All Blacks unlock the Springboks R84m American payday

America works for the Springboks. But only the All Blacks make it work to the tune of R84 million for a one-off Test.

SA Rugby banked an estimated NZ$9 million from taking the fourth and final Test of Rugby’s Greatest Rivalry to Baltimore.

At the current exchange rate of approximately R9.38 to one New Zealand dollar, that is a payday of around R84.4 million. newsindata.org

Springboks & All Blacks

New Zealand Rugby reportedly earned the same amount, with Gregor Paul writing in the New Zealand Herald that the NZ$9 million return is believed to be the biggest single-match payday in the union’s history.

This was not just a financial triumph for New Zealand Rugby. It was every bit as significant for SA Rugby.

The Springboks beat the All Blacks 43-28 at Baltimore’s M&T Bank Stadium to complete a 3-1 series win, but the commercial result was as emphatic as the one on the scoreboard.

The official attendance was 68,173 a record for a standalone rugby match in North America. An estimated 90 percent of the crowd supported South Africa.

Ticket purchases were registered from all 50 American states and seven Canadian provinces.

That is the power of the Springboks in 2026. It is also the power of the All Blacks as their opponent.

The United States is regularly described as rugby’s great untapped market. Every union wants a piece of it and every promoter sells the possibilities of taking a Test match there.

Baltimore offered something more concrete: nearly 70,000 people in an NFL stadium and an estimated R84 million for each of the two participating unions.

But the lesson is not simply that the Springboks can play in America.

The lesson is that the Springboks against the All Blacks can fill a stadium and make serious money in America.

The Boks have a huge and passionate support base in the United States. South Africans living across America arrived in green and gold, but so did supporters travelling from South Africa, Canada, Europe, Australia and elsewhere.

The All Blacks supplied rugby’s most globally recognisable opposition.

Together, they supplied an event.

Rugby’s Greatest Rivalry has 105 years of history behind it. It has World Cup finals, controversies, contrasting styles and a genuine sporting hostility that does not have to be manufactured by a promoter.

Baltimore was the first meeting between the teams in the United States. It should not be the last.

SA Rugby chief executive Rian Oberholzer had been direct before the Test about the commercial motivation. SA Rugby needed to strengthen its finances and take the Springbok brand beyond South Africa.

Mission accomplished.

The money matters. Professional rugby cannot survive on tradition and sentiment. The leading unions need new revenue, and Test rugby needs occasions capable of competing in a crowded international sports market.

The Springboks and All Blacks produced exactly that.

The Americans did not get an exhibition. They got a series decider between the two strongest brands in Test rugby, played in front of a record crowd and won by the back-to-back world champions.

There will now be calls for the Springboks to play more Tests in the United States, especially with the country hosting the 2031 Rugby World Cup.

SA Rugby should be selective.

The value is not in taking any Springbok Test to America. It is in taking the right Test there.

Baltimore worked because it was the Springboks against the All Blacks.

That is the fixture America will buy. That is the rivalry that can make the United States work for South African rugby.

Just days before the start of the World Road Running Championship in Copenhagen, Denmark, this weekend, Enoch Skosana, Head of Athletics South Africa’s Road Running Commission, made a call for South African athletics to return to its fundamentals and put the athlete first.

He also spoke positively on the chances of the South African team causing one or two surprises at the championships.

“Our team is mostly made up of young, promising athletes,” Skosana commented. “Only Elroy (Gelant) is there as a more experienced athlete to share his knowledge and motivate the younger ones.

“Our aim will be to go for a medal in team competition. We did that last time (the men’s half marathon team clinched a bronze medal in Riga, Latvia in 2023).

“While we might not have the same strength we had at the last championships, we expect our athletes to run at their best of their ability, to run PB’s and potentially SA records.

“Glenrose (Xaba) can certainly set a national record in the half-marathon and with Tayla Kavanagh on fire, we can expect a record from her in the 5km. That could eclipse Elana Meyer’s designated ‘fastest time’ for the distance (Meyer’s 15:10 set in the USA in 1994 is listed as a ‘best time’ as the world body did not recognise the 5km road distance as ‘official’ at that time. Kavanagh’s 15:50, set at the last WRRC in 2023, is listed as the national record).

“And Maxime Chaumeton can compete with the best in the world and we can expect an SA record from him in the 5km,” Skosana continued.

“I don’t think it’s impossible to expect a podium from one or two of our athletes. Although they may be down the global rankings, it all depends on their performance on the day. In 1996 Josiah Thugwane was not even in the original team and surprised everyone with his Olympic gold medal in the marathon.

“Anything is possible. Tshepo (Tshite – in the mile), Elroy, Maxime, Tayla and Glenrose are all capable of great things.”

While Skosana recognised that given the current context in South African sport, leadership and governance were priority focus areas, support for the country’s athletes should ultimately be the primary concern for the governing body.

“We must put athletes first,” Skosana emphasised, speaking to the current ‘tug of war’ between the country’s governing body and other organisations promoting the sport. “I know where I come from as a former elite athlete and I know what the leadership has done for me. Now is not the time to focus on provincial structures. Let’s concentrate on the performance of our athletes.

“I’m aware there are people and organisations out there waiting (for good governance to be in place) and who want to invest in supporting athletes. We will make this happen. This support for individual athletes makes all the difference in achieving world class performances.

“People talk about travelling abroad to training camps, but we have high altitude destinations, such as Dullstroom (in Mpmumalanga) where we can develop world class facilities where athletes can train.”

Skosana took pride that South Africa was becoming an international player, putting on events which will bring athletics back to a higher profile in sport in the country. “We now have a Marathon Major in Cape Town – the first in Africa – which means our best marathon runners can race and compete without having to travel abroad.

“We are hosting the World Mountain and Trail Running Championships next year and everything is running smoothly as we put our plans in place. And our Minister of Arts, Culture and Sport is encouraging us to bid to host a Diamond League meeting in the near future.”

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Orlando Pirates and Durban City are both coming off successful adventures in African competition as they meet tomorrow in the Betway Premiership at the Orlando Amstel Arena.

Pirates and Gallants both victorious

While Pirates were in Orlando on Saturday, seeing off La Cure Waves of Mauritius in the Caf Champions League, Durban City were in Burundi, beating Rukinzo FC 2-1 to complete a 3-1 aggregate victory and reach the next round of Caf Confederation Cup qualifying.

It remains to be seen just how tired the side from KwaZulu Natal are tomorrow after their long journey back, but they should be in good spirits as they aim for just a second Premiership win of the campaign.

“It was a good two-leg performance from us. We knew what we had to do after the first leg and the players handled the two games well,” Durban City head coach Khalil Ben Youssef told the club’s official website.

“We didn’t come here to sit back and protect the first-leg result, we wanted to play, we wanted to score, and we wanted to win the game, and we did that.”

Durban City will now face Mauritian side AS Port-Louis in the final qualifying round for the Confederation Cup group stages.

As for Pirates, they will take on African Stars from Namibia in their final Champions League qualifier

Pirates survived a scare against La Cure Waves as they fell behind early in Orlando. The Buccaneers, however, quickly equalised and led 3-1 by half time.

Rapoo – ‘They weren’t going to beat us at home’

Pirates defender Neo Rapoo said that Pirates were always confident they could turn the tie around.

“They weren’t going to beat us at home, we just had to keep going forward and create chance after chance. We knew we would get goals,” Rapoo told Pirates media.

City, last year’s Nedbank Cup winners, have struggled for goals in the Premiership so far, netting just three times in five matches. Ben Youssef’s side, however, have the league’s second strongest defence, letting in just two goals so far.

That record is only bettered by Pirates, who have conceded just once while hammering in 12 goals at the other end of the pitch.

Reigning champions Pirates currently trail Mamelodi Sundowns by seven points at the top of the table. Ouaddou’s side do have three games in hand, two of which will have been played before the upcoming international break.

The Buccaneers will face Marumo Gallants at the Royal Bafokeng Sports Palace on Sunday. First, however, comes Durban City in a repeat of this season’s MTN8 quarterfinal. In that game, City took the Buccaneers right to the wire, with only a goal from Thapelo Mokobodi in the last minute of extra time sealing a 2-1 win.

Le prochain Classique de Ligue 1 connaît désormais son arbitre. La LFP a annoncé ce mardi que François Letexier dirigera la rencontre entre l’Olympique de Marseille et le Paris Saint-Germain, programmée dimanche soir au Vélodrome, à l’occasion de la 5e journée du championnat.

Le choc, dont le coup d’envoi sera donné à 20h45, sera donc placé sous la responsabilité de l’un des arbitres français les plus expérimentés. Letexier sera accompagné de Cyril Mugnier et Mehdi Rahmouni, tandis que Marc Bollengier officiera en tant que quatrième arbitre.

Un dispositif VAR également désigné

La LFP a également communiqué l’ensemble du corps arbitral chargé de cette affiche. Bastien Dechepy et Wilfried Bien seront ainsi en charge de l’assistance vidéo afin d’accompagner François Letexier tout au long de la rencontre.

Très attendu par les supporters des deux camps, ce premier OM-PSG de la saison se disputera donc avec une équipe arbitrale désormais connue, à quelques jours seulement du rendez-vous au Vélodrome.

The post Ligue 1 : François Letexier arbitrera le Classique entre l’OM et le PSG appeared first on AfricaFootUnited.

Amajita head coach Raymond Mdaka provide an update on his squad ahead of their upcoming COSAFA U20 Men’s Championship.

The COSAFA U20 Men’s Championship is scheduled to take place from 18 to 27 September in Mozambique.

South Africa have been drawn in Group B alongside the likes of Lesotho, Angola and Eswatini.

Amajita are the defending champions, and they will be looking to successfully defend their title.

The defending champions are scheduled to leave South Africa and make their way to Mozambique on Thursday.

WATCH: Raymond Mdaka Provides Amajita Squad Update

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