfect start after winning

The Springbok Women arrived in Seville, Spain on Sunday without Libbie Janse van Rensburg and Ayanda Malinga, who returned to South Africa for further medical treatment and obeservations, with Mary Zulu called up to the squad. Janse van Rensburg injured her ankle in Saturday’s 41-29 win over Italy, while Malinga is struggling with a knee injury sustained in Wales a week ago. Byrhandré Dolf, who started the Italy match at flyhalf but left the field on Saturday for a head injur

Jason Smith’s 66 off 44 balls almost got the Hollywoodbets Dolphins over the line but they fell eight runs short of the DP World Lions target in their opening match of the YesPlay T20 Cup at Hollywoodbets Kingsmead Stadium on Sunday afternoon. CSA The DP World Lions held their nerve in a dramatic finish to beat the Hollywoodbets Dolphins by eight runs in a high-scoring YesPlay Pro20 Cup encounter at Hollywoodbets Kingsmead Stadium on Sunday afternoon. The Lions posted 202/3 a

Kyle de Beer. Sunshine Tour South Africa’s Kyle de Beer claimed his first Sunshine Tour title on Sunday, winning the inaugural Rwanda Open at the Kigali Golf Resort and Villas by an impressive six shots. “It’s surreal to be honest. To get my first win here is a dream come true. It’s an amazing venue with amazing people here in Rwanda. I could not have scripted it better,” said an elated De Beer after his final round of 64 to win on 27-under par. Estiaan Conradie took second p

DHL Stormers celebrate scoring a try in their win over Connacht at Dexcom Stadium. Inpho Photography The opening round of the new URC season saw a clean-sweep for South Africa and Scotland, while it was a rare winless weekend for Ireland. It’s actually the first time since 2009 that all four Irish sides have lost on the first weekend of the league campaign. In a further rarity, there were just two home wins from the eight matches, bucking the traditional trend in the competit

Springbok coach Rassie Erasmus and captain Andre Esterhuizen were frank in their assessment about the team’s disappointing defeat in a hard grind against the Wallabies at the Optus Stadium in Perth on Sunday, and accepted full blame for the result. The Springboks entered the break 24-17 down and Australia extended their lead to 42-17 after 65 minutes and although the South Africans managed to claw their way back into the match, taking the game down to the wire, Erasmus and Es

The Wallabies produced a remarkable performance to defeat the Springboks 42-38 (half-time 24-17) in a drama-filled Test at Optus Stadium in Perth on Sunday, surviving an extraordinary late comeback from the South Africans despite being reduced to just 11 players at one stage late in the game. The victory ensured Wallabies coach Less Kiss remained unbeaten since taking the reins and handed South Africa only their second defeat of the year. It was a contest that showcased attac

The four South African franchises got their Vodacom United Rugby Championship campaigns off to winning starts this weekend, with the Vodacom Bulls, Hollywoodbets Sharks and DHL Stormers recording bonus-point wins, while the 10bet Lions edged the defending champions. As one would expect with first round matches, the teams were still a bit rusty but there was more than enough on show to give the four South African coaches reason for optimism. The Stormers overcame a tricky star

The Americans twice filled the leaderboard with their red numbers and the Internationals never flinched Saturday, fighting back in the morning and afternoon to take a three-point lead in the Presidents Cup. It was only the fourth time since these matches began in 1994 that the Internationals - with only one victory in the Presidents Cup - have led going into the decisive 12 Singles matches. Min Woo Lee was part of both comebacks. He teamed up with Sungjae Im in Fourball, goin

The will to win, to redeem themselves and going back to what makes them strong were important factors in the Springbok Women securing a first ever win on Italian soil at Stadio Omero Tognon in Pordenone on Saturday, with the visitors proving that they belong on the WXV Global Series stage. The Bok Women scored six tries to four in their 41-29 victory over Italy, ranked three places higher than the South Africans on the world rankings. Springbok Women co-head coaches Laurian J

Kyle de Beer. Tyrone Winfield/Sunshine Tour South Africa’s Kyle de Beer and England’s Joe Sullivan are locked in a race to their first Sunshine Tour titles as they head into Sunday’s final round of the Rwanda Open tied for the lead at the Kigali Golf Resort and Villas. In a weather-interrupted third round on Saturday, De Beer signed for a 66 and Sullivan a 68 to tie for the lead on 19-under par. They are one stroke clear of the South African duo of Cole Stevens and Estiaan Co

Norway-based defender Samukele Kabini scored his first international goal 13 minutes from time to hand South Africa a potentially crucial 2-1 victory over Guinea in their opening Group D match of the TotalEnergies CAF Africa Cup of Nations 2027 qualifiers at Orlando Stadium in Soweto on Saturday. The victory provided a winning start for returning coach Pitso Mosimane in his third spell in charge of Bafana Bafana, who moved two points clear at the top of the group after Eritre

The Springbok Women hit back in style with a superb 41-29 victory (half-time 24-12) over Italy in their second match of the WXV Global Series at the Stadio Omero Tognon in Pordenone on Saturday afternoon. After last weekend's disappointing result against Wales, the Bok Women played with purpose and intensity, outscoring their hosts - who are ranked three places higher on the on the world rankings - by six tries to four. It was a victory built yet again on the back of strong s

George Russell survived a late challenge from Max Verstappen to secure his third victory of the season in a dramatic Azerbaijan Grand Prix that saw six drivers retire, including McLaren’s Lando Norris. The Mercedes driver built on a strong start to control the first half, leaving Oscar Piastri to defend against the charging Red Bull pair of Verstappen and Isack Hadjar while Russell extended his lead. An error from Williams’ Alex Albon shook up the race as the Safety Car was d

Cricket South Africa (CSA) held its Annual General Meeting on Saturday, reflecting on a landmark year for South African cricket and the conclusion of the organisation’s four-year financial cycle covering the period 2022/23 to 2025/26. The previous financial year, spanning 1 May 2025-30 April 2026, featured historic achievements on the field, continued growth across the cricket pipeline and significant investment into cricket infrastructure ahead of the ICC Men’s Cricket World

The South African Sports Confederation, Olympic and Paralympic Committee (SASCOC) has reported a fourth consecutive clean audit for the financial year ended 31 March 2026, alongside progress in athlete support and the delivery of Team South Africa to five international multi-sport events. The Annual Report and the draft Annual Financial Statements for adoption were presented at the virtual Annual General Meeting attended by the SASCOC Members (National Federations and Provinc

Springbok assistant coach Mzwandile Stick said the Boks were preparing for an intense battle against the Wallabies in Perth on Sunday as they wrap up this leg of their international season, while Andre Esterhuizen was in awe about being handed the captaincy for the Test. The match at the Optus Stadium kicks off at 11.45am (SAST) and will be broadcast live on SuperSport. “We are excited about the guys getting an opportunity after a tough four weeks against the All Blacks (in t

JA (Junior Achievement) Africa (www.JA-Africa.org) and the Z Zurich Foundation will equip 20,000 young people in Burkina Faso, Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), and Togo with the mindset, skillset, confidence and opportunities to build livelihoods, solve local problems, and build more thriving, peaceful communities. Announced on the International Day of Peace, Génération Équitable, the Francophone Africa phase of the JA Social Equity Program, positions youth economic in

The leaderboard at Medinah Country Club turned gold Friday. And then it stayed that way. For the second straight Presidents Cup, the International Team swept the Friday Foursomes session, taking all five matches to turn a 3-2 deficit after Thursday’s Four-ball matches into a 7-3 lead entering Saturday. It was only the third session sweep by the International Team in Presidents Cup history and the seventh overall. The International Team previously accomplished the feat in the

The inaugural season of the YesPlay Pro20 Cup got underway in exciting fashion on Friday, with both the North West Dragons and Momentum Multiply Titans securing bonus-point victories in the opening two clashes at SuperSport Park. The first match of the day saw last year’s T20 Challenge champions, Dafabet Warriors, take on the Dragons, with the Dragons winning the toss and electing to field first. That decision bore fruit immediately, as Wihan Lubbe struck with the very first

Victories for TUT and UP-Tuks set up a Tshwane derby for the Varsity Football 2026 final! TUT edged Wits at Wits Stadium to book their place in the title decider, while UP-Tuks defeated UJ 1-0 at the UJ Soweto Stadium. UJ will be disappointed after an impressive campaign that saw them reach the semi-finals but their journey came to an end against a disciplined Tuks side. The results set up an all-Tshwane final, with TUT and UP-Tuks now set to battle for the Varsity Football c

The DHL Stormers scored two late tries to claim a 29-15 bonus point win in their Vodacom United Rugby Championship opener against Connacht in Galway on Friday night. Debutants Vernon Paolo and Ezekiel Ngobeni last scored in the last five minutes to see the Stormers finish strong and take a full haul of five log points. They had been struck a blow in the build-up to the game, with loose forwards Evan Roos (hamstring) and Marcel Theunissen (calf) both ruled out with injuries pi

Joe Sullivan. Tyrone Winfield/Sunshine Tour Former English Amateur champion Joe Sullivan came close to an historic 59 in the inaugural Rwanda Open as he surged into the lead of this Sunshine Tour event on Friday. Sullivan claimed the lead with a magnificent round of 12-under par 60 at the Kigali Golf Resort and Villas, lifting him to 15-under par overall and one shot clear of Estiaan Conradie. Conradie moved into contention with his round of 64. First-round co-leader Travis P

AUSTRALIA v SOUTH AFRICA @ OPTUS STADIUM, PERTH – KO 5.30PM (11.30AM SAST) ON SUNDAY REFEREE NOTES Andrea Piardi (Italy) Test debut: 17 March, 2018 – Switzerland 30-24 Poland Tests as referee: 22 Andrea Piardi will take charge of this fixture for the first time. Australia are yet to taste victory with Piardi in the middle, having lost to Ireland (22-19 in the 2024 Autumn Nations Series), the British & Irish Lions (29-26 in 2025) and New Zealand (33-24 in the 2025 Rugby C

Glasgow Warriors head coach Franco Smith. Inpho Photography Franco Smith insists there are no easy games in the United Rugby Championship as his Glasgow Warriors team set out on a mission to make amends for their disappointing end to last season. After topping the table following the regular campaign, they then suffered a heartbreaking 22-21 defeat at home to the Vodacom Bulls in the play-off semi-finals. They will be using that narrow loss as motivation as they embark on ano

Walker Babes of Boland became the toast of South African women’s rugby on Friday when they edged reigning champions, KWARU from Eastern Province by 12-10 (half-time 10-7) in a pulsating Betway Women’s Club Championship Premier Division final at Alberton Rugby Club in Gauteng. In what was a repeat of the inaugural 2025 final between the two sides, following two cliffhanger semi-finals on Wednesday that were separated by a combined one point, it was a case of sweet revenge for

In preparation for an international summer that will feature two women’s Test matches on home soil, Cricket South Africa (CSA) has today named an extended Proteas Women squad for a national red-ball camp from 27-30 September in Tshwane. The national training camp is the first of two focused on preparing the group for the upcoming Test against India from 9-12 December at St George’s Park in Gqeberha, before South Africa take on Australia in Potchefstroom in March next year. Th

They know what is coming and according to co-captains Sizophila Solontsi and Unam Tose, the Springbok Women are ready for the expected Italian onslaught at Stadio Omero Tognon in Pordenone on Saturday. The Bok Women completed their preparations for the match, the second of their WXV Global Series tour, on Friday with their traditional captains run and Solontsi said afterwards that this match will be the perfect opportunity for redemption after they fluffed their lines badly a

After more than a hundred matches as captain of the Proteas Women, Laura Wolvaardt admits it still feels like yesterday that she accepted the role for the national team. Wolvaardt has led her nation in 109 matches across all formats, including two as stand-in captain during an ODI series away to India in 2021 and 107 since taking over the role on an interim basis for the tours against Pakistan and New Zealand in 2023, before being officially appointed in November that year. S

The iconic DP World Wanderers Stadium, home of Lions Cricket and the DP World Lions, is celebrating 70 years of sporting excellence, unforgettable moments and enduring memories – seven decades of setting The Gold Standard. The milestone marks 70 years of one of South Africa’s most significant sporting and entertainment venues, providing an opportunity to celebrate the stadium’s extraordinary heritage, its contribution to Johannesburg and South African cricket, and its evoluti