Kolisi: History will inspire Boks at FNB Stadium

Springbok captain Siya Kolisi and assistant coach Mzwandile Stick said facing the All Blacks at the FNB Stadium on Saturday would serve as additional inspiration when the Boks take the field, a few hours after the Springbok Women and Black Ferns clash on a momentous day at the same venue.

South Africa and New Zealand are currently level on one win apiece in the four-Test Castle Double Malt Rugby’s Greatest Rivalry, with the final clash scheduled for Baltimore in the USA next week Saturday. h-doctor.club

Both Kolisi and Stick emphasised the importance of doing their utmost to win this match and step onto the airplane hours after the match with a two-one lead to stay in the running to win the series. Fuelling their motivation, the match will mark the Boks’ last game on home soil this year.

“So many things that happened in Soweto helped shape the South Africa we have today,” said Kolisi.

“So many heroes have come from there, and a lot of the football history of this country is from Soweto, so we know how special that is.

“We’re not going to act like it’s not a special ground in a significant area. All of that gives us more to play for. We are also thankful for the people who came from there and fought for people like me and Stick to be sitting here today.

“They fought for the freedom we have now and never got to experience it, and giving our best tomorrow is part of us saying thank you. Hopefully we can do that with a win and change the history between the two teams there.”

Kolisi elaborated on those remarks, saying: “Obviously what we’d like to achieve is to win. We’d like to say thank you to the people of South Africa.

“It hasn’t always been easy. We didn’t win the first Test, but the numbers that showed up at the stadium and the vibe was fantastic, and we felt it and saw it. Even the people who can’t come to the stadium, see us while we are driving on the bus to ground and get up and scream, which has been very special.

“This is the memory the people of South Africa will remember, and hopefully we can give them a good one because we want to say thank you, not just in words but through our efforts tomorrow.”

Stick agreed whole-heartedly with Kolisi and said: “Personally, I see this game as an opportunity for the players to create their own history. Every stadium in South Africa has its own unique history and we try to protect that. Ellis Park and the DHL Stadium are two of them, and now we are playing at the FNB Stadium.

“It’s a football stadium, but can you imagine getting South Africans from all around the country together in Soweto. Driving past the tents and seeing how they are preparing for the game is something else.

“For the guys playing now, almost none of them have played there before, so it’s an opportunity to create their own history, and that excites me.”

Commenting on the importance of registering a victory this weekend, Kolisi said: “We lost the first match and had to dig our way back and fight to win the second one, so tomorrow we want to give ourselves the best possible chance to try to win the series. We do not want to play for a draw in the series.

“We have a lot to defend, not just the trophy for the tournament, but also the Freedom Cup, which we’d like to keep, so we are not taking it lightly. Our ultimate goal is to win the series, while we are well aware of what their motivation is. We also want to protect what we stand for as South Africans.”

Zooming in on the match, Stick expected a fierce encounter against the All Blacks with both teams being desperate to win this match, and he stressed the importance of accurate execution as one of the keys to earning the desired result.

“The message from their side is clear – they say how they want to play and then they play that way,” said Stick.

“We can all see that New Zealand want to maximise ball-in-play time. They want to keep the ball in hand, and if you look at their personnel, it’s clear they want more ball carriers who can keep the ball alive.

“That said, the one thing I enjoy about where we are is that we have our own DNA. They’re not going to change their DNA for the weather or anything else. They’ll still try to enforce it on us, and we’ll do the same.

“The team that creates opportunities and turns them into points has a better chance to win. So, we know they’re going to come hard at the breakdowns and target that area.

“And if we create opportunities, we have to be clinical. The team that puts everything together and executes it well, will stand the best chance of winning tomorrow.”

Kolisi, who has a deep passion for the Bok Women’s team and women’s sport in general, was thrilled that the Springbok Women would play a curtain raiser for the match against the New Zealand Black Ferns.

“It’s special and exciting – it’s been awesome to see how excited the girls are to play tomorrow,” said Kolisi.

“I’ve really enjoyed seeing how many All Blacks fans have enjoyed South Africa on this tour. Their people are getting to experience our country, our mood, and what rugby means here, and now the women get to experience that as well.

“The Black Ferns have won the Rugby World Cup, and they’ve been one of the most successful teams for a very long time, so, it’s going to be a great game alongside ours.

“Babalwa (Latsha, Springbok Women’s captain) is really looking forward to it, and the more people we can get to that game, the better. The more we support the women’s game, the bigger our sport grows. So, it’s not just the women’s game, it’s our game as a whole.”

The women’s Test kicks off at 13h30, and the clash between the Boks and the All Blacks is scheduled for 17h10. Both matches will be broadcast live on SuperSport.

Issued by SA Rugby Communications

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L’OGC Nice veut rapidement tourner la page. Après une lourde défaite contre le Paris FC lors de la précédente journée, les Aiglons retrouvent leur public avec l’ambition de réagir face au Mans, ce samedi, pour la 3e journée de Ligue 1. De son côté, le promu manceau cherchera à rebondir après avoir laissé échapper un résultat positif dans les dernières minutes à Rennes.

Nice a vécu une soirée à oublier face au Paris FC (3-0). Incapables de se montrer suffisamment dangereux et trop friables défensivement, les hommes d’Olivier Pantaloni devront afficher un tout autre visage pour éviter une nouvelle déconvenue. Le technicien niçois a d’ailleurs identifié le principal chantier de son équipe : « Le gros chantier se situe à mon sens sur le plan offensif pour qu’on arrive à se créer des occasions bien plus franches. » Une réaction est donc attendue à l’Allianz Riviera.

Le Mans veut repartir de l’avant

Le scénario a également été cruel pour Le Mans. En déplacement à Rennes, le promu a longtemps cru pouvoir réaliser une belle opération avant de s’incliner dans les derniers instants (3-2). La rencontre avait notamment basculé après l’expulsion de Djibril Sidibé, sanctionné d’un carton rouge direct seulement 43 secondes après son entrée en jeu pour une intervention dangereuse sur Lepaul. Malgré cette défaite, les Manceaux peuvent s’appuyer sur leur prestation pour tenter de créer la surprise sur la Côte d’Azur.

Le coup d’envoi de Nice – Le Mans, comptant pour la 3e journée de Ligue 1, sera donné ce samedi 5 septembre à 20h45, à l’Allianz Riviera. La rencontre sera diffusée en direct sur Ligue 1+ 4, avec un accès également possible via DAZN et Prime Video pour les abonnés concernés.

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Manchester City retrouve la Premier League ce samedi avec la réception de Coventry à l’Etihad Stadium. Après un début de saison encourageant, les Citizens disposent d’une nouvelle occasion de confirmer leurs premières prestations et de poursuivre leur bonne dynamique.

À domicile, Manchester City part avec les faveurs des pronostics. Les locaux devront toutefois rester concentrés face à un adversaire qui cherchera à profiter de la moindre erreur. La maîtrise du jeu et l’efficacité offensive seront notamment attendues pour faire la différence.

Coventry, de son côté, connaît une entame plus délicate avec deux défaites lors de ses deux premières sorties. Le promu se déplace néanmoins sans pression excessive et tentera de s’appuyer sur son engagement et sa solidarité pour tenir tête aux Citizens.

Sur le papier, Manchester City possède un avantage certain, mais Coventry aura une belle occasion de créer la surprise. Les visiteurs chercheront ainsi à décrocher leurs premiers points de la saison, tandis que City devra assumer son statut et poursuivre sa marche en avant.

Le coup d’envoi est prévu ce samedi à 16h00 à l’Etihad Stadium.

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North West B were crowned SA Hockey IPT B Section women’s champions after completing a perfect campaign with a 4-0 victory over SACD in a dramatic title decider that began at The Hockey Farm in eMalahleni and finished at HTS Middelburg on Friday, 4 September 2026.

An extraordinary final day began at The Hockey Farm before a huge lightning storm and heavy rain interrupted the women’s final. The severe weather eventually forced the tournament to relocate to HTS Middelburg, where the closing stages were completed.

Unbeaten North West B Set Up Title Decider with SACD in eMalahleni

The day opened with the women’s bronze medal match, which produced an entertaining five-goal battle as hosts Mpumalanga edged the KZN Mynahs 3-2.

Mackenzy Layden gave the Mynahs a dream start by opening the scoring in the sixth minute, but Mpumalanga responded through Bianca Kruger eight minutes later. The hosts completed the turnaround when Nobuhle Dhlamini scored in the 18th minute, only for Layden to strike again on the stroke of half-time and send the teams into the interval level at 2-2.

The decisive moment arrived in the 41st minute when Kiara Nel restored Mpumalanga’s advantage. The hosts protected their slender lead through the closing stages to secure the bronze medal on home soil.

Attention then turned to the final as unbeaten North West B faced SACD for the title and promotion.

Erika Neuhoff opened the scoring for North West B in the 20th minute before Chanel Genis doubled the advantage four minutes later.

The lightning storm and heavy rain then brought proceedings to a halt, forcing the remainder of the final to be moved from The Hockey Farm to HTS Middelburg.

When play eventually resumed at the new venue, North West B quickly rediscovered their rhythm. Genis struck again in the 33rd minute before completing a superb hat-trick in the 53rd.

The 4-0 victory completed a perfect campaign for North West B, who won all five of their matches while scoring 19 goals and conceding just once. They were deservedly crowned the women’s IPT B Section champions and secured their place in the 2027 SA Hockey IPT A Section.

Genis capped a remarkable week by finishing as the tournament’s top goalscorer with five goals and claiming the Women’s Player of the Tournament award, while Mpumalanga goalkeeper Kendra Shepheard was named Women’s Goalkeeper of the Tournament.

It was a remarkable ending to a landmark event. The first standalone IPT B Section, hosted for the first time in the region, produced a worthy champion, and for The Hockey Farm, HTS Middelburg and the wider eMalahleni community, the week represented an important new chapter in South African provincial women’s hockey.

SA Hockey IPT B Section Women’s Competition at The Hockey Farm, eMalahleni

Monday, 31 August 2026

SACD 2-0 KZN Mynahs; Scorers: Chenelle Roux 3′, 19′
Mpumalanga 0-2 North West B; Scorers: Marika Neethling 24′, Erika Neuhoff 30′

Tuesday, 1 September 2026

KZN Mynahs 0-5 North West B; Scorers: Juliet Horton 7′, Jade Kelly 10′ and 39′, Dine van Jaarsveld 17′, and Liane Nel 33′
Mpumalanga 0-2 SACD; Scorers: Rethabile Mothupi 43′, and Lisa February 58′

Wednesday, 2 September 2026

North West B 3-1 SACD; Scorers: Erika Neuhoff 32′, Chanel Genis 34′, Marika Neethling 60′; Mathapelo Pitso 14′
Mpumalanga 2-0 KZN Mynahs; Scorers: Monique Liebenberg 27′, Bianca Kruger 39′

Thursday, 3 September 2026

Semi-Final 1: North West B 5-0 KZN Mynahs; Scorers: Irene Strydom 31′, Marika Neethling 44′, Ahlumile Moni 47′, Chanel Genis 51′, Dine van Jaarsveld 53′
Semi-Final 2: SACD 3-0 Mpumalanga; Scorers: Chenelle Roux 9′, Nabeelah Bodenham 20′, Jayda van Antwerp 45′

Friday, 4 September 2026

Bronze Medal: Mpumalanga 3-2 KZN Mynahs; Scorers: Bianca Kruger 14′, Nobuhle Dhlamini 18′, Kiara Nel 41′; Mackenzy Layden 6′ and 30′

Final: North West B 4-0 SACD; Scorers: Erika Neuhoff 20′, Chanel Genis 24′, 33′ and 53′

2026 SA Hockey IPT B Section Women’s Individual Awards

Goalkeeper of the Tournament: Kendra Shepheard (Mpumalanga)
Top Goalscorer of the Tournament: Chanel Genis (North West B)
Player of the Tournament: Chanel Genis (North West B)

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Original Copy: SA Hockey, with editing by gsport

Main Photo Caption: North West B celebrated a perfect campaign as SA Hockey IPT B Section women’s champions after beating SACD 4-0 in a storm-interrupted final at The Hockey Farm in eMalahleni on Friday, 4 September 2026. All Photos: ACK Sports Photography

Photo 2 Caption: Mpumalanga claimed bronze on home soil with a five-goal thriller against the KZN Mynahs on a dramatic closing day of the national women’s tournament.

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Le Paris Saint-Germain est déjà en quête de solutions. Après trois journées de Ligue 1, le champion de France n’a toujours pas remporté le moindre match et ne totalise que deux points. Battu par Monaco (1-2) vendredi au Parc des Princes, le club de la capitale traverse une entame inhabituelle, qui rappelle certaines périodes beaucoup plus compliquées de son histoire récente.

Un départ loin des habitudes parisiennes

Paris avait pourtant l’occasion de lancer sa saison à domicile. Après deux résultats nuls contre Rennes (2-2) et Lille (2-2), les Parisiens espéraient enfin décrocher leur premier succès. Il n’en a rien été.

Malgré l’ouverture du score de Marquinhos, le PSG a finalement cédé face à Monaco en seconde période. Avec deux points pris sur neuf possibles, les hommes de [entraîneur] occupent désormais une position qui ne correspond pas aux standards d’un champion de France.

Il faut remonter à 2007-2008

Pour retrouver un début de championnat du PSG avec seulement deux points après trois journées, il faut remonter à la saison 2007-2008. Le club parisien avait alors commencé par deux matches nuls, contre Sochaux et Lens, avant de s’incliner face à Lorient.

La comparaison est forcément saisissante. Cette saison-là, Paris avait vécu un exercice particulièrement difficile et avait finalement terminé à la 16e place, avec seulement trois points d’avance sur le premier relégable.

Le contexte actuel est cependant très différent. Le PSG reste un prétendant naturel au titre et dispose d’un effectif construit pour jouer les premiers rôles. Ce précédent historique ne permet donc évidemment pas de tirer des conclusions sur la suite de la saison.

Une série qui s’allonge

Le constat devient néanmoins plus préoccupant si l’on prend en compte le Trophée des champions. Avant même le début de la Ligue 1, Paris avait été battu par Lens (0-1).

Le revers contre Monaco porte ainsi à quatre le nombre de rencontres officielles consécutives sans victoire. Le PSG reste donc sur une défaite, deux nuls et une nouvelle défaite depuis le début de sa saison.

Cette dynamique tranche avec les résultats auxquels le club s’est habitué ces dernières années. Elle intervient également à un moment où Paris doit rapidement retrouver de la confiance et de l’efficacité.

Un précédent qui ne condamne pas Paris

L’histoire du club rappelle toutefois qu’une mauvaise entame n’est pas forcément synonyme de mauvaise saison. Le PSG avait lui-même connu un début poussif en 2012-2013, sans victoire lors de ses trois premières journées, avant de redresser la barre et de devenir champion de France.

Le chiffre de deux points après trois journées reste donc davantage un signal d’alerte qu’une fatalité. Mais avec déjà quatre matches officiels sans succès, Paris n’a désormais plus beaucoup de temps à perdre.

Le prochain rendez-vous devra permettre au champion de France de stopper cette série et de retrouver rapidement le rythme attendu d’un candidat au titre.

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