The Carling Currie Cup may have come to an end but the Toyota Cheetahs' 2026/27 season is far from over. The next chapter takes the team beyond South Africa's borders, beginning with the away leg of the 2026 Toyota Challenge in Tbilisi, Georgia, before the Cheetahs return to European competition in the 2026/27 EPCR Challenge Cup. The international phase of the season forms an important part of the Cheetahs' sporting and commercial strategy. It provides an opportunity to test

SA Rugby has announced a 50-player Under-16 Elite Player Development (EPD) squad for 2026, with the country's leading young rugby talent set to converge on Paarl later this month as part of the organisation's continued commitment to strengthening South Africa's national player pathway. The selected players will attend the national camp at Boland Landbou from 26 September to 2 October 2026, where they will be exposed to a high-performance environment and undergo specialist coa

WXV Global Series FRIDAY, 18 SEPTEMBER – WALES v SOUTH AFRICA (7.15PM BST/8.15PM SAST) – CARDIFF ARMS PARK, CARDIFF The match will be streamed live on RugbyPass TV where no local broadcaster REFEREE Ella Goldsmith (Australia) Test debut: 26 May, 2023 – Papua New Guinea 0-77 Fiji Tests as referee: 18 Ella Goldsmith will referee this fixture for the first time. This is the third time she takes charge of Wales in 2026, having overseen their 24-19 loss to Scotland and 62-24 defe

SA Rugby has unveiled the 2026 Under-16 Girls Elite Player Development (EPD) squad, with an extended group of the country's most promising young female players selected following a comprehensive national talent identification process conducted throughout the season. The players were identified through the Youth Training Centres (YTCs), FNB U16 Girls Week, and other recognised talent identification platforms, highlighting the rapid growth of the female rugby pathway across Sou

Will Man Utd bounce back from tough week against Fulham? “We haven't got as many points as we would have liked at this point, for sure, there's no getting away from that,” head coach Michael Carrick said after the 1-0 defeat to Manchester City that left Manchester United with four points from four games, the same record as former head coach Ruben Amorim had four matches into last season. “But we don't need a break or a restart or anything, we've just got to move on and get wi

At a time when global trade routes are being redrawn, competition for critical minerals is intensifying, and businesses are reassessing where growth and investment will come from, some of the most influential figures shaping Africa’s economic future will gather in New York next week for Unstoppable Africa 2026, the flagship annual event of the Global Africa Business Initiative (GABI) (https://www.GABI.biz/). Speakers include Aliko Dangote, President & CEO of Dangote Group; Ma

Emirates (www.Emirates.com) has signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the Medical Tourism Association (MTA) signalling a focused push to grow the airline's footprint in one of the fastest-growing verticals in international travel: medical tourism. The agreement, signed on the sidelines of ATM 2026, reflects Emirates' strategy of going beyond traditional leisure and corporate travel to build structured, long-term relationships with an organisation that sits at the centre o

The National Football League (www.NFL.com) has announced that GRAMMY® Award-winning titan Burna Boy will headline the half-time show during the 2026 NFL Paris Game between the Pittsburgh Steelers and New Orleans Saints on Sunday, October 25 at Stade de France. The Paris performance will be part of a record seven halftime shows staged across the 2026 NFL International Games - a lineup of live musical performances spanning seven countries and four continents - as the league pla

Cricket South Africa (CSA) has announced an 18-player squad for the upcoming South Africa Under-19 Women’s extended national training camp, taking place from 18 September-1 October in Durban and Pietermaritzburg. The two-week camp, which will feature a series of unofficial T20 matches, provides the Junior Proteas with another opportunity to enhance their preparations for the ICC U19 Women’s T20 World Cup 2027 in Bangladesh and Nepal. The squad is headlined by captain Mieke va

The Springboks and Flying Fijians will complete their preparations for the 2027 Rugby World Cup with a final Test at polytec Stadium in Gosford – to be known as the Contest on the Coast – on Saturday, 18 September 2027. The Boks will start the defence of their world title just over two weeks later when they take on Italy in Adelaide on Sunday, 3 October. The match against Fiji, which is supported by the Central Coast Council and was launched on Friday – exactly one year befor

Miané Smit shone with the bat to help guide the Proteas Women to a superb 80-run triumph in the fourth T20 International (T20I) against Zimbabwe, extending their lead to 4-0 in the five-match series. Smit notched up her maiden international century, scoring 102 off 59 deliveries, including 15 fours and one six, as the touring side posted 205/4 in their allotted 20 overs. Zimbabwe were comfortably kept at bay with the bat, with Caitlin Wyngaard leading the charge with figures

The Springbok Women will take nothing for granted when they face Wales at Cardiff Arms Park on Friday evening and are solely focussed on delivering their best effort of the season. That is the view of SA captain Babalwa Latsha as the Springbok Women get their WXV Global Series campaign underway in the Welsh capital against an opponent that seems to be struggling with form at the moment. “Not so,” says Latsha, who is yet to taste victory against Wales, having lost both times s

The Vodacom Bulls have unveiled a formidable 55-man squad for the upcoming 2026/2027 Vodacom United Rugby Championship campaign, striking a potent balance between seasoned international firepower, strategic new recruits, and a crop of high-octane young talent. Headlining the group are 15 Springboks, bringing World Cup-winning experience, elite set-piece bite and proven big-match temperament to Loftus Versfeld. That international core is bolstered by an impressive haul of off-

The Hollywoodbets Sharks will again be captained this season by Springbok and Sharks centre Andre Esterhuizen. Voted Players’ Player of the Year at last season’s Sharks Awards, Esterhuizen continues to lead from the front through his uncompromising effort, physical presence and work ethic. He will be supported by co-captains Emile van Heerden, Nick Hatton and Vincent Tshituka. As the Sharks build the next chapter in the club’s story, head coach JP Pietersen has placed signifi

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, has announced the appointment of Clare Barrell to its Advisory Board. Barrell serves as Director of International Relations and Member Services at World Rugby, the global governing body of the sport. In this role, she over

What began as a friendly sibling rivalry with her brother has taken Jae-Leigh Filander from the KFC Mini-Cricket fields to the doorstep of international honours with the Proteas Women. The Yesplay Western Province Cobras wicketkeeper-batter is currently part of the Proteas Women squad in Bulawayo after receiving her maiden senior national call-up for the ongoing historic five-match T20 International (T20I) series against Zimbabwe. For Filander, who recently celebrated her 19t

DHL Stormers Director of Rugby John Dobson has confirmed an impressive 56-man squad for the 26/27 season as they stand on the brink of what is shaping to be an extraordinary campaign. Led by club captain Ruhan Nel, the squad assembled to fly the Stormers flag in the Vodacom URC and Investec Champions Cup this season boasts serious firepower – 17 internationals, including 15 Springboks line up alongside four history-makers from the Junior Springboks’ championship-winning side

South Africa U19 star JJ Basson announced himself on the first-class stage in spectacular fashion, claiming 11 wickets on debut for the DP World Lions against Dafabet Boland in the opening round of the 1st Class Series this past. The 18-year-old matriculant produced figures of 7/62 in the first innings before following that up with another impressive 4/37 in the second, finishing with match figures of 11/99. The performance not only helped underline his potential as an exciti

Recent public discussion around governance in South African sport has highlighted the important role that accountability and transparency play in maintaining trust in sporting institutions. While such scrutiny is both necessary and welcome, the South African Figure Skating Association (SAFSA) believes it also presents an opportunity to broaden the national conversation about sport. “I have no issue with the media reporting on what is happening in South African sport and holdi

The Hollywoodbets Dolphins will welcome back some significant names to their squad for their second 1st Class Series clash with the Yesplay WP Cobras at Yesplay Newlands Cape Town starting on Thursday. The Dolphins suffered a disappointing loss to the Momentum Multiply Titans in their opening match of the competition and struggled after experienced seamer Ottniel Baartman picked up a hamstring injury early in the Titans’ first innings. Despite the result from the opening matc

While sustainability has become a strategic priority for many organizations, implementation remains a significant challenge across the meetings and events industry. New findings show that although 66% of Associations consider sustainability highly important, fewer than 34% have embedded it into their operations, and only 3% report having an advanced sustainability program. To help close this gap, Radisson Hotel Group (RHG) and GDS-Movement have partnered to launch Acceleratin

A new era beckons for the Hollywoodbets Sharks, with head coach JP Pietersen naming a 67-man squad for the 2026/27 Vodacom United Rugby Championship season, ahead of the tournament’s commencement next weekend. Following a productive pre-season, the Sharks enter the new campaign with a squad that has been carefully assembled to meet the demands of what promises to be an intensive and highly competitive nine-month season. Preparation has focused on building fitness, developing

The Springbok Women to take on Wales this Friday in their opening WXV Global Series clash will run onto the Cardiff Arms Park pitch with a rejigged backline and one change to the pack that created four tries against the Black Ferns in Johannesburg two weekends ago. Logan Welman will start the match at No 8, swopping places with Aseza Hele, who will play off the bench in the only change to the run-on side up front. Amongst the backs, Felicia Jacobs and Maria Tshiremba will ear

Emirates Skywards, the award-winning loyalty programme of Emirates (www.Emirates.com) and flydubai, is giving members more reasons to plan their next getaway, with the chance to earn double Skywards Miles on eligible Emirates and flydubai flights across their global networks. From 15 to 30 September 2026, members must register for the offer (https://apo-opa.co/3Twl99S)and book an eligible Emirates or flydubai flight for travel until 30 November 2026 and then earn 100% bonus S

The return of three historic tournaments – two in Asia and one in Europe - headline the 2027 DP World Tour’s global schedule which is announced today. Two National Opens, the Deutsche Bank Singapore Open from April 15-18 and the Open de Portugal|Cascais-Lisboa from May 13-16, will feature in the Asian Swing and European Swing respectively. Also returning to the schedule from October 21-24 is the Hong Kong Open. Both it and the Deutsche Bank Singapore Open will be co-sanctione

Formula 1 and the FIA have announced, following approval by the World Motor Sport Council, the 2027 FIA Formula One World Championship calendar, featuring 24 Grands Prix across 22 countries and 10 Sprint events. Pre-season testing will take place in Bahrain from 24-27 February before the Championship returns there for the first race, followed by Saudi Arabia. The calendar then moves to Australia, Japan, and China, followed by the Miami and Canadian Grands Prix. The European l

John Dobson. Openfield DHL Stormers coach John Dobson has in his own mind made the connection as to what constitutes success for them in this season’s Vodacom United Rugby Championship. Now he wants his players to do the same. And “connection” is the key word in all of this. “The more you watch rugby, the more you realise how important the on-field connections are – whether that’s a chase line, the set-up around a contestable receipt, the back five around the scrum. So we’re

The Springboks arrived in Australia from the USA on Wednesday morning local time (late Tuesday night SA time) following their series victory in Rugby’s Greatest Rivalry, presented by the Castle Double Malt, gearing up for another massive challenge, with Bok coach Rassie Erasmus saying they were ready to begin their preparations for their one-off Test against the Wallabies in Perth. The match, which will be hosted at the Optus Stadium on Sunday 27 September, will mark the firs

Laura Wolvaardt, Karabo Meso and Annerie Dercksen delivered career-best performances with bat and ball, respectively, to help the Proteas Women seal an 80-run victory in the third T20 International (T20I) in Bulawayo on Tuesday, clinching the series with two games to spare. Wolvaardt recorded an unbeaten 126 off 62 balls (16x4, 4x6), the highest individual score for the Proteas in women’s T20Is, while Karabo Meso scored a maiden half-century, finishing unbeaten on 50 off 51 b

It all started in Wales in 2018 and their memories of running out in the Green and Gold at Cardiff Arms Park for the first time in a Test will last forever but on Friday night at the same venue, some members of the Springbok Women’s squad would like to add a victory to their highlights reel. Babalwa Latsha started in that Test in November 2018, while Lindelwa Gwala, Aseza Hele and Felicia Jacobs all came off the bench in a match won 19-5 by Wales. Three years later, Wales won

The Blue Africa Conference & Exhibition (BACE) (www.BlueEconomy.Africa) will return to Lagos from 12-14 August 2027, under the theme “Sea to Scale,” bringing together the businesses, investors, governments, innovators and institutions shaping Africa’s blue economy. BACE 2027 will focus on a simple but urgent proposition: Africa’s blue economy must move beyond potential, policy and conversation—and into investment, ownership, implementation and scale. The announcement follows

The United Rugby Championship has today announced an expansion of its partnership with BKT, the leading Off-Highway tyre manufacturer, with BKT becoming the Official Global Tyre Partner of the competition through to 2030. The partnership, which began in 2022 with a Northern Hemisphere focus, will now extend across the entire URC footprint, including South Africa for the first time. BKT will continue as Title Partner of the BKT URC in the Northern Hemisphere, while its new glo

It will be UJ against UFS Kovsies and defending champions NWU Eagles against UP-Tuks in the semi-finals of Varsity Netball 2026 following Round 7 at the Rembrandt Hall in Pretoria. Maties caused a major upset in beating defending champions NWU while Kovsies won the Free State derby against CUT. Tuks beat Wits and UJ were victorious over Madibaz. CUT 46-60 UFS KOVSIES The experience of five-time champions UFS Kovsies proved decisive when they beat newcomers CUT in their Bloemf

World Rugby has announced that Visa has joined the Rugby World Cup commercial family as Principal Partner and Official Payment Technology Partner for Men’s Rugby World Cup 2027 and Women’s Rugby World Cup 2029 in Australia. The global partnership reflects the scale, ambition and growth trajectory of Rugby World Cup, while reinforcing Visa’s long-standing support for world-class sport and its role in connecting fans to the moments that matter. To celebrate the partnership, Wor

Emirates (www.Emirates.com) has closed the summer season ahead of expectations and enters winter with strong booking momentum across a broadening range of markets, as the airline continues to invest in its fleet and industry-leading products, in its global network, and in offering customers greater booking flexibility and comprehensive travel cover. Between July and August, Emirates carried more than 8.6 million passengers, maintaining healthy seat load factors across its net

The race for SA Rugby U20 Cup honours took another significant turn over the weekend as the Vodacom Bulls U20, DHL Stormers Bolts and Sharks GEN all secured important victories, strengthening their positions in the battle for play-off places. The Bulls underlined their status as the team to beat with a gritty 29-22 victory over a Fidelity ADT Lions U20 side boasting several members of South Africa's recent Junior World Championship-winning squad. Elsewhere, the Toyota Cheetah

The 2027 Super Rugby Pacific draw has been revealed, headlined by more Sunday fixtures, an Easter weekend chock-full of footy, an Anzac weekend blockbuster in Brisbane and Super Round making its heralded return to Christchurch. The expanded 17-round, 80-game regular season kicks off on Friday 12 February with the Crusaders hosting the Queensland Reds at One New Zealand Stadium, before the ACT Brumbies and NSW Waratahs renew their rivalry in Canberra later that evening. The op

The Springbok Women enjoyed a low key but productive training session at the Cardiff Metropolitan University on Monday as they started to fine tune their preparations for Friday’s WXV Global Series opener with Wales at Cardiff Arms Park. The team travelled from Cape Town on Saturday afternoon and arrived in the Welsh capital Sunday evening but the long haul was soon forgotten once they stepped onto the training pitch on Monday, much to the delight of co-coach Laurian Johannes

In a wide-ranging exclusive interview with The Punch (https://apo-opa.co/4xV7KqX), Nigeria’s most widely read newspaper, Former FIFA Secretary General and ACG Advisory Board member Fatma Samoura makes the case that Nigeria has everything it takes to become Africa’s sport and entertainment hub, calls for a fundamental shift away from the standalone stadium model, and argues that the continent’s sporting talent and the economic value it generates must stay on African soil. Samo

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 Aïcha Diop to its Advisory Board. Diop is a seasoned international executive with more than 18 years of experience across Africa, Europe, the Middle East and North America, combining stra

African digital infrastructure convener, Hyperscalers Convergence Africa (HCA) (https://ConvergenceAfrica.Hyperscalers) 2026 concluded with a clear action agenda for accelerating Africa’s digital infrastructure development. The conference also honoured twelve pioneers whose work helped shape the continent’s digital economy and recognised 100 women leading innovation across telecommunications, cloud, data centres, policy, finance and technology. Held under the theme “Africa’s

Mahlatsi Molokomme, Principal Investment Officer, Development Bank of Southern Africa. Airnergize Capital, the clean technology investment platform of New GX Capital, has confirmed the final close of Fund I at R3.89-billion, with the Development Bank of Southern Africa (DBSA) committing R240-million as lead development finance institution. Airnergize Capital invests institutional and development capital into energy, water and gas infrastructure businesses across Southern and

The Domestic Cricket South Africa 2026/27 season is well underway with the red ball competitions getting off to a blistering start in different parts of the country. Division 1 matches saw four match-ups with defending champions DP World Lions taking on Defabet Boland at DP World Wanderers stadium in Johannesburg, Momentum Multiply Titans hosting Hollywoodbets Dolphins at SuperSport Park in Centurion, YesPlay Newlands Cape Town saw YesPlay WP Cobras clash with Defabet Warrior

Wallaby No 930 Jordan Petaia has been selected in his first Wallabies squad since the 2023 Rugby World Cup, named as part of a 34-man group for the upcoming Flight Centre Series Test against South Africa at Perth’s Optus Stadium. Petaia (26) made his Wallabies debut as a 19-year-old at the 2019 Rugby World Cup scoring a memorable try against Uruguay and has since pulled on the gold jersey a total of 31 times. The versatile back, who has been plying his trade in France and Jap

UP-Tuks made full use of home ground advantage when they caused an upset victory over log leaders UJ in Round 6 of Varsity Netball 2026 at the Rembrandt Hall in Pretoria. Maties held off a determined CUT for a close victory. Five-time champions UFS Kovsies and defending champions beat Madibaz and Wits respectively. MADIBAZ 36-67 UFS KOVSIES UFS Kovsies scored a commanding victory over Madibaz as they continue their fight for a semi-final spot. As anticipated, Kovsies started

Europe Captain Anna Nordqvist celebrates with the trophy & her players following their win during the Sunday Singles of the Solheim Cup 2026 at Bernardus Golf in Cromvoirt, Netherlands. David Cannon/LET Team Europe won the 20th Solheim Cup at Bernardus Golf in the Netherlands after a decisive final day of singles against the United States. Although the players teed off in heavy rain, the sun shone as the drama unfolded in the final few matches. Lottie Woad assured that Europe

Player of the Match Anneke Bosch during the second T20I against Zimbabwe in Bulawayo. Zimbabwe Cricket Another impressive display with the bat from Anneke Bosch helped the Proteas Women take a 2-0 lead in the five-match T20 International (T20I) series following an emphatic 64-run victory in Bulawayo on Sunday. Bosch top-scored with a 31-ball 65 (12x4), alongside notable knocks from Faye Tunnicliffe (52* off 34 balls; 3x4, 4x6) and Annerie Dercksen (36*), as the touring side p

Kimi Antonelli has boosted his title ambitions with victory in the Spanish Grand Prix, the Mercedes driver edging out Red Bull’s Max Verstappen and McLaren’s Lando Norris in a race swayed by strategy. The opening laps saw plenty of clashes up and down the field, with Norris narrowly holding onto the lead from pole position as Antonelli cut two corners during his concerted efforts to pass the Briton. Antonelli ultimately didn’t need to overtake him on track thanks to a Virtual

102 points behind seven rounds ago. Now? The title race leader. After Marco Bezzecchi (Aprilia Racing) crashed out of the lead on Lap 1 at the Red Bull Grand Prix of San Marino and the Rimini Riviera, reigning World Champion Marc Marquez (Ducati Lenovo Team) capitalised to rise to the top of the MotoGP World Championship for the first time this season after collecting his 78th MotoGP victory. Down and out of contention after the Italian Grand Prix, the #93 said. Not anymore.

"On behalf of SA Rugby, I extend heartfelt congratulations to Rassie Erasmus, Siya Kolisi and the entire Springbok team on winning the inaugural Rugby’s Greatest Rivalry," said SARU President, Mark Alexander. "This triumph is not only a sporting milestone but a powerful showcase of what it means to be South African, resilience, unity and pride. "We also express our sincere gratitude to the people of Baltimore, who welcomed this historic occasion with warmth and enthusiasm. Th