Following the round of 16 match of the Brazilian Cup, a situation arose that led Santos Club to issue an official statement in support of Neymar. In this match, Santos won with a score of 1:0.
Following the round of 16 match of the Brazilian Cup, a situation arose that led Santos Club to issue an official statement in support of Neymar. In this match, Santos won with a score of 1:0.
The top South African rugby athletes kicked off the Spars National Championship in Cape Town on Thursday morning. Johannesburg coach Elshe Jordaan believes that the ability to play winningly, rather than just well, has been the foundation of her team's four-year dominance in the Spars National Championship, and this could be the key to an unprecedented fifth consecutive title at the tournament, which started in Cape Town.
Despite injuries forcing the reigning champion to replace some players with new talents, and opponents continuing to close the gap, the former national team coach believes her team possesses something that cannot be created overnight—it is the composure to perform when trophies are at stake, or the ability to play in crucial moments.
Jordaan noted: 'Over the past four years, we have learned to play winningly in finals and semi-finals. It is a completely different tournament when you reach these stages. We have learned to remain calm under pressure, and we are very proud of that.'
Last year, Johannesburg defeated Cape Town by a narrow margin in the A-division final, securing their fourth consecutive title, but Jordaan insists that history matters little when a new campaign begins. She emphasized: 'I do not consider us defending champions; I consider us current champions. It is a completely new year, a new team, and a new competition.'
This fresh start brings new challenges. Injuries have weakened Johannesburg's defensive positions, creating opportunities for young players to prove themselves on one of the largest South African rugby stages. Jordaan expressed enthusiasm for the young players in defense: 'We have young players in the defensive zone, and I am very interested to see what they can do. That is what this project is about—introducing new talents and observing how they cope under pressure.'
Even with the arrival of new faces, Jordaan believes that the experienced core of her squad will help maintain the standards that underpinned Johannesburg's outstanding success. She added: 'The backbone of our team is still very experienced, and these are the players who participated in the four-year process. They understand what it takes to win.'
Captain Alex Maymaris admitted that the pursuit of history creates additional pressure. 'Not everyone can say they were in this situation after four consecutive wins,' she said. 'There is pressure, but there is also excitement from the hope of another victory.'
The start of the 2026 Rugby Championship in Johannesburg promises to be intense. The Cape Town hosts will strive to surpass last year's results, while Mangaung and Dr Kenneth Kaunda are among the teams Jordaan believes they will have to face. Jordaan stated: 'The A-section is a beast. Cape Town, playing at home, will want to show itself. Mangaung is always competitive, and Dr Kenneth Kaunda is such an established team because they often play together. It will be an interesting week of rugby.'
The championship will once again feature many leading national players, including current and former Proteas internationals: Kgalu Dames, Nicole Brits, Thulisiwe Maduna, Nozipho Ntshangase, Juanito van Toonder, Ine-Mari Vanter, Nonsikelelo Mazibuko, Carla Pretorius, and Sigi Burger. Teams from Botswana and Namibia will also participate in the senior A-section, and the Johannesburg U21 team will fight for a third consecutive title under the guidance of former Proteas SPAR captain Bongi Msomi.
If Johannesburg lifts the trophy again, Jordaan believes it will be not only due to having the best players but also because they have mastered the art of winning at the most critical moments.
A situation arose before the start of the two-match Test series between India and Sri Lanka that caused concern among the players and management of the Indian team. During a training session in Colombo, Shubman Gill sustained an injury to his thumb from a ball. After sustaining the injury, he had to leave the net and seek medical attention.
The Indian squad arrived in Sri Lanka on August 4th. The following day, the players began training, and on Thursday (August 6th), the team was actively preparing for the Test series. It was during this training session, while facing fast bowling, that the ball hit Shubman Gill's thumb.
Medical staff immediately provided assistance to Gill. According to preliminary reports, the Indian captain returned to training and continued playing after treatment. This brought relief to the team management. Currently, the injury is not considered serious. A second injury occurred during a catching practice; the ball again struck his right hand during practice in the slip cordon, causing him severe pain. A physiotherapist applied an ice pack.
The Indian team will play a three-day friendly match against the local Sri Lankan side starting Friday (August 7th). Due to this, the team management does not wish to risk any player, especially considering that the squad is already suffering from injury issues.
The Indian squad already includes players who have been dropped from the Test series due to injuries: star fast bowler Jasprit Bumrah is unavailable due to injury, and he will be replaced by Mohammed Siraj. All-rounder Shivam Dubey also cannot participate in the tour due to a hamstring injury sustained during the ODI series against England. Injury problems in India's fast-bowling department are also causing concern: Harshit Rana is also absent, and the team will embark on the tour to Sri Lanka with a new lineup.
Shubman Gill has also not had easy years regarding injuries in recent years. During the tour of Australia, he was forced to miss part of the series due to a thumb injury. Furthermore, in 2024, he experienced ankle injury problems during the Test series against England. Also, in the three-match ODI series in Birmingham, England, he was forced to leave the game due to an injury but later played in the remaining matches of the series, returning after scoring 80 runs. The first Test between India and Sri Lanka will take place on August 15th in Galle. The upcoming friendly match will give the players a last chance to adapt to local conditions.
The Indian team roster includes: Shubman Gill (Captain), KL Rahul (Vice-Captain), Yashasvi Jaiswal, Rishabh Pant (Wicketkeeper), Devdutt Padikkal, Sai Sudarshan (Fitness Coach), Dhruv Jurel (Wicketkeeper), Ravindra Jadeja, Kuldeep Yadav, Manav Chatur, Akib Nabi, Mohammed Siraj, Prasidh Krishna, Gurnoor Baar, and Saransh Jain.
India's tour schedule in Sri Lanka:
The head of the International Federation of Football, Gianni Infantino, managed to keep his position amid a major scandal related to World Cup rights. Following a lengthy seven-hour summit held in Rabat, the FIFA executive committee, together with Secretary General Matthias Grafström, approved the mandate of the current organization chief.
To resolve the conflict that arose, FIFA leadership sent official communications to all national federations. In his address, Infantino admitted mistakes, publicly apologized for the attempt to attract private capital to host tournaments, and promised not to resume this strategy in the future. The fact that information about confidential negotiations leaked to the media caused particular dissatisfaction among officials.
The outrage began after it became known that FIFA management planned to transfer a 20% stake in the world championships to a group of investors led by American businessman Joshua Kushner. This project faced strong opposition: UEFA warned of its readiness to completely boycott the World Cup from European national teams, and leading continental clubs categorically rejected support for this initiative.
As a result, on August 1st, FIFA promptly canceled all previously reached agreements on the sale of rights. Infantino has led the global football organization continuously since 2016. Although his current term ends in 2027, the sports figure does not rule out the possibility of running for the next period.
