🎉 HAPPY BIRTHDAY, MARCO VAN STADEN: THEY CALL HIM ESKOM BECAUSE HE EARNED IT 🇿🇦 A London specialist told Marco van Staden he would never play rugby again. Two years later he was a world champion in France, and this year he brought up 100 caps for the Bulls. He turns 31 today. 🇿🇦 He never played Craven Week and North-West University passed on him. He was a scrumhalf until Grade 11 at Hoërskool Bekker. His team-mates call him Eskom, because when he lines you up the lights go out. ⸻ 🗣️ "The system missed him at 17, a specialist wrote him off at 26, and he still ended up with a World Cup medal and a century of caps — that is the most Marco van Staden career imaginable!" – Jay ⸻ 🎙️ FULL STORY on JustPlainSport .com #MarcoVanStaden #Springboks #VodacomBulls #RWC2023 #URC #JustPlainSport

🚨 BREAKING NEWS!! Siya Kolisi will Captain the Springboks against The All Blacks on Saturday in Cape Town! #RSAvNZL

🇿🇦 SPRINGBOK TEAM FOR THE SECOND TEST AGAINST THE ALL BLACKS 🏉 Siya Kolisi shares the six jersey with Paul de Villiers until training tells Rassie which way to go. Handre Pollard starts at ten, Ethan Hooker comes in for the injured Cheslin Kolbe. 👀 ⸻ 🗣️ "The world's gone berserk after the previous weekend, but Rassie and these South African men know how to dig themselves out of the hole. They've been here before." – 🎙️Jay ⸻ 15 Damian Willemse 14 Kurt-Lee Arendse 13 Jesse Kriel 12 Damian de Allende 11 Ethan Hooker 10 Handre Pollard 9 Cobus Reinach 8 Jasper Wiese 7 Pieter-Steph du Toit (captain) 6 Siya Kolisi / Paul de Villiers 5 Ruan Nortje 4 Eben Etzebeth 3 Wilco Louw 2 Malcolm Marx 1 Ox Nche 🎙️ FULL STORY on JustPlainSport .com #RSAvNZL #Springboks #AllBlacks #SouthAfrica #JustPlainSport

❤️ GO BOKKE!! “We’ve been here before” - Rassie #RSAvNZL #rassie #greatestrivalry

🇿🇦 SA HOCKEY WOMEN BEAT CHILE 3-2 AT THE WORLD CUP! 🏑 Congratulations to the South African women who came from behind twice to take down a higher-ranked Chile side on Sunday morning in Pool G. 🥅 Molikoe – 22' 🥅 Mokoena – 35' 🥅 Maree – 48' ⸻ 🗣️ "Three goals, one comeback, and a win over a side ranked above them! Congrats Ladies" – 🎙️Jay ⸻ #HockeyWorldCup #FieldHockey #Hockey #womensports #SouthAfrica #JustPlainSport 🎙️

🇿🇦 HOULIE TAKES SILVER IN 50M BREASTSTROKE AT PAN PACS 🏊 Michael Houlie touched in 26.42 in Irvine for Pan Pacs silver, six hundredths behind Sam Williamson's record-breaking 26.36. 🥈 🗣️ "Six hundredths at this level isn't a defeat, it's a warning shot. Houlie is in the fight!" – Jay The 50m breaststroke becomes an Olympic event for the first time in 2028. Houlie is timing his run. 🎙️ Full report on JustPlainSport .com #PanPacs #MichaelHoulie #SouthAfrica #Swimming #LA2028 #JustPlainSport

🇿🇦 BOKS v ALL BLACKS: HOW THEY LINE UP AT ELLIS PARK 🏉 Give us your score predictions in the comments! Du Toit against Savea. De Allende against Jordie Barrett on his 100th. Saturday, 17h10. 🔥 🎙️ FULL STORY on JustPlainSport .com #RSAvNZL #Springboks #AllBlacks #SouthAfrica #JustPlainSport 🎙️

🇿🇦 SOUTH AFRICA BEAT FRANCE 3-1 AT HOCKEY WORLD CUP 🏑 South Africa beat France 3-1 at the FIH Hockey World Cup, with the Cassiem brothers scoring all three goals in a Pool H result that puts real points on the board. Mustaphaa Cassiem struck twice inside three minutes, in the 17th and the 19th, to turn a tight contest into a lead South Africa never surrendered. Charlet pulled one back for France in the 30th minute, and from there it became a question of whether South Africa could hold their shape for a full half. They could. Dayaan Cassiem settled it in the 60th minute, the last act of the match, to make it 3-1. FULL TIME: South Africa 3 France 1 SOUTH AFRICA SCORERS: 🥅 M. Cassiem – 17' 🥅 M. Cassiem – 19' 🥅 D. Cassiem – 60' FRANCE SCORER: 🥅 Charlet – 30' Three goals, two brothers, one afternoon. Mustaphaa's double came in the second quarter and carried the weight of the win, while Dayaan's late finish removed any doubt about where the three points were going. France had the equaliser in sight for thirty minutes and never found it. ⸻ 🗣️ "Two Cassiems, three goals, and a World Cup result South Africa will remember — this is what this squad is capable of when they get their noses in front!" – 🎙️Jay ⸻ South Africa go into the rest of their World Cup campaign with a win on the board and a forward line that just proved it can score in bunches. Written By Jay #JustPlainSport #SouthAfrica #Hockey #FIHWorldCup #HockeyWorldCup2026