While adding a second star to the shirt is the sole focus for Thomas Tuchel’s squad at the FIFA World Cup 2026, a number of players also have the opportunity to make individual history across the Atlantic this summer. Legendary former goalkeeper Peter Shilton, who remains England’s all-time record appearance holder with 125 caps, has also represented his country in more World Cup fixtures than any other player. But his record of 17 appearances - which were earned across the 1

Judging by the noises coming out of the camp, not to mention the line-ups in France’s recent friendlies, Aurelien Tchouameni and Adrien Rabiot appear dead certs to dovetail in defensive midfield from the outset of Les Bleus’ FIFA World Cup 2026 curtain-raiser against Senegal on Tuesday. Should this turn out to be the case, Warren Zaire-Emery and Manu Kone, two other compelling contenders for a spot in the middle of the park, will get their first taste of the global showpiece

With everything on the line in a repeat of last year’s Division 1 final, the unbeaten Crinums faced defending champions Fireballs in a highly anticipated title decider. The opening quarter lived up to expectations as both teams went toe-to-toe from the first center pass, deadlocked at 3-all after the opening two minutes and were clinical in converting their own center passes. Fireballs' Goal Attack Owethu Ngubane gifted the Crinums an opportunity after an errant pass found Wi

Eberechi Eze has admitted he’s got a "different level of confidence" heading into the FIFA World Cup 2026 with England after helping Arsenal win the Premier League title. The Three Lions midfielder played an integral role in the Gunners’ first title triumph in 22 years, scoring seven goals and assisting two more in 33 appearances during his debut season at the Emirates Stadium. Eze’s fine form was enough to earn a place in Thomas Tuchel’s 26-man squad for the World Cup, with

Alexander Isak’s impressive performance in Sweden’s 5-1 victory over Tunisia came as no surprise to teammates Victor Lindelof and Yasin Ayari. Isak scored one and assisted two more as Graham Potter’s side dominated their opening FIFA World Cup 2026 fixture at Monterrey Stadium. The performance saw Isak named Michelob Ultra Superior Player of the Match and teammate Lindelof believes it was the perfect response to those who doubted the striker’s form ahead of the tournament. “I

The excitement for the week ahead with the Springboks facing the Barbarians and the SA ‘A’ team taking on Zimbabwe was palpable in the national camp on Monday as Bok assistant coach Deon Davids and loose forward Paul de Villiers addressed the media at their first media conference of the week in Johannesburg, and both said they are looking forward to the challenge ahead. Davids, who will double up as the Springbok and SA ‘A’ team assistant coach, said their preparations were w

The pool draws for the 2026/27 Investec Champions Cup and EPCR Challenge Cup tournaments will be staged at the Premier Sports studios in Dublin on Wednesday 1 July. Both draws will be streamed live on epcrugby.com and the event, which will be co-presented by Elma Smit and Benjamin Boyet (beIN SPORTS), will start at 12.30pm (UK and Irish time)/1.30pm (French and South African time). Investec Champions Cup pool draw The 24 Investec Champions Cup clubs which have qualified on me

The Springbok Women will host Ireland in a historic first Test series between the two countries on consecutive weekends in Cape Town in October as part of the WXV Global Series that was announced at the end of the Women’s Rugby World Cup 2025. SA Rugby confirmed the two Tests will take place at Athlone Stadium on 24 and 31 October, with 3pm kick-off times perfect for late spring afternoon rugby. The two teams only ever met once before – 20 years ago – on 8 September 2006 in E

After landmark seasons in the careers of Declan Rice and Anthony Gordon, the duo were both on target in England men’s win against Costa Rica last week. Gordon provided the assist for Rice’s opener as they combined impressively down the left-hand side, before the winger doubled the Three Lions’ lead from the penalty spot. It was little surprise to see both players on the scoresheet, having arrived in camp full of confidence. Rice picked up his first Premier League title with A

A new champion of Super Rugby Pacific will be crowned in 2026 with the Hurricanes and Chiefs to contest the Grand Final in Wellington on Saturday. The title defence of the Crusaders ended in Hamilton on Friday night, where the Chiefs ran away for a 49-12 semi-final victory at FMG Stadium Waikato. The Hurricanes then secured hosting rights for the decider earlier tonight with a dominant 57-21 semi-final triumph over the Blues at Hnry Stadium. The Hurricanes, who led the compet

Western Cape Tornados were crowned Division 2 champions after edging the Kingdom Queens 47-46 in a pulsating final that went down to the wire. The Queens made a brighter start to the match, asserting themselves early with a higher intensity and capitalizing on their opportunities in attack. However, the Tornados gradually settled into the game, finding their rhythm and matching the Queens’ physicality and pace. With five minutes remaining in the opening quarter, just two goal

Stuart Krog. Carl Fourie/Sunshine Tour Zimbabwean Stuart Krog became a first-time Sunshine Tour winner by clinching the Mopani Zambia Open title by a single shot at the Nkana Golf Club on Sunday. Krog closed with a 66 to finish on five under par, one shot clear of Jason Roets, who signed for a final round of 75. Krog, who ended in joint seventh place at this tournament two years ago and who has had multiple top-10 finishes in his Sunshine Tour career, went into Sunday’s final

Lewis Hamilton secured a magnificent maiden Grand Prix victory for Ferrari in Barcelona to bring Mercedes’ 2026 winning streak to an end, beating George Russell and Lando Norris while Kimi Antonelli failed to finish the race. Although Ferrari’s initial choice to start the Briton on soft tyres didn’t help him take the lead on the opening lap, they gambled on a three-stop strategy which played out flawlessly as Hamilton gained a free stop under a Virtual Safety Car. He delivere

The Valke, DotSure SWD Eagles and Griffons made winning starts to their 2026 Carling Currie Cup First Division campaigns on Saturday, as the competition kicked off with 35 tries – and a penalty try – scored in the three matches. The defending champions from Welkom overpowered the Border Bulldogs by 52-19 in East London; the Valke, runners up last year, scored a convincing 49-28 win over Eastern Province in Kempton Park; and the Eagles came from behind to edge the Leopards 44-

John McGinn’s match-winning strike in Scotland’s victory over Haiti may not have been the most beautiful of his career but it was certainly one of the most significant. It was the nation’s first FIFA World Cup goal since they last competed at the global finals in 1998, put them top of their group, and sent the travelling hordes of Scotland fans into delirium. “It wasn’t my best of goals, but who cares?” said a beaming McGinn of his deflected 28th-minute effort. “It was all a

Jarrell Quansah says his call-up to England’s FIFA World Cup 2026 call-up is an ‘absolute honour’ after improving his international hopes with a move abroad last summer. The defender made the difficult decision to leave boyhood club Liverpool in the search of more regular minutes in 2025, choosing to join German giants Bayer Leverkusen. Quansah impressed Three Lions’ head coach Thomas Tuchel with his displays in the Bundesliga and the Champions League as Leverkusen finished s

Australia opened their T20 World Cup campaign with a dominant 65-run win over South Africa in Manchester on Saturday. A solid batting effort saw them post 172/8 in their 20 overs. Their bowlers never really let South Africa get a grip in the game and dismissed the 2024 finalists for 107 in 16.4 overs. Georgia Wareham stood out for her all-round effort. After a quickfire 32 with the bat, she claimed three wickets and contributed in the field with a catch and a run out to secur

The stakes could not have been higher as the Telkom Netball League semi-finals took center stage on Saturday, with teams leaving everything on court in the pursuit of a coveted place in the championship final. The Crinums were first to book their spot in the Division 1 final after keeping their unbeaten record intact following their 60-37 win against the Jaguars. The Crinums exerted pressure on every line from the onset and set themselves six goals apart halfway through the f

Jason Roets. Carl Fourie/Sunshine Tour Jason Roets will head into Sunday’s final round of the Mopani Zambia Open at the Nkana Golf Club with a two-stroke lead over Frenchman Pierre Viallaneix, with Roets seeking to become a first-time Sunshine Tour winner and Viallaneix seeking to become the first French winner of this historic national Open. Roets had to dig deep on Saturday as he signed for a round of one-over-par 73 and an overall score of seven under par. It was his highe

England’s Reece James is ready to make his FIFA World Cup debut for the Three Lions this summer, having missed out on the 2022 edition in Qatar. The Chelsea defender, who played for Three Lions boss Thomas Tuchel during his spell at Stamford Bridge, was ruled out four years ago through injury but is now gearing up for his first taste of a World Cup in North America. Thomas Tuchel’s squad have been preparing for the tournament at a preparation camp in Florida for the best part

To accelerate the global expansion of Taiwan’s health and wellness industries and deepen international collaboration, the International Trade Administration, Ministry of Economic Affairs, TITA, has once again commissioned the Taiwan External Trade Development Council, TAITRA, to organize the “Go Healthy with Taiwan 2026” Global Proposal Campaign. Under this year’s theme, “Designing Healthier Futures Together,” the initiative invites government agencies, legal entities, enterp

The wave of hysteria surrounding Scotland’s FIFA World Cup return threatened to be tempered when news broke that Scott McTominay was struggling with illness ahead of their opening game. An upset stomach meant he travelled separately from his teammates to Boston – where Scotland will face Haiti on Saturday – to reduce the possibility of the bug spreading. The sight of McTominay in full training with the team on Friday, then, represented a huge relief to the legions of Scottish

The University of Pretoria’s Rembrandt Hall played host to another thrilling day of the Telkom Netball League action as Power Week three commenced. The Flames and the Aloes were looking to finish their campaign on a high as both teams faced off in a fifth/sixth positional play-off match. Both teams adopted a measured approach in the first quarter but the difference lay in the shooting accuracy as the Aloes were more clinical, allowing them to stretch the lead to five goals at

Jason Roets. Carl Fourie/Sunshine Tour Jason Roets produced a brilliant round of 65 on day two of the Mopani Zambia Open at the Nkana Golf Club to lead fellow South African James Mack by three shots on eight under par going into the weekend. “It’s awesome being out here in Zambia. It’s always a treat playing in Africa as it brings a different atmosphere than what we are used to. The locals really come out and support so you can feed off the energy and the vibe out here,” said

Lions Cricket in partnership with global leader in end-to-end supply chain solutions DP World, has proudly announced the launch of the DP World Lions Women’s Blind Team. The extended partnership will see DP World become the front of shirt partner for the team, a position that it already occupies for the DP World Lions Men’s, Women’s and Blind and Deaf Men’s Teams, marking a significant milestone in the advancement of inclusive sport and disability cricket in South Africa. The

Springbok coach Rassie Erasmus was content with the foundation laid in the Boks’ first week of training as his charges wrapped up their on-field preparations with their final training session in Johannesburg on Friday. The players will return home to spend time with their families over the weekend and reassemble in Johannesburg on Sunday night to continue their preparations for the clashes between the Springboks and the Barbarians, and the SA ‘A’ team against Zimbabwe at the

Cricket arrived in Mpophomeni in a big way on Thursday as Cricket South Africa (CSA) and KwaZulu-Natal Inland Cricket Union hosted the area's first-ever KFC Mini-Cricket Community Festival in celebration of International Day of Play. Over 300 learners from seven local primary schools gathered at Mpophomeni Sport Ground for a morning dedicated to fun, movement, learning and discovery through cricket, marking an important milestone in efforts to introduce and grow the game in t

The Toyota Cheetahs will take on Black Lion on Sunday in the final match of the South African round of the 2026 Toyota Challenge at Toyota Stadium in Bloemfontein. Gates open at 11am, with a full day of international rugby on offer. The action gets underway at 12pm when the Suzuki Griquas face Cartrack Lusitanos, followed by Airlink Pumas against Romania A at 2pm. The Cheetahs and Black Lion will then close out the tournament (4.30pm). All matches will be live on SuperSport.

The Vodacom Bulls squad travelling to Dublin for next Friday’s Vodacom United Rugby Championship final reflects a carefully balanced blend of experience, youth and versatility, positioning the team strongly for the demands of a high-pressure occasion. At its core is a heavy Springbok influence - 17 in all - with seasoned internationals such as Willie le Roux, Handré Pollard, Marcell Coetzee and Kurt-Lee Arendse bringing invaluable big-match experience and leadership. This is

He may be just 18 years old, Hamza Abdelkarim is already creating waves in the global game and is out to make a splash at the FIFA World Cup 2026, where he is amongst the five youngest participants and regarded by many as one of the hottest prospects. Very much the wildcard in the Egypt squad, his exploits in a Barcelona shirt have convinced the powers that be at the Catalan club to exercise the option to buy him from Al Ahly when his loan concludes at the end of this month.

England head into the 2026 FIFA World Cup carrying both expectation and opportunity, as they bid to become world champions for the first time since 1966. Despite consistently producing talented squads and challenging deep into major tournaments, England men's sole World Cup triumph remains their victory on home soil 60 years ago. Since lifting the trophy at Wembley Stadium, the Three Lions have progressed beyond the quarter-finals on only two occasions, finishing fourth in bo

The Junior Springboks squad to represent South Africa at the 2026 World Rugby Junior World Championship in Georgia was announced by SA U20 head coach Kevin Foote on Friday, with seven players from last year’s successful campaign in Italy included in the group. South Africa will defend their title at the global showpiece, which takes place in Georgia from 27 June to 18 July. Captain Riley Norton (lock), Oliver Reid, Rambo Kubheka (props), Siphosethu Mnebelele (hooker), Vusi Mo

Jude Bellingham and Morgan Rogers may be vying for an attacking midfield position in Thomas Tuchel’s starting line-up in this summer’s tournament opener against Croatia but they have nothing but respect and admiration for the qualities each other bring. Both making their name in the number ten position and impressing in that role for the Three Lions in recent years, they are also helping to get the best out of each other. They also grew up in the West Midlands together and, w

The Griffons will kick off the defence of their Carling Currie Cup First Division crown with a tricky trip to East London to face the Border Bulldogs when the competition kicks off with three clashes on Saturday. The race to the title this season promises to be hotly contested after a number of the teams in action showed what they can do in the recently completed SA Cup. The two other matches this weekend are taking place in Potchefstroom, where the Leopards host the Dotsure

Jordan Henderson is in the England men’s squad for a joint-record seventh time in this summer’s tournament and for two of his younger midfield teammates, his value on and off the pitch is immense. Real Madrid’s Jude Bellingham and Aston Villa’s Morgan Rogers, among Thomas Tuchel’s attacking midfield options for the tournament opener against Croatia, say he’s one of the very first names they’d want in the squad each camp. That’s not only for Henderson’s quality on the pitch, w

Julian Quinones got the first and helped set up the second as Mexico dominated and downed South Africa in the opening match of the FIFA World Cup 2026. Javier Aguirre’s side took less than five minutes to create the game’s first chance amid an electric atmosphere at Mexico City Stadium. Israel Reyes whipped a cross in from the right and Raul Jimenez got power behind the bouncing ball, forcing Ronwen Williams to tip it around his post smartly. It merely maintained deadlock for

Springbok coach Rassie Erasmus said on Thursday the matches between the Boks and Barbarians and the SA ‘A’ team versus Zimbabwe were vital to set the tone for the season as the team prepare for the Nations Championship and Rugby’s Greatest Rivalry series in the coming months. The Boks’ match against the BaaBaas (3pm) will be preceded by a clash between the SA ‘A’ team and Zimbabwe (12pm) at the Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium in Gqeberha on 20 June. A large Springbok contingent as

Haydn Porteous. Carl Fourie/Sunshine Tour Haydn Porteous’ love for golf in Zambia shone through as he led the first round of the Mopani Zambia Open at the Nkana Golf Club on Thursday. Porteous, the Sunshine Tour’s Comeback Player of the Year last season, made a strong statement with his opening five-under par 67 to lead by one stroke over Chile’s Martin Leon. The South African has a strong record in Zambia, having finished tied fifth and tied fourth here before. Porteus took

Handré Pollard. Johan Rynners/Vodacom Bulls Handré Pollard believes the pure character of a Vodacom Bulls team that has been against the ropes several times this season and fought their way back will be their greatest asset as they chase a first Vodacom United Rugby Championship title in Dublin on Friday 19 June. “We’ve come out of so many holes as a group this season and then even though we were down 21-3 in the semi-final against the Glasgow Warriors, we looked at each othe

Following discussions with its sister confederation, Confédération Africaine de Football (CAF), Uefa has appointed Somali referee Omar Artan (34) to officiate the 2026 Uefa Super Cup, which will take place on 12 August in Salzburg between Uefa Champions League winners Paris Saint-Germain and Uefa Europa League winners Aston Villa FC. Despite his young age, Artan has established himself as one of the world’s top referees and has been on the FIFA international list since 2018.

Dads are not always easy to buy for. Ask them what they want for Father’s Day, and the answer is usually something deeply unhelpful, like “nothing” or “just peace and quiet”. Golf dads, however, are a little easier to understand. They may say they have enough caps but somehow there is always room for one more. They may already have a towel but it is probably in the wrong bag, in the wrong car, or still carrying evidence from a round nobody wants to discuss. This Father’s Day,

The International Olympic Committee (IOC) is inviting everyone to celebrate Olympic Day on 23 June, revealing You Can Do This! Let’s Move as this year’s theme and highlighting over 150 events and opportunities to join in, play sport and get active across the global Olympic Movement. Celebrated annually to mark the founding of the modern Olympic Games in 1894, Olympic Day brings people together through sport and physical activity. This year will be marked across the Olympic Mo

Vodacom Bulls’ Willie le Roux (left) and Leinster’s James Lowe (right). Inpho Photography This is no ordinary rematch. Leinster and the Vodacom Bulls meet in the first back-to-back Grand Final pairing in league history, with the Bulls leading the overall series but Leinster owning the one result that delivered silverware. This is the fourth knock-out clash between these giants of North and South since 2022 with Bulls winning two semi-finals and Leinster winning the 2025 Grand

enza (www.enzaGroup.Global) is delighted to announce that it has been awarded a Payment Service Provider Enhanced licence by the Central Bank of Ghana. The award of the PSP Enhanced licence marks an important milestone for enza, Ghana's financial services sector and the continued development of regulated digital payments infrastructure across Africa. The Bank of Ghana's licensing and oversight framework has been developed to support a safe, efficient and innovative payments e

As African trading platforms expand across multiple markets, payment infrastructure has become the limiting factor in their growth. Across the continent, many financial services businesses still struggle to collect funds locally, convert currencies across markets and settle globally through a single, connected system. The result is fragmented payment operations that are often costly, slow, and difficult to scale. This challenge was a central theme at Trading Festival Africa (

The Proteas Women are preparing for another shot at ICC Women’s T20 World Cup glory after falling agonisingly short in 2023 and 2024. Much like their maiden final appearance three years ago in Cape Town, South Africa’s seam attack will once again be spearheaded by the world-renowned pairing of ‘Cherry & Berry’. Who are ‘Cherry & Berry’, you ask? The nickname belongs to legendary all-rounder Marizanne Kapp and the Proteas Women’s leading T20 International wicket-taker, Shabnim

South Africa head coach Hugo Broos has called on his players to embrace the occasion and carry the hopes of an entire nation when Bafana Bafana face co-hosts Mexico in the opening match of the 2026 FIFA World Cup on Thursday. The highly anticipated Group A clash at the iconic Estadio Azteca in Mexico City will officially kick off the biggest football spectacle on the planet, with millions of viewers around the world expected to tune in and witness the start of another histori

Marc Guéhi expects Eberechi Eze to play a major role for England at the FIFA World Cup 2026 after seeing him successfully overcome adversity throughout his career. The Arsenal midfielder missed a penalty in the Champions League final defeat to Paris Saint-Germain last month, having helped the Gunners win their first Premier League trophy in 22 years during his debut season. And Guéhi, who played alongside Eze for four years at Crystal Palace, is confident his former club team

After an exciting semi-final weekend of the United Rugby Championship, URC StatMaster has identified the top players from the semi-finals along with the overall top team and player performances from the entire season. Click Below To View URC Player Stats Click Below To View URC Team Stats Top Players From Semi-Finals Carries: 22 Caelan Doris (Leinster Rugby) Defenders Beaten: 7 Cameron Hanekom (Vodacom Bulls) Line-outs Won: 8 Alex Samiel (Glasgow Warriors) Metres: 123 Kyle R

It has been another busy year for European football, with unmissable action on the pitch matched by crucial collaboration and valuable progress off it. For Uefa president Aleksander Čeferin, the end of the season marks the ideal time to contemplate key achievements, from new competitions to closer ties between confederations and a greater voice for more of the game's stakeholders. In this wide-ranging and exclusive Q&A, President Čeferin discusses 10 years of leading Uefa, hi