Referees keep missing clear red cards – please can we have VAR?

The painfully slow road to implementation of the Video Assistant Referee (VAR) system has come into focus again following some shocking challenges that have gone unpunished at the start of the Premier Soccer League season. trojkonferencja2024.pl

Pirates and Sundowns hurt

Mamelodi Sundowns midfielder Teboho Mokoena and Orlando Pirates midfielder Sihle Nduli have both been left in the treatment room after abysmal tackles that should have seen red cards for Polokwane City’s Suprise Manthosi and AmaZulu’s Thando Ngwenya.

For a long time in football now the studs-up, over-the-top tackle has been punishable by instant dismissal so it is inexcusable that Manthosi and Ngwenya were not given their marching orders.

Mokoena has been absent from Sundowns’ subsequent two games against TS Galaxy and Kaizer Chiefs. Nduli, meanwhile, only returned from a long-term injury against AmaZulu and has now been confirmed as out for about four months with damage to his ankle ligaments.

Mathonsi and Ngwenya have been able to play on, with the AmaZulu forward netting his fifth goal of the season in Saturdays’ 2-0 Betway Premiership win over Siwelele on Saturday.

No one wants to begrudge the 23-year-old Ngwenya his fantastic start to the season, and to his credit he has issued a public apology to Nduli. But the fact remains that he should be serving a two-match ban.

To be fair to AmaZulu, they also had a perfectly good goal ruled out for a non-existent offside in their 1-1 draw with Pirates. But that only adds to the feeling that the Premiership needs VAR as soon as possible.

Referees need VAR help

Clearly VAR is far from perfect – it is amazing how often the video evidence is looked at and the wrong decision is still arrived at. This is particularly the case in the English Premier League and it was far from perfect too at the 2026 Fifa World Cup finals.

But implemented properly, VAR in South Africa can provide much-needed help to referees. It is a difficult job and it is not always easy to make the correct decision in real time.

The South African Football Association have confirmed that they have received the money promised by government for the implementation of VAR. Now they need to get a move on.

RUIRU, Kenya, Aug 17 – After the second round of the fifth leg of the Sunshine Development Tour – East Africa Swing, Nyali Golf Club’s Daniel Nduva and Rwanda’s Celestin Nsanzuwera took control of the Absa Ruiru Invitational tournament.

The two are tied on 5-under par overall, setting up a closely contested final round tomorrow.

Nduva, who won the Royal Nairobi Golf Club leg earlier this season, produced a composed round, carding 3-under par 67.

He made birdies on the second, ninth, 13th and 17th holes, with his only dropped shot coming on the final hole.

“It was another solid round. I managed to hit some good shots and convert a few birdie opportunities. The bogey on 18 was a bit disappointing, but overall I am happy with the way I played. I am in a good position going into tomorrow and I just need to stay patient and focus on executing my game,” Nduva said.

On his part, Nsanzuwera, who started the day tied for fifth on 1-under par, also produced a near-flawless round of 4-under par 66, featuring five birdies on the third, fourth, ninth, 12th and 16th holes. His only blemish came on the 14th hole.

“It was a very good round for me. I stayed patient and managed to take advantage of the opportunities I got. The birdies gave me good momentum and I was able to keep my focus throughout the round. I am happy with where I am going into the final round and will just try to play my game and see what happens,” Nsanzuwera stated.

Taking third position on 4-under par overall is Nyali professional Samuel Njoroge Chege, the winner of the Absa Invitational at Nyali last month.

Chege carded a 3-under par 67 despite an early setback, dropping shots on the fourth and fifth holes before recovering strongly with birdies eighth, 12th, 13th and 14th holes, adding to an earlier birdie on the second.

“I had a difficult start and the two early bogeys could easily have affected my round, but I managed to settle down and get myself back into it. The birdies in the middle of the round gave me the momentum I needed. I am happy to be in contention again and looking forward to tomorrow,” Chege underscored.

Mike Kisia of VetLab Sports Club occupies fourth position on 3-under par overall after carding an impressive 4-under par 66 to recover from his opening-round 1-over par.

A three-way tie for fifth position on 2-under par features John Karichu of Limuru Country Club, David Wakhu of Golf Park and Nigeria’s Godwin Okoko.

Following the second round, the top 30 players and ties will proceed to the final round on Tuesday, with a Sh2 million prize purse up for grabs. The winner will take home Sh400,000.

Brianna Robinson dug deep into her reserves of character and skill to realise a long-held dream, defeating Elzandri Janse van Rensburg to be crowned the Growthpoint South African Junior Nationals U19 women’s squash champion at Makers Landing at the V&A Waterfront in Cape Town on Saturday, 15 August 2026.

Facing a determined Northerns opponent, the Joburg Squash player fought back from 2-1 down to level the match before taking control of the fifth game with superb movement around the court to secure a 3-2 victory.

SA Country Districts Retain Kaplan Cup as Lizelle Muller and Keschia Schlebusch Deliver

In the U17 division, Northerns’ Starla Phillips held off a strong challenge from Border’s Kate van Biljon to claim the girls’ title 3-1.

It was a disappointing end to the championships for Janse van Rensburg, who had won the Growthpoint U17 title in 2024 and 2025. She had also lost to KwaZulu-Natal’s Makayla Naidoo earlier in the tournament to finish third in her section.

For Robinson, however, the victory represented the culmination of several years of hard work, with the emotions flowing as she began to appreciate the significance of her achievement.

“This has been a big goal for me since I started playing this tournament, so I’m very proud to have got the win.”

2026 Growthpoint SA Junior Nationals Women’s Squash Champion, Brianna Robinson

“I am just so grateful to everyone who has helped me over the past few years to make this sort of result possible.”

In the U17 girls’ final, Phillips recovered strongly after coming under early pressure from longtime rival Van Biljon to secure a deserved 3-1 victory.

Both players entered the final unbeaten, with left-hander Phillips particularly pleased to beat a player who had defeated her in the Growthpoint U15 girls’ final in 2024.

After dropping the opening game 11-8, Phillips seized control with accurate length play, repeatedly pushing Van Biljon into the back corners before capitalising on loose returns with her skilful short game.

There was a brief moment of concern in the fourth game when Phillips, leading 10-6, allowed three match points to slip, but she kept her composure to produce a winning backhand drop and seal the national title.

“I’m feeling good and very happy right now,” Phillips said afterwards. “I’ve had some good results this year, and also a few bad ones, but I am glad I was able to finish it off today.

“Kate and I have been playing each other for many years and always have a good game, so I’m happy to get the win today.”

Women’s Sections Final Results at the Growthpoint SA Junior Nationals squash championships at Makers Landing at the V&A Waterfront in Cape Town on Saturday, 15 August 2026

U17 Girls 1-4

Starla Phillips (Northerns) bt Rylee Howells (KZN) 3-0 (11-4 11-7 11-8)
Kate van Biljon (Border) bt Chelsey Cameron (KZN) 3-0 (11-5 11-4 11-5)
Rylee Howells (KZN) bt Chelsey Cameron (KZN) 3-1 (7-11 11-3 11-8 11-5)
Starla Phillips (Northerns) bt Kate van Biljon (Border) 3-1 (8-11 11-8 11-8 11-9)

Final placings:

1. Starla Phillips (Northerns)
2. Kate van Biljon (Border)
3. Rylee Howells (KZN)
4. Chelsey Cameron (KZN)

U17 Girls 5-8:

Keira Huang (Free State) bt Lala Masingi (Joburg Squash) 3-1 (8-11 11-7 11-8 11-8)
Genevieve Lang (WP) bt Shannon Render (Northerns) 3-1 (11-6 11-3 3-11 12-10)

Final placings:

1. Keira Huang (Free State)
2. Genevieve Lang (WP)
3. Shannon Render (Northerns)
4. Lala Masingi (Joburg Squash)

U19 Women 1-4:

Makayla Naidoo (KZN) bt Dane Meintjies (Boland) 3-0 (11-6 11-5 11-6)
Brianna Robinson (Joburg Squash) bt Elzandri Janse van Rensburg (Northerns) 3-2 (11-9 5-11 7-11 11-6 11-5).

Final placings:

1. Brianna Robinson (Joburg Squash)
2. Makayla Naidoo (KZN)
3. Elzandri Janse van Rensburg (Northerns)
4. Dane Meintjies (Boland)

U19 Women 5-8:

Hanrie Duits (Eden) bt Emma Hill (EP) 3-0 (11-4 11-8 13-11).

Final placings:

1. Hanrie Duits (Eden)
2. Benedette van Tonder (Free State)
3. Emma Hill (EP)
4. Tara Neville-Smiley (WP)

---

Original Copy: BLD Communications, with editing by gsport

Main Photo Caption: Brianna Robinson claimed the U19 women’s title at the Growthpoint SA Junior Nationals squash championships at Makers Landing at the V&A Waterfront in Cape Town on Saturday, 15 August 2026. All Photos: Petri Oeschger / Gallo Images

Photo 2 Caption: Starla Phillips won the girls’ U17 title at the Growthpoint SA Junior Nationals squash championships

The post Brianna Robinson Digs Deep to Win SA Junior Squash Title in Cape Town appeared first on gsport4girls.

Former Springbok prop Steven Kitshoff has revealed the brutal preparation that has gone into getting the Bok squad ready for the opening Test against the All Blacks at Ellis Park on Saturday.

With much of the squad travelling to Argentina two weeks ago, a group of experienced players remained in South Africa to prepare for the series opener. According to Kitshoff, those players were not left twiddling their thumbs.

MALLETT: Rassie to name ‘logical’ team

Instead, they were put through intense live rugby sessions designed to ensure they would be match-ready when the All Blacks arrived.

“For the 15, 16 players staying behind, they would run live drills, live scrummaging, tackling drills, live scenario drills for 40 to 45 minutes – maybe once or twice a week,” Kitshoff said on the Aotearoa Rugby Pod.

“So they actually get that conditioning side built into the session without just running broncos the whole time. They actually do the rugby work, so the guys are quite geared.”

The intensity of that preparation was underlined by Malcolm Marx, according to the 83-Test Bok veteran.

ALSO: 10 of the best Bok wins against All Blacks

Kitshoff said he had spoken briefly to the experienced hooker, with Marx revealing just how hard the players left behind had been pushed.

“I had a quick conversation with Malcolm when I arrived in Joburg and he said this week has probably been the week from hell,” Kitshoff said.

“Having most of the guys in Argentina, the guys who were left behind basically just got flogged for five days in a row. So the guys were working hard. They did a lot of live stuff to make sure they’re game ready when the Test matches start.”

Photo: Sydney Seshibedi/Gallo Images

The post Kitsie reveals Bok ‘week from hell’ appeared first on SA Rugby magazine.

The Springboks and New Zealand All Blacks will renew their historic rivalry at Ellis Park in Johannesburg on Saturday, 22 August 2026.

The match opens the inaugural Rugby’s Greatest Rivalry series, which features four Tests across South Africa and the United States.

Kick-off is scheduled for 17:00 SAST.

World’s top two teams meet at Ellis Park

South Africa enters the series as the world’s No 1-ranked team and back-to-back Rugby World Cup champions.

New Zealand sits second in the global rankings.

The opening Test gives the Springboks an opportunity to take an early series lead in front of a home crowd at Ellis Park.

All Blacks arrive after three tour wins

The All Blacks head into the Test series after recording three victories over South African club sides.

New Zealand’s tour results include:

• All Blacks 38-21 Stormers
• All Blacks 54-0 Sharks
• All Blacks 50-19 Bulls

The three performances give New Zealand momentum before facing the Springboks.

Caleb Clarke ruled out of Test series

New Zealand’s preparations have been affected by injuries.

Wing Caleb Clarke has been ruled out of the Test series.

Damian McKenzie also remains an injury concern before the Ellis Park match.

Deon Fourie returns to Springbok squad

The Springboks have strengthened their squad with the return of veteran utility forward Deon Fourie.

Fourie brings experience from South Africa’s 2023 Rugby World Cup victory and provides cover at loose forward and hooker.

Springboks vs All Blacks head-to-head record

South Africa and New Zealand have played 110 Tests.

Their head-to-head record stands at:

• Matches played: 110
• South Africa wins: 43
• New Zealand wins: 63
• Draws: 4

The All Blacks lead the overall record, but the Springboks enter Saturday’s Test as the top-ranked team.

Springboks vs All Blacks match details

Fixture: South Africa vs New Zealand

Competition: Rugby’s Greatest Rivalry series

Date: Saturday, 22 August 2026

Venue: Ellis Park Stadium, Johannesburg

Kick-off: 17:00 SAST

Read Inbound SA online

The post Springboks vs All Blacks: Kick-off time and Ellis Park Test preview appeared first on InBound South Africa.