South Africa begin WTC title defence with target on their back
PRETORIA :South Africa captain Aiden Markram says his side can expect to have a target on their back when they begin a new cycle of the World Test Championship as defending champions.
South Africa Sport News
Welsh players struggling to focus due to planned overhaul
CAPE TOWN :Welsh rugby players have found it tough to concentrate on their performances this season amid the uncertainty over the future of the professional game in the country, said Ospreys coach Mark Jones.
African qualifiers to provide seven more World Cup finalists
CAPE TOWN :Africa’s group qualifiers for the 2026 World Cup conclude over the next week, providing seven more finalists for the tournament in North America.
Rugby Championship hits peak then heads into purgatory
MELBOURNE :It took more than a decade but this year's Rugby Championship finally lived up to what it had long promised fans: being fast, fierce and wide open to the finish.
All Blacks flyhalf Barrett to be fit for Northern Hemisphere tour
Flyhalf Beauden Barrett is expected to be back in black for New Zealand's season-ending tour of the Northern Hemisphere but Scott Robertson's squad will be missing a number of stand-out players after a taxing Rugby Championship campaign.
Tension lingers as India and Pakistan skip handshake in women’s World Cup
COLOMBO: India captain Harmanpreet Kaur and Pakistan counterpart Fatima Sana skipped the customary handshake before a women’s cricket World Cup match on Sunday amid ongoing tensions between the rivals that plagued the men’s Asia Cup last month. India-Pakistan relations have significantly deteriorated following military conflicts in May that nearly escalated into a full-fledged war between the nuclear-armed neighbors. India beat Pakistan three times in the men’s Asia Cup, including in the September 28 final in Dubai, but refused to shake hands with their counterparts before or after the matches. They also declined to receive the winners’ trophy from Asian Cricket Council (ACC) president Mohsin Naqvi, who is Pakistan’s interior minister. The frosty relations were evident in Colombo too where Kaur and Sana did not shake hands at the toss, nearly ignoring each other’s presence. Sana won the toss and elected to field against India, who have never lost to Pakistan in a women’s one day international. “We’re going to bowl first, looks like there could be some moisture on the wicket,” Sana said. “On this wicket, anything under 250 would be a good total to defend and hopefully we can restrict them.” India won a tri-series in Sri Lanka, also involving South Africa, in May and captain Kaur said that experience would stand them in good stead. “It was a good series for us,” Kaur said. “We played a lot of cricket here and, yeah, we have experience.
Rassie changed our mentality says Kolisi after another Springbok triumph
LONDON :South Africa captain Siya Kolisi paid tribute to coach Rassie Erasmus for changing his team's mindset after they underlined their status as the sport's superpower by winning back-to-back Rugby Championship titles for the first time on Saturday.
South Africa beat Argentina to retain Rugby Championship title
LONDON :South Africa's pack turned on the power in the second half to beat Argentina 29-27 at Twickenham on Saturday and win the Rugby Championship for the sixth time, ahead of New Zealand on points difference.