Ending on a High

Although the Vodacom United Rugby Championship season will go down as one of missed opportunities, defined by a debilitating injury toll, the Hollywoodbets Sharks delivered the goods in the final match to give an indication of the excitement to come. toffler.lol

Head coach JP Pietersen dedicated his team’s 54-19 victory over Zebre at Hollywoodbets Kings Park win to the fans for their support throughout the season, acknowledging their passion and dedication to the Black & White jersey, and those who wear it with pride.

“It was a good ending for the fans who have been with us through difficult times,” he said after the win. “I’ve been asking the boys to give the fans who have stuck with us the whole season something they can talk about, and they did.

“We know we can talk positively about our last game of the campaign, and how we can take that into the next pre-season.”

The game was defined by attacking rugby, entertaining from start to finish as his young guns were given license to play, without fear.

“You’re always going to get that with young kids in your team, I think 60% of the team were under 23, the balance was good. Andre knew when to slow it down, but I thought one of the young guys was Ox, with his energy and the way he was moving the ball. It’s beautiful to see what the young kids do for the older, more experienced guys.

“It was a great performance, yes there were always going to be errors made, that’s part of the game, but the balance in the group is beautiful, we have the pieces now and it’s about how we put it all together.”

Looking at the character in the team and the commitment they showed, even in tough times, Pietersen felt that his players achieved a plus sign here.

“We showed resilience the whole season and there was pride shown in the jersey. There was fight in every game, it was just unfortunate that some results didn’t go our way and that’s why we sit where we are.”

For now, the tournament is over, but a valuable time for the players to take a break and come back energised for the next campaign.

“It’s good to have a mental break now, a complete break away from the game, to spend time with family and loved ones,” Pietersen said.

“Rugby is a demanding game with a lot of pressure, week in and week out, so now they’ve earned their break and get to switch off. And then come back for the next season with a different mindset, to not only compete, but to win.

“That’s the challenge to the group.”

It’s a sad time saying goodbye to players who have contributed so much, and for the players departing, Pietersen threw in a few more thoughts.

“It’s sad to say goodbye, especially when people add value to the jersey, to the union and the organisation, and make the place better. But you can say ‘Thank you’ for what they’ve done for us, their contribution and for the professional way they went about it and how they affect the group.

“Siya [Kolisi] is special, the standing ovation he got from the fans when he came off was well-deserved. I love him, and I want to say thank you to him for supporting me in my first year. It wasn’t easy.

“It was a personal decision for him to go home to be closer to his family, there’s a lot of respect, man-to-man.

“And then Jean Smith, he’s a young guy moving to Italy to chance his international dreams. Grant Williams has been here for nine years, it’s sad we couldn’t say goodbye to him on the field, but that’s the game of rugby. His contribution to the union has been massive.

“The guys leaving are looking for a new pathway from where they can grow. It’s sad, but while it’s the end for some, it’s a new start for others. Vusi made his debut and it was beautiful to see how the circle of life works.”

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Nobody ever said that winning the Betway Premiership would be easy. Orlando Pirates have a tricky test on the final day.

Orlando Pirates’ job is clear

After failing to beat Durban City at Orlando Stadium, Pirates have to win at Orbit College on the final day to win this season’s Betway Premiership title. Orbit have their own incentive to get a positive result. A win for the hosts would potentially see them climb out of the relegation playoff slot, depending on how Marumo Gallants go against Stellenbosch. Gallants and Orbit are level on 24 points, but Gallants sit above College by virtue of a superior goal difference. Stellies have nothing to play for, so on paper, Gallants have an easier assignment. However, Pirates can and should expect Orbit to be scrapping for their lives.

Pirates looking to recruit PSL duo

Via KickOff, Orlando Pirates have reached out to Polokwane City to finalise a deal with Thabang Matuludi. It’s not the first time the Buccaneers have attempted to lure the 27-year-old defender over, after their efforts were foiled last season. Matuludi has two caps for Bafana and has an outside shot of making their final 2026 World Cup squad. Siyanda Ndlovu is also a rumoured target.

LOS ANGELES, May 19 – Victor Wembanyama delivered a 40-20 performance as the San Antonio Spurs opened the NBA’s Conference finals with a double-overtime win at the defending champions, the Oklahoma City Thunder.

The match-up between the first and second seed in the Western Conference features Wembanyama, this season’s defensive player of the year, go up against Thunder’s Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, who has been named the NBA’s Most Valuable Player for a second straight year.

And the best-of-seven series got off to a thrilling start on Monday as San Antonio had the chance to win it at the end of regulation time, and then Oklahoma City in overtime, before the Spurs prevailed 122-115.

Wembanyama’s alley-oop dunk with 22 seconds left in the second period of overtime put the Spurs up by six and meant the France forward finished with 41 points and 24 rebounds.

At 22 years and 134 days old, he is the youngest player in NBA history to reach 40 points and 20 rebounds in a play-off game, and joins Wilt Chamberlain (1960) as the only players to do so on their Conference finals debut.

“He has a rare desire to step into every moment that’s in front of him,” Spurs coach Mitch Johnson said of the 2023 first overall draft pick.

“I think he has showed in his three years in a lot of different situations with a lot of different circumstances that he’s going to attack those moments. He has some rare God-given ability.”

San Antonio’s rookie guard Dylan Harper claimed 24 points and 11 rebounds as Thunder suffered their first loss of the play-offs having swept the Phoenix Suns and Los Angeles Lakers in the previous two rounds.

Alex Caruso led the top seeds with 31 points off the bench, while Jalen Williams added 26 and Gilgeous-Alexander claimed 24 points and 12 assists.

“We knew it was going to be a dog fight,” said Gilgeous-Alexander, who received his MVP award before the game. “We’ve just got to be better, me in particular.”

Game two is also in Oklahoma City on Wednesday, while the New York Knicks open the Eastern finals at home to the Cleveland Cavaliers on Tuesday.

The post Wembanyama’s Spurs Win At Thunder In NBA Conference Finals Opener appeared first on Capital Sports.

AS Roma defender Shukurat Oladipo has been named the Best Defender in Italy’s Serie A Femminile after a standout 2025–26 season with the league champions.

The Nigerian international established herself as a key figure in Roma’s defensive line, featuring in 18 Serie A matches with 15 starts. With her on the pitch, the team recorded 11 clean sheets and remained unbeaten in every league match she featured in.

Oladipo was also named in the Serie A Femminile Team of the Year alongside her teammates Manuela Giugliano, Giada Greggi, and Giulia Dragoni.

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Standard-setting campaign in Serie A

The 21-year-old made 30 appearances across all competitions, including her debut in the UEFA Women’s Champions League.

Her defensive output further highlighted her immense influence at the back. She recorded 27 interceptions, 27 tackles, 70 clearances, and 104 recoveries in the league across 1,398 minutes of action, helping her side maintain one of the strongest defensive records in the division.

Roma officially lifted the Serie A Femminile trophy on Saturday after ending their season with a 2–0 win over Genoa, sealing a dominant domestic campaign.

She and Nigerian compatriot Rinsola Babajide will now turn their attention to the Coppa Italia Femminile final against Juventus on May 24, where Roma will aim to complete a domestic double.

Arsenal n’a jamais été aussi proche de renouer avec son glorieux passé. Grâce à sa courte mais précieuse victoire contre Burnley FC (1-0), lundi soir en Premier League, le club londonien a fait un pas supplémentaire vers un premier titre de champion d’Angleterre depuis 2004. Ce mardi, les Gunners espérons un faux pas de Manchester City contre Bournemouth pour s’offrir le titre. Portés par un but décisif de Kai Havertz, les hommes de Mikel Arteta ont assuré l’essentiel dans une rencontre tendue et fermée. Avec ce succès, les Gunners comptent désormais cinq points d’avance en tête du classement et mettent une énorme pression sur Manchester City. Arsenal dépend désormais de Manchester City Le scénario est désormais clair pour Arsenal. Les Londoniens seront officiellement sacrés champions d’Angleterre ce mardi soir si Manchester City ne parvient pas à s’imposer sur la pelouse de Bournemouth. Le match est programmé à partir de 18h30 GMT. Un match nul ou une défaite des Skyblues offrirait immédiatement le titre aux Gunners, qui attendent ce sacre depuis la génération mythique des “Invincibles” dirigée par Arsène Wenger. En revanche, une victoire de l’équipe de Pep Guardiola relancerait totalement le suspense avant l’ultime journée du championnat. Une dernière journée sous haute tension Si Manchester City gagne, l’écart sera réduit à seulement deux points avant la 38e et dernière journée de Premier League prévue dimanche. Arsenal se déplacera alors sur le terrain de Crystal Palace, pendant que Manchester City recevra Aston Villa. La fin de saison s’annonce donc palpitante pour Arsenal, qui rêve d’un doublé historique. En plus de cette lutte intense pour le titre national, les Gunners disputeront également la finale de la Ligue des champions le 30 mai prochain face au Paris Saint-Germain à Budapest. Après plusieurs saisons de reconstruction, Arsenal touche enfin au but et espère conclure cette campagne exceptionnelle de la plus belle des manières.

L’article Premier League : Le scénario qui peut offrir le titre à Arsenal ce mardi est apparu en premier sur AfricaFootUnited.