Kolbe on kicking at goal for Boks: ‘It’s about contributing to the team’

Cheslin Kolbe can play wing and fullback, he can cover at scrumhalf if needed, he can throw in at the lineout and he has now become the Springboks’ second most dependable kicker, as he continues to add strings to his bow. fish-roadgame.com

Only Handré Pollard will now kick ahead of Kolbe for the Boks, with Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu and Manie Libbok both dropping behind him in the pecking order.

Kolbe’s impressive kicking has come to the fore in Rugby’s Greatest Rivalry series against the All Blacks, with him nailing 11 out of 11 kicks, and seven of those proving vitally important in helping the Boks win the second Test in Cape Town over the past weekend.

His three conversions and four penalties gave him an 18 point haul in their 33-26 win, which proved decisive as the All Blacks fought back late.

After the match Kolbe explained that he had always been training his kicking game, since the start of his professional career, but that it had only come to the fore recently, with him becoming first choice kicker for his club team in Japan.

“Kicking-wise, I’ve been doing it, and I’ve been training since I started my professional career. I just keep ticking away at it. The responsibility of taking over the goal-kicking the whole season has definitely contributed to my kicking style and my technique,” explained Kolbe.

“I must also give credit to the coaches in Japan because they work quite a lot with me. Tony (Brown) at the Springbok set-up has tweaked a few things for me so that I could get more consistency.

“You obviously don’t go out there wanting to miss a kick. You do your best to contribute to the team’s success. I’ll just continue to make sure that I work on the skill throughout the week. Hopefully, it pays off on the weekend.”

One of Kolbe’s penalties on Saturday in Cape Town was from a fair distance, over the 10m mark near the halfway, with it just creeping over the bar, and although he admitted he was unsure of how far he can kick, he said he was just happy to be able to contribute.

“I don’t know (how far I can kick). I think most of the balls tonight [Saturday] are just over the post,” Kolbe said with a laugh.

“I can’t give you an honest radar of how far I can go.

“You always need to bring something new to the team. You need to develop and grow as a player and individually as well.

“At the end of the day, it’s contributing to the team’s success. I’m honestly blessed with the talent that I’m thankful for. I’ll just continue to keep working hard and execute to the best of my ability.”

Kolbe’s kicking may continue to be vital as the Boks head into the final two Rugby’s Greatest Rivalry Tests against the All Blacks at the FNB Stadium in Soweto this weekend, and in Baltimore, USA next weekend.

Having made a successful step up to the 1,500m distance, Tshepo Tshite wants to go even further, and he looks to be on track to make a more permanent move to the 5,000m event.

A former 800m specialist, Tshite represented South Africa over two laps at the World Championships in 2019 and 2022.

In 2023, however, he began to focus on the metric mile. Since then he has competed over 1,500m at the 2023 and 2025 editions of the World Championships (progressing to the final in Tokyo last year) as well as the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris.

In addition, he earned a silver medal at the African Athletics Championships in Ghana earlier this year and reached the final at the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow last month.

Most notably, over the last few years he has broken national records in the 1,500m event (3:31.35) on the international outdoor circuit, as well as the SA indoor records in the 1,500m (3:35.06), mile (3:54.10) and 3,000m (7:36.90) short track events on the indoor circuit.

Going further

This season he has shown potential over longer distances as well, setting a 5,000m personal best of 13:20.92 on the track at the Diamond League meeting in Oslo and a 10km career best of 28:09 on the road at the Absa Run Your City race in Gqeberha.

Over the weekend, Tshite launched a late kick to win the Hollywoodbets 10km race in Durban in 28:18.

And while he was not yet willing to commit to a permanent move up from the 1,500m event on the track, he felt if he could keep improving over longer distances he might set his eyes on the 5,000m races at next year’s World Athletics Championships in Beijing and the 2028 Olympic Games in Los Angeles.

“I’ve been trying to understand the 5,000m, and the faster I can run 10km, the better I will be in the 5,000m,” said 29-year-old Tshite, who is coached by Samuel Sepeng.

“Already I know I have the advantage of speed. That’s why I’ve been trying to master 10km. I know once I get that sub-28 (over 10km) my 5,000m will be much better and I’ll be able to run that distance at the World Championships or the Olympics.”

NAIROBI, Kenya, August 31, 2026 – Football Kenya Federation (FKF) vice president MacDonald Mariga has waded into the bubbling waters of the Premier League fiasco, asking stakeholders to comply with High Court rulings on the guidelines to apply in the 2026/27 season.

Seemingly rooting for the application of the 2019 regulations, Mariga has called on stakeholders to respect the decisions and work together to get the league up and moving.

“Recent court directions have provided important clarity on the application of the FKF 2019 Rules and Regulations in commencing the 2026/27 season, including the mandatory play-off which those rules require. This clarity should now provide an opportunity for all parties to step back, respect the decisions of the courts, and most importantly, work together towards an orderly and lawful resolution,” he said.

The former Harambee Stars midfielder further lamented the lack of proper administrative and governance structures in the league, which he feels puts clubs and players at a disadvantage.

“We must also ensure that the administrative and governance structures necessary to run our competitions are properly constituted and functional. The league should not merely kick off; it must kick off on a clear, lawful and administratively sound footing. Clubs invest significant resources in preparing for a season and deserve certainty regarding the competition calendar, rules and structures,” Mariga explained.

His statement comes amid uncertainty on when the new season is set to start, even as the federation released fixtures indicating that Matchweek 1 would kick off on Monday (August 31).

However, this elicited cries from clubs, which felt that the decision was rushed.

Football in the courts

Earlier, the league was scheduled for August 29 but was put off in accordance with a stay order from the High Court in Nairobi, pending the hearing of a case filed against the relegation of Kariobangi Sharks from the top tier.

The Nick Mwendwa-owned club have long complained over their relegation under the 2025/26 guidelines, which decree that the bottom three teams will be axed to the National Super League (NSL) — with the top three in the second tier earning automatic promotion to the Premier League.

Under the previous regulations (2019), Sharks — who finished 16th — would have played Mombasa United — who finished third in NSL — in a playoff, in a fight for survival at the elite level.

Already, they lost an appeal at the Sports Disputes Tribunal (SDT), which decreed that FKF undertook proper public participation on the new regulations before eventual ratification by its National Executive Committee (NEC).

However, a ruling by the High Court in Murang’a on Friday evening provided some respite, ordering that the league proceed, but under the 2019 guidelines.

The ruling has further thrown the game into disarray as clubs that have signed more than five foreign players — under the 2025/26 regulations — grapple with how to handle the matter — considering that previous guidelines capped the number at five.

Who suffers most?

As the tug-of-war rages, Mariga has lamented the mental anguish experienced by players at this moment, noting that it is a predicament he empathizes with.

“I have spent my life in football. I know what the game means to our players, clubs, coaches, supporters and the millions of young Kenyans who dream of one day representing their country. It pains me to see that energy being overshadowed by institutional disagreements and more importantly, by non-adherence to the FKF constitution,” he said.

One hopes that the pain he is undergoing will propel the former Inter Milan and Parma midfielder to take the bull by the horns by calling all the stakeholders to order.

As a key member of the FKF politburo, he could convince his fellow honchos to thaw the hard stance and find a middle ground that will take the football away from court corridors and back to the pitch — where it belongs.

David Wakhu produced an impressive performance to claim the seventh leg of the PGK Equator Tour at Sigona Golf Club, carding a four-round total of 273, 15 under par, to beat a competitive field of 47 professionals.

The Golf Park player’s victory sees him move up to third place in the PGK Equator Tour Order of Merit standings with 3,110 points, strengthening his position in the race for valuable ranking points.

Veteran golfer Dismas Indiza finished runner-up after posting a total of 277, 11 under par, while Safaricom-sponsored player Samuel Njoroge and Greg Snow shared third place on 285, three under par.

Njoroge continues to lead the Order of Merit standings with 4,327 points, followed by Indiza on 3,490 points, while Snow is fourth with 3,015 points.

“I am very happy to take another win home after my victory at Ruiru. This victory gives me a lot of confidence as we head into the remaining legs of the tour. I have put a lot of work into my game, and I am glad it has paid off. I want to thank my team and everyone who has supported me. I hope to maintain this momentum for the rest of the season,” said Wakhu.

Njoroge Kibugu finished fifth on 289, followed by Isaiah Otuke on 291. PGK’s first professional lady golfer, Naom Wafula, tied with Malik Taimur for seventh place on 292. Daniel Nduva finished ninth on 293, while Mike Kisia rounded out the top 10 on 294.

With the seventh leg concluding at Sigona, attention now turns to the eighth leg of the PGK Equator Tour, which will be held at Great Rift Valley Lodge and Golf Resort in two weeks’ time.

The tour continues to provide professional golfers with an important platform to compete for valuable Order of Merit points as they battle for qualification opportunities for the 2027 Magical Kenya Open and the 2028 Olympic Games.

The post Kenya: David Wakhu Claims PGK Equator Tour title at Sigona Golf Club appeared first on SportsAfrica - Sports news | Live scores | Match highlights | Betting tips.

Rassie Erasmus welcomed Kurt-Lee Arendse back into the Springbok starting XV for Saturday’s third Test at FNB Stadium in Johannesburg, while explaining the need for continuity.

Erasmus made four changes and one positional switch to the team that beat the All Blacks 33-26 in Cape Town to level the four-match Rugby’s Greatest Rivalry series.

The front row of Ox Nché, Malcolm Marx and Wilco Louw, who were moved to the bench shortly before kick-off in Cape Town, return to the starting lineup. Gerhard Steenekamp, Deon Fourie and Thomas du Toit revert to the bench.

An injury to Damian Willemse sees Cheslin Kolbe shift to fullback and Arendse come onto the right wing.

Arendse was initially included in last week’s team, but dropped out when Kolbe was cleared to play.

TEAM: Kolbe at fullback for Calabash clash

“It was always our plan to have a little more continuity in player combinations for this series,” Erasmus said. “We thought that the players who did the job for us last week really showed composure and did well to stick to the plan.”

Erasmus said Willemse and flyhalf Handré Pollard (calf injury) were both unavailable, making continuity important.

“By sticking to these combinations and making one switch with Cheslin at fullback, we thought it would be the best for this match.

“Kurt-Lee was unlucky not to play last week after Cheslin recovered from his niggle, so we are pleased to see him back. He is a quality player and his 25 tries in 33 matches so far shows the type of player he is.”

MORE: Kolbe keen on another ‘Blou Maandag’ for Kiwis

Erasmus also explained his decision to revert to the front row originally selected to start the second Test.

“We decided to change our front rows last week due to the weather conditions, and Johannesburg weather is different to Cape Town, so we thought this would be the best decision for us this weekend.

“Gerhard, Thomas and Deon have played massive games for us, and at the same time know how to deal with pressure.”

ALSO: ‘Rassie the Lex Luthor of rugby’

With the series locked at 1-1, Erasmus expects an All Blacks response similar to the one demanded of his own team after their opening defeat at Ellis Park.

“We know how it felt after the first match in Johannesburg, and such a result really galvanises a team,” he said.

“They are one of the two best teams in the world and based on experience, they never give up, as we saw last weekend.

“After two games, we are both into hard Test rugby mode, and we have a good idea of what to expect from one another, so it is going to be another grind of a match.”

MALLETT: All Blacks ‘lucky’ at scrum time

Erasmus expects the stakes to raise the intensity further at the 94,000-capacity FNB Stadium.

“This game is going to be equally, if not more intense than the last two,” he said.

“With the vuvuzelas and passionate crowd there, we can hardly hear one another on the field, so we are all thrilled about this occasion.

“But make no mistake, this is going to be another intense battle between the two top teams in the world who are both looking to get an edge in the series.”

Photo: Steve Haag/Gallo Images

The post Rassie: Kurt-Lee’s a quality player appeared first on SA Rugby magazine.