MK Party leader and former SA president Jacob Zuma has called on citizens to vote his party into power in the November local elections, promising it will improve people’s lives.

In an attack on President Cyril Ramaphosa, Zuma, who led the country for nine years and faces criminal charges in relation to alleged corruption arising from the 1999 arms deal, said the country was led by a “criminal” who hid money under a “bed”.

Zuma was speaking at the Bridge To Heaven Christian Fellowship Church in Mthatha on Sunday as the MK Party crisscrossed the Eastern Cape on the campaign trail.

Accompanied by the party’s national and provincial leaders, Zuma said if elected, MK would ensure better governance.

The party’s leaders have also been visiting the Eastern Cape’s traditional kingdoms, including the AmaMpondo AseNyandeni kingdom on Sunday, to “strengthen and solidify working relations with traditional councils”.

“It will come to an end that one person leads the country alone, not knowing whether the person is smart or not, whether they’re a criminal or not,” Zuma said.

“Right now we have a criminal who is leading the country. I forget his name.

“He takes money and hides it in a bed and yet he is leading the country.

“We are suffering here. There are orphans.

“Who can say what this person who is leading us has done for us?

“He has charges. We want to end that because it’s our country.

“We must unite as black people with Umkhonto weSizwe ...

“With us, no black person will suffer. In this coming election, please vote for Umkhonto weSizwe,” he said.

The party’s representatives will be in the Mhlontlo area on Monday.

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Nake, who won the Overtakers half marathon last weekend in 68:26 at an average pace of 3:14 per kilometre, this week won the shorter race in 46:37 at an average of 3:06 per km.

Luyolo Ngcongolo of Powered Up Runners, who won the 10km a week ago, was second in 46:59, maintaining the same pace of 3:07 per km over both distances.

Third place fell to Thandikhaya Siyongo of Scenery Park in 51:30, securing him first place in the 35+ age group. He was followed by Owen Tshibo of Hollywood in 52:31 in overall fourth position, Sinokhanyo Dumaxake of Real Gijimas fifth and Athi Nako of Easy Equities Born2Run sixth.

The first veteran 40+ was Bulelani Mgubo of Overtakers who was 7th overall, while the second 35+ runner, Stanley Masuku of Oxford Striders, was 8th, Malixole Kalideni of the host club 9th and making up the top ten was top junior, Luthando Tyinkana of Nedbank East London.

A new name on the junior prize list was Achuma Ndlabeni, no club listed and Keanu Ekron of Oxford Striders in 58:12 and 58:16 respectively.

The 50 + Masters section was surprisingly close with Siyabulela Madlavana and Christophe Bernardie of Nedbank, along with Craig Leibach of Oxford Striders in 59:13, 59:37 and 59:48 respectively.

In a much weaker field than is the norm, Mzoli Mpalala of Hollywood secured the 60+ grandmaster race in 64:02, from Mark Berndt of Oxford Striders and Rowan Fetting of Fort Hare in 72:46 and 75:49.

The 70+ was won by Michael Forbes of Oxford Striders, from Charl Pienaar of Old Selbornians and Mike Heathcote of Easy Equities Born2Run.

Caryn Lategan, her sister Lauren Ranger and their Easy Equities Born2Run club mate, Cindy Nel, secured the podium positions in the women’s race with times of 59:51, 62:52 and 63:15.

Lategan and Ranger were the first two veteran 40+ runners and were joined by Andrea Ranger, also of Born2Run, in third place, while the promising Mbali Tube of Real Gijimas was just ahead of Ranger, filling fourth position. Nel was the winner of the 35+ category.

In the 50+ race, Michelle Conroy won her second age group category in succession with a 69:58. She was followed by Riana Kay of Buffalo Road Runners and Caroline Swart of Oxford Striders.

In the 60+, Debbie Gee, Annette Meyer and Eleanor Ragaval, with first and third from Striders and second place belonging to Gonubie Harriers all on the podium, while Helen Nel was the 70+ winner.

The first junior was Imange Norayase of Boxer in 71:30 and Ayolo Mntwapi second in 74:58.

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Michael Carrick’s side led twice, through Harry Maguire and Patrick Dorgu.

But they were undone in defence as AC Milan scored three goals from close range before Ruben Loftus-Cheek raced clear to add a fourth and give former United manager Amorim a win against his old club.

This was only United’s second defeat in a run of six preseason matches, which included a win over Atletico Madrid and a 1-1 draw with European champions Paris Saint-Germain.

“On the whole, (pre-season has) been very good, I think there are a lot of positives to take from it,” Carrick told MUTV, United’s in-house television station, in a post-match interview.

But the former United and England midfielder added: “We’re disappointed with today. We didn’t play well today, so there are reasons for that.

“In some ways, we need to learn from it; we need to improve, some of the boys playing some of their first minutes.”

Saturday’s match saw Marcus Rashford make his first United appearance since returning from a loan spell with La Liga champions Barcelona.

United captain Bruno Fernandes missed a penalty for the second successive friendly, with Milan goalkeeper Lorenzo Torriani diving to his right to stop the shot after the Red Devils skipper had fired wide against Leeds in midweek.

Fernandes did at least provide the second-minute corner that was headed powerfully by Harry Maguire to give United the lead.

But Milan levelled after a defensive mix-up allowed Goncalo Ramos to break into the area and square for Samuel Chukwueze to roll home.

United were awarded their penalty just before half-time after Koni De Winter tugged back Youri Tielemans.

United regained the lead after Dorgu seized on a loose backpass from Filippo Terracciano, but Milan equalised again when Chukwueze’s wayward shot was turned in by Alphadjo Cisse at the far post.

Rashford, frozen out by Amorim and loaned out to Premier League rivals Aston Villa before his temporary spell at Barcelona, came on as a substitute on the hour.

Milan went ahead in the 68th minute when Chukwueze’s cross was headed home by Ramos, and three minutes later former Chelsea midfielder Loftus-Cheek sprinted through for Milan’s fourth goal.

“A lot of the boys will be better for the minutes,” said Carrick. “We’ve got a good squad, so there’s decisions to be made.”

Portuguese boss Amorim was sacked as United manager in January after 14 months in charge, with Carrick, now in charge full-time, leading the club to a creditable third-place finish in the Premier League after initially being brought in on a caretaker basis.

United begin the 2026/2027 English top-flight season away to newly-promoted Hull on August 22.

• Meanwhile, Enzo Fernandez was jeered by Chelsea supporters after coming on as a substitute during a 3-1 friendly win over Real Sociedad at Stamford Bridge on Saturday.

Several fans made their feelings known when Fernandez, who has previously made clear his desire to leave Chelsea, came on in the 62nd minute to replace Reece James.

But other supporters gave their backing to the 25-year-old, who told the Blues in May he wanted to leave.

Chelsea placed a reported asking price of £120m (R2.6bn) on the Argentina international, but no bids have yet been received during the summer transfer window. - AFP

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The Commonwealth Games alumnus, who studies at Mandela University in Gqeberha, had the honour of being team captain and flag bearer of his nation at the global sports event in Glasgow, Scotland, recently.

“It was amazing,” the 24-year-old Tanzanian said upon his return to the Friendly City.

Representing a small team – the delegation totalled 24 participants across the various codes – and waving the national flag at a competition of this magnitude “meant a lot” to Saliboko.

Despite his prowess in the pool, he was surprised to learn that he had been chosen as the face of his country.

In fact, he admits to being “shocked and overwhelmed” when he was informed four days before departing for the Games.

Even though it was not his first rendezvous against global opposition, the prospect of lining up alongside some of the world’s best remains daunting.

“It is nerve-racking every time,” the Madibaz stalwart, who took part in five numbers, said.

He nevertheless makes a point of enjoying the experience because, in his own words, “moments like these do not last forever”.

Though not touching sides in the much larger pond on this occasion, Saliboko gives a thumbs-up to his performance in the 200m freestyle – his final race of the gala.

“What made it particularly special was the preparation, especially mentally, and the [other] things I did to put myself in the right mindset to perform well.”

It also gave him perspective.

“Everyone has different schedules, competition calendars and experiences, so it was valuable to understand where I fit in. Overall, I was able to take that experience and use it to look ahead.”

He does not doubt that mental fortitude is his most significant takeaway from the Games. The last event, in particular, shows the importance of being able to respond well after difficult performances.

The secret is to focus on the things he can control and coming back stronger rather than allowing past races to sour his mood.

As the captain of the full squad, he decided it was his responsibility to motivate the rest of the athletes.

“I drew on my experience as a swimming captain,” he explained how he demanded character, sportsmanship and pride in their country from his peers.

As for Madibaz Sport and the university at large, Saliboko said he could all but “feel their support even from Gqeberha”.

“I appreciated knowing that people back home were behind me during such an important opportunity.”

He now hopes to offload some of the lessons he took from the Games onto his Madibaz teammates.

“It taught me the value of planning ahead, understanding what needs to be done before competitions and approaching each meet with the right mindset.” - Full Stop Communications

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The first-year Mandela University dietetics student will represent South Africa in Santa Fe from September 3 to 6, competing in the 10km race, 3km knockout, and relay events.

She made her debut for the country in 2022 aged 15 and views the global event as a “full-circle moment”.

“It makes this international junior competition very special,” the talented 19-year-old said this week.

As a full-time student, Horne has been able to spend additional time in the pool through an extended academic programme.

“I have really been using the extra time to my advantage; working on skills that I need to improve.”

She has specifically focused on speed-play work, which means alternating between an easy and fast pace.

While a high placing in South America is on her mind, Horne’s main goal is to produce her best-ever performance. This means arriving on foreign soil with a competitive mindset.

She expects the conditions – it will be winter in Santa Fe – to provide an additional challenge.

“The water will be fairly cold, so we will probably be swimming in wetsuits. It is a bit different because it fits your body differently and causes a bit more resistance around the shoulders.”

Despite her competitive juices flowing over time, Horne has learnt not to measure her development purely through results.

“I have realised I must appreciate what my body can do while dealing with the challenges and pressures of going to university and juggling everything.”

She credits coach Andrew Dean and her parents as pivotal in her journey thus far.

“It takes a village to build an athlete,” she said.

“I have been privileged to swim under Andrew, and he has helped me through so many ups and downs.”

Other forces behind her that are allowing her to pursue her sporting goals are Madibaz Sport’s high-performance facility and the dietetics faculty.

Her first semester proved particularly challenging while she adjusted to two very different workloads.

“I don’t think I fully understood the amount of work that would be required,” she admitted. “I have learnt to take responsibility and find a way to manage things better.”

Her studies have also changed her approach to nutrition and recovery – in essence opening her eyes to different ways of going about her business.

“I have learnt to question things, research them and look at the evidence rather than simply accepting what you read.

“I understand why certain foods work well before or after training. I used to drink chocolate milk for recovery but now understand the science behind why it can be effective.”

Horne looks forward to competing against the world’s leading swimmers and to mentoring her younger teammates.

“I know how it felt going to my first international competition. Everyone was such a good role model for me, so I am excited to be that for others,” she said. - Full Stop Communications

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The victory catapulted Harlequins to top position on the log after their closest rivals, Kruisfontein United, stumbled to a 27-20 defeat against Joubertina United.

Saturday’s clash, at a venue that has become a fortress for Harlequins, was a tight affair between two of the competition’s best teams.

When the sides met in a first-round clash at the Madibaz Stadium in April, Quins emerged 20-10 winners after a hard-fought battle.

The win has left Harlequins well placed to clinch a home quarterfinal at the Adcock Stadium on September 5.

The Madibaz, who started the day in seventh spot on the log, still have work to do in their final two outings if they are to qualify for the playoffs.

Harlequins face Progress (home) and Jeffreys Bay (away) in their final two outings while the students will end the league phase of the competition with games against Jeffreys Bay (away) and Trying Stars (home).

The try scorers for Harlequins were Mzwanele Besman, Dayle Nel, Liqhawe Mokuena, and there was also a penalty try for the home side worth seven additional points.

Progress kept their hopes of securing a berth in the playoffs alive when they scored a vital win 25-22 over Trying Stars at the Central Field in Kariega.

Next up for Progress is a tough clash against high-flying Harlequins at the Adcock Stadium on Saturday.

Champions Gardens were made to fight hard before they were able to emerge with a narrow 32-25 win over Brumbies in Makhanda.

The Derrick Ferreira Stadium in Kariega will be the focal point for many club rugby fans on Saturday when Gardens host a wounded Kruisfontein outfit gunning to reclaim their position at the top of the log.

After slipping to a 29-20 defeat against Kruisfontein in Humansdorp last week, Park returned to winning ways when they beat Star of Hope 33-14 at Londt Park.

In a new format, teams ending in odd-numbered positions on the log at the halfway stage were sorted into one group and sides finishing in even-numbered positions were placed in another group.

In the Top 12 Division (odd numbers), Star of Hope, Joubertina, Brumbies, Kruisfontein United, Gardens and Park will play one another, and in the second group (even numbers), Jeffreys Bay, Progress, NMU Madibaz, Hankey Villagers, Trying Stars and Harlequins will face off.

Officials will compile joint logs for the two groups, and after five matches within each group, the best performing clubs will qualify for the quarterfinals, which are set to take place on September 5.

After initial confusion over how the new system would work, EPRU officials have been sending out a weekly newsletter to clubs briefing them on which teams would face one another in the quarterfinals with regard to the latest log.

On the joint table, drawn up to include both groups, the eventual quarterfinal lineup will be: No 1 v No 8, No 2 v No 7, No 3 v No 6 and No 4 v No 5.

Saturday’s fixtures:

Top 12 (odd numbers): Gardens v Kruisfontein United, Star of Hope v Brumbies, Park v Joubertina United. Top 12 (even numbers): Harlequins v Progress, Trying Stars v Hankey Villagers, Jeffreys Bay v NMU Madibaz.

Middle 12 (odd numbers): Born Fighters v Kwaru, African Bombers v Despatch Oostelikes, Spring Rose v Kirkwood. Middle 12 (even numbers): Central v Motherwell, Missionvale v Suburban, United Barbarians v Evergreens.

Bottom 12 (odd numbers): Adelaide Rangeres v Helenvale, Police-Crusaders v Klipfontein, Kareedouw Tigers v Middelburg Eagles. Bottom 12 (even numbers): Middelburg Excelsior v Lily White, Windvogel v Orlando Eagles, Despatch v St Marks.

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That was the assessment from Springbok Women assistant coach Franzel September after the South Africans overhauled Fiji, who were leading 10-5 at the break at Churchill Park, to win the second of two Tests by 29-22 and claim the inaugural Ubuntu–Bula Trophy.

“We wanted a clean sweep, so that was mission accomplished,” said September.

“We expected Fiji to come back stronger in the second test after winning 55-12 in the first, and they did. This was a proper test match.”

September said match conditions were not easy and a fired-up Fijian side, who led twice during the match, added to the challenge.

However, three second-half tries by debutant wing Maria Tshiremba confirmed South Africa’s dominance.

“The players and especially the coaches were really happy for Maria – we backed her and selected her for this match, and she responded so well,” said September.

“We are very proud of her. It was also pleasing that a couple of the other combinations we tried worked well. From that perspective, we learned a lot, and it is always pleasing when a player rewards the faith coaches put in her.”

September said he was satisfied with the grit shown by the squad when they were put under pressure by Fiji, who were successful in their off-load game.

“We were tested in different areas this time around, and it was great for us as we needed to adapt and adjust our strategies. We have our DNA of first phase possession to fall back on, but we also showed other areas of strength, and that was a big plus for us.”

Next up will be New Zealand’s Black Ferns in Johannesburg early next month, but September said they will apply their minds to that one once back in the country.

“We are just going to enjoy the moment and the win,” he said.

“We came to win both Test matches, and we did, so it was mission accomplished. The hard work was rewarded, and that is pleasing.”

The squad return to South Africa on Monday evening. - SA Rugby

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The bout for Gingqi’s SA junior-lightweight belt on September 26 will mark the first time Matiti and Nathan work together after announcing their reconciliation in February.

Their relationship soured after Duncan Village’s Phumelela Cafu bolted from Matiti’s Xaba Promotions to join Nathan just before he got a title.

Cafu dethroned Kosei Tanaka to win the WBO junior-bantamweight belt in Japan in October 2024.

But it was the defection of another Matiti boxer, Landile Ngxeke, to Nathan that strained relations, with Matiti challenging the move through Boxing SA, which sided with Nathan on the basis that Ngxeke was a free agent.

Though other Matiti-promoted boxers such as Mpumelelo Tshabalala followed suit, the animosity went up a notch, with the two often slugging it out on social media.

The matter escalated when Matiti’s SA junior-featherweight champion, Siyabulela Hem, lodged a challenge to Lindelani Sibisi, managed by Nathan’s No Doubt Management company, for his national featherweight belt on the basis that as a champion he should get first preference.

Supported by the BSA sanctioning committee, Hem’s challenge encountered obstacles as Nathan argued it was Makhanda’s Bongani Fule who deserved first preference due to his mandatory position.

Caught in the middle, BSA took the matter to arbitration.

After hearing presentations from both parties, it ruled in Fule’s favour, who lost a points decision to Sibisi at the Jan Smuts Stadium in KuGompo City in May.

However, Matiti and Nathan stunned all and sundry when they were seen embracing each other, announcing their cold war had thawed.

Nathan said he was delighted to work with Matiti for the Gingqi-Khanyisa bout.

“Xaba Promotions and No Doubt Management put their differences aside earlier this year, and this has led them to work together to deliver a mouth-watering contest between Gingqi and Khanyisa,” he said.

“Boxing is the winner here.”

Matiti predicted yet another thrilling bout as Gingqi vies for his fourth title defence against unbeaten challenger Khanyisa, who will also risk his IBF Continental Africa belt in the fight.

Gingqi is fresh from a debatable loss to Azinga Fuzile in April in a fight which saw his stock rise despite the defeat.

Not expected to hold his own against the former world title challenger, Gingqi was gutsy, with some feeling he deserved the decision.

This has made him a big favourite against Khanyisa, who is yet to lose a fight in 11 bouts while Gingqi’s loss to Fuzile was his second in 18 bouts.

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Bangladesh recorded their first-ever Test win on Australian soil Sunday with a comprehensive victory over the world’s top-ranked Test team.

“This is the biggest win so far for Bangladesh in any format,” Najmul said.

“Going forward we want to do something special in the future.”

Fresh from fielding a video call from Prime Minister Tarique Rahman, Najmul said he was determined to make sure his team played just as well in the second Test, which starts in the North Queensland city of Mackay on August 22.

Leading into the Test in Darwin, Bangladesh lost a Test match to Zimbabwe by an innings and 85 runs, then were thrashed by a Cricket Australia XI in a warm-up game.

“We need to be consistent as a team,” Najmul said.

“Against Zimbabwe we didn’t play well but the confidence still was there because we won against Pakistan in Bangladesh (in May).

“So that gives us confidence. Before we came here, we had the belief that we will play good cricket here.”

Najmul said he would stress to his team that they would need to play just as well in the second Test, as Australia were sure to bounce back.

“As I said before this Test match, we wanted to play five days of good cricket, so nothing’s changed,” he said.

“Going to the next Test match we need to follow the process, accept the challenge and enjoy those challenges.

“And they have a quality bowling attack, so we have to again play good cricket.

“As a bowling unit we have to be disciplined again.

“This match gives us confidence, but I’m not thinking too much about this one - next match, we need to play good cricket again.”

Najmul said he was conscious of what the win would mean to people back home.

“In Bangladesh we all know the fans are really crazy about cricket,” he said.

“We’ve given something to them, at least some sort of happiness in their faces - that’s the beauty of this game.

“In our culture we’re pretty emotional sometimes. Sometimes, when we lose, they cried, so I think this win, we give them the happiest moment.” - AFP

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Unbeaten Ferreira, whose marginal International Boxing Organisation belt was also on the line in this unification bout, improved her record to 11 wins (4 KOs), while France-born Canadian Veyre dropped to 11-2.

Veyre had already been deducted two points for holding — once in the fourth and again in the seventh — and she was warned on several other occasions during the contest, yet she was still competitive.

Ferreira, who started the first round boxing on the back foot and using her jab well, pressed the attack for much of the fight, living up to her moniker, “The Badger”.

Bernice Ferreira defeats Caroline Veyre

Veyre was disqualified for excessive holding #ShieldsScott pic.twitter.com/TyYGkVSczQ

— Sal Arteaga (@sal__arteaga) August 16, 2026

Veyre, who was deducted two points in her previous fight, was found wanting on the inside.

Her holding wasn’t the result of fatigue — as is often the case — but rather a technical inability to box at close quarters.

On the outside she handled herself well, at times landing accurate combinations that forced Ferreira to retreat.

The ending was a little anti-climactic, with no celebrations coming from the new champion’s cornermen, Bernie Pailman and Colin Nathan.

The victory makes Ferreira South Africa’s first female WBC titleholder and fifth overall, after Sugar Boy Malinga, Dingaan Thobela, Kevin Lerena and Siyakholwa Kuse. - TimesLIVE

The visitors went to the break trailing just 21-17 after an even first half in Townsville but then leaked 35 unanswered points to crash 56-17 after the hosts stepped on the gas.

It followed a narrow 35-32 defeat against Les Kiss’s team in Osaka last week.

“We showed we can do it for 40 minutes. You know, we’ve played two good halves of rugby against Australia (over two Tests), we’ve got blown away in the second half,” Jones said.

“They won the air, won the breakdown. We weren’t good enough to defend our errors. Congratulations to Australia.”

Despite the heavy loss, Jones said it was all part of the learning experience for his mostly inexperienced side, with 10 players fielded in Townsville having fewer than 10 caps.

Two of those in the starting line-up — winger Yoshitaka Yazaki and fly-half Ryunosuke Ito — were university students.

“It’s a great experience today, albeit quite a difficult experience. But sometimes the most difficult experiences are the best experiences,” Jones said.

“We’ve got boys today that are amateur players. They’ve got to go back to university probably next week, probably Monday.

“They train with 150 players, one coach, one physio. Wouldn’t happen anywhere else in the world.

“So, yeah, when you put all of that together and the experience they’ve picked up, it’s a great learning experience for them.”

Japan captain Warner Dearns was similarly not worried by the size of the defeat, as the side builds towards the World Cup in Australia next year.

“I think giving our younger guys experience like this before the World Cup, it sets us up really well for having good depth going into the World Cup,” he said.

“The boys are obviously still learning Test match level footy, and it’s a bit of a challenge sometimes. But they’re having a lot of fun, and we’re having a lot of fun playing with them.” - AFP

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The second-round battle lasted for more than two and a half hours, and it proved too much for the 24-time Grand Slam champion, who was playing his first match since he lost to Jannik Sinner in the Wimbledon semi-finals more than a month ago.

Top-seeded Alexander Zverev, the French Open champion who fell to Sinner in the Wimbledon final, was more fortunate, squeezing out an opening 3-6, 6-3, 6-3 victory over Cameron Norrie in a match that took two hours and 45 minutes and ended at 2.15am (8.15am SA time) on Sunday.

Britain’s Norrie has now lost all eight of his matches against the German, winner of the Cincinnati title five years ago, who is hoping a return to Ohio will help him shake off an abrupt exit in Canada last week.

Norrie had wrapped up the opening set before Zverev began to find his footing to level the match.

Norrie saved six break points in a 12-minute game to begin the deciding set but was broken twice as Zverev advanced.

“I needed to get a match rhythm,” Zverev said.

“The confidence was not there after Canada.

“The first set was not great, but the other two were at a high level, and I’m happy about that.”

Djokovic, who claimed the last of his three Cincinnati titles in 2023, claimed the opening set against Argentina’s Tirante with little fuss.

But the sweltering afternoon temperatures took a toll.

“It was a combination of the heat and humidity, all those things,” he said. “Everything involved makes it worse.”

Djokovic won a brutal 18-minute third game of the second, saving four break points over nine deuces.

But he was bent over in distress between several points and even dropped to his hands and knees after one particularly gruelling exchange.

Djokovic took a medical timeout after that game, with the physio and then a doctor coming on court to assist with assessments and ice towels.

After Tirante took the second set, both players cooled off in the locker room.

Slightly revived, Djokovic set the pace again in the deciding set.

But it all went wrong in the ninth game, when Djokovic saved three break points before getting it wrong on a drop shot to bring up a fourth break chance that his opponent converted.

Tirante clinched the biggest win of his career in the next game as Djokovic again failed to land a drop shot on match point.

The Serb, who must now try to regroup before the US Open starts on August 30, admitted he might have played his last match in Cincy.

“It looks like I won’t be back, unfortunately, to play here,” he said.

Tirante called the win the best of his career.

“I managed the nerves of playing a legend like Novak. It was all so much pressure.”

In the WTA draw, Philippines sensation Alexandra Eala advanced to the third round 6-1, 3-0 as injured Elena-Gabriela Ruse quit their match during a weather delay.

The Romanian had received treatment on her right ankle just before play was halted by a thunderstorm, Ruse pulling the plug during the delay.

Eala, the emerging WTA star who captured her first WTA title in Washington this month, will next play ninth-seeded American Amanda Anisimova, who beat Turk Zeynep Sonmez 6-2, 6-3.

“I was playing well and feeling really focused,” Eala said.

“I tried to stay in the zone.

“A retirement is not the way you want to end a match,” she added. “Injuries are not fun.”

Roland Garros finalist Maja Chwalinska advanced 6-2, 6-2 over Spain’s Cristina Bucsa.

Wimbledon winner Linda Noskova followed suit with her 6-3, 6-3 defeat of Britain’s Katie Boulter.

There was heartbreak for Payton Stearns, who grew up just blocks from the tennis center. She lost 7-6 (9/7), 1-6, 7-5 to Dane Clara Tauson, who played through back pain but rallied from 4-1 down in the final set to win. - AFP

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NW made a strong start to the pool stage, opening with an 8-0 win over Free State before following that with a 10-0 victory over Eastern Province.

Those results put them in a strong position heading into their final Pool B match against Western Province, with both sides having won their opening two games.

WP edged that encounter 1-0 to finish top of Pool B, leaving NW second and setting up a semi-final against the SA U18 Girls.

The defeat proved to be NW’s only setback of the tournament, as they responded by edging the SA U18 Girls 1-0 in the semi-final to book their place in the title decider in Gqeberha on Friday.

NW held their nerve to win the final 1-0 on a shootout after the match finished 1-1, avenging their earlier pool-stage defeat and securing the national title.

Hubach said the side’s progress through the pool stage was built around taking each performance as it came and steadily building momentum.

“We just tick the boxes every day and make sure we build on yesterday’s performance and just keep climbing the ladder until we get our ultimate goal, which is the gold,” Hubach said.

That approach was evident in the semi-final, where NW held their nerve despite facing sustained pressure and conceding eight penalty corners to their two.

They made the most of their limited opportunities, with Germarie Spershott scoring from a final-minute penalty corner to secure the 1-0 victory.

Hubach said the performance demonstrated the maturity her players had developed throughout the tournament.

“The girls just used the minimum opportunities that we had, which was fantastic. It’s the maturity that comes through and the growth that comes through that they’ve shown results.”

For Hubach, the belief that NW could go all the way was present from the outset.

“I think the attitude and the mindset of the girls, from day one that they could go all the way. If they stuck to what we believed in and what we put out on the game plan from the start, then they would have gone all the way.”

That belief was matched by a strong sense of togetherness, something Hubach identified as a defining characteristic of her champions.

“The team spirit is just incredible. It’s something really, really special, how they put themselves together and hold each other accountable, but can have fun at the same time.”

Having already faced WP in the pool stage, Hubach knew her side would need to handle the pressure differently in the final.

She felt they had forced the game too much in their earlier meeting, but was pleased with how they responded when WP increased the intensity.

“Today [Friday evening] Western Province really brought it to us, and they picked up the pressure, but I think our girls just dealt with it very, very well.”

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The old rivals will collide in the first of the back-to-back Tests in front of a sellout 62,000 crowd at Ellis Park in Johannesburg on Saturday, where the Boks are determined to lay down a marker for the rest of the series (kickoff 5.10pm).

After the Ellis Park showdown, the sides square off in Cape Town for the second Test at the DHL Stadium (August 29), the FNB Stadium in Johannesburg (September 5), and a series finale at the M&T Bank Stadium in Baltimore (September 12).

The Boks concluded two days of intense training on Saturday, where the objective was to get the entire squad aligned with an eye on the RGR series after a Test against Argentina in Buenos Aires last week.

The travelling squad, which included 26 players and a host of coaches, returned to SA in two groups on Monday night and Tuesday.

They spent most of the week having flush-out and gym sessions to get the players back into the local time zone and match-ready following the physical Test against Los Pumas, which the Boks won 17-10.

The squad returned to the training field on Friday and had another field session on Saturday before having the next day and a half off to spend time with their families before switching into full-blown Test week for their RGR series opener.

Bok hooker Johan Grobbelaar and utility forward Elrigh Louw were released to play for the Bulls in their RGR match against the All Blacks on Saturday evening, and rejoined the national squad on Sunday.

“It was important to manage the players who travelled to Argentina well and afford them sufficient time to recover from the match and switch back into the domestic time zone,” Erasmus said.

“That is why we only started training as a full group late in the week.

“But we are pleased that the players are well recovered and ready to give everything for the forthcoming Tests against the All Blacks.

“It will undoubtedly be a very challenging tournament, but we are looking forward to it as a collective.

“This series is almost like playing the knock-out stages of a Rugby World Cup because we are facing one of the world’s best week in and week out, and we all understand the magnitude of the RGR series.

“It’s a new and exciting challenge, and we have been putting in a lot of work behind the scenes, especially the group of coaches and players who remained behind in SA in the last two weeks.

“So we will fine-tune the areas of our game, which we would like to improve next week as we get ready to take the field.”

Erasmus has indicated a period of experimentation is likely to come to an end when the RGR series kicks off.

“When we get to the Greatest Rivalry, we’ll start steadying out on teams, on more or less the same kind of team, and not chop and change so much because it’s a new competition,” he said.

“We’re not happy that we played well against Argentina, but we’re very happy that we ground out a win.

“Even if we drew, we would have learned a lot about grinding out a win when the crowd is going crazy in Buenos Aires.

“It was an opportunity to play important matches with close results, like in the World Cup.”

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It was a third consecutive victory for the New Zealanders after wins over the Stormers in Cape Town and the Sharks in Durban in the opening three games of a tour which also includes four Tests against the Springboks.

Rennie said his team had shown improvement during the tour, but he was frustrated his team left points out on the field at Loftus ahead of Saturday’s Test at Ellis Park in Johannesburg.

“50 points against a very good Bulls side is a positive,” he said.

“We played a team that was prepared to play today and really took it to us.

“I thought our set piece was really strong, especially the scrum, which from a discipline point of view was a lot better against the Bulls.

“We created so many opportunities, 11 line breaks to one.

“So we probably left a few points out there, which is a little frustrating.

“But I can’t fault the efforts, and a number of boys will be better for the opportunity to run around at altitude.

“I thought we had a lot of opportunities to really play on top of the Bulls and force defenders to make decisions, and it was almost like we were training for the Springboks.

“We’re coming a lot harder defensively, so it’s good for us.

“We’ve now got a game at altitude, and guys got an appreciation for that. I thought we worked really hard in those circumstances, and we’ll be better for it.

“So, what we know is that the intensity level, the quality that we’re going to come up against next week is three, four, five-fold. We’ve played reasonably well on tour, and we know we need to up the ante.”

Stand-in All Blacks captain Codie Taylor said his team had shown improvement in each of the three tour games.

“I’m sure the Springboks are going to be asking a lot more questions come Saturday,” he said.

“From where we started with the Stormers and built our way through these club games, I feel like we made some great strides as a forward pack.

“However, by no means are we the finished product.

“There’s going to be so much more we can work on, and it’s going to be even tougher come Saturday at Ellis Park. But we can be really happy and confident with the steps we’re making.”

All Blacks and Blues loose-forward Anton Segner was named man-of-the-match after an impressive all-round display at Loftus.

“Yeah, there were a lot of good performances,” Rennie said.

“I thought Pete Lakai was excellent too till we took him off, and Anton Segner was massive.”

“So yeah, those guys are applying a lot of pressure, and obviously there is also Josh Moorby, who started the last Test against Ireland and played the Italian game off the bench.

“I thought Leroy Carter was really strong out on the wing. I’d like him to dive a little earlier next time, maybe score just on the line rather than two metres over it.

“I look at those guys work really hard, and that creates opportunities for us.”

Segner said the conditions were different to what he’s used to in New Zealand.

“It’s definitely different over here. I mean, it says on the tunnel on the way in that I think we’re at 1,350 meters (altitude) here, and that matters,” he said.

“And I could definitely feel the difference, and I’m sure the rest of the boys could too.

“But credit to the Bulls. I don’t think the scoreboard reflects how hard a game it was, especially there in that second half.

Scorers:

Bulls 19: Tries: Ruan Vermaak, Stravino Jacobs, Marcell Coetzee. Conversions: Curwin Bosch (2).

New Zealand 50: Josh Moorby (2), Codey Taylor (2), Leroy Carter (2), Rieko Ioane, Wallace Sititi. Conversions: Beauden Barrett, Josh Jacomb (4).

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Despite impressing in many areas, the Stormers XXIII battled to convert their dominance of territory and at scrum-time, leaving them largely frustrated by the hosts

The opening exchanges were fierce, with neither team taking a backward step and the defences dominating proceedings.

The home side got up and running with a penalty from flyhalf Revaldo Fleurs and they managed to hit double figures when scrumhalf Tom Bursey picked up a loose ball to score against the run of play.

Despite dominating territorially, the Stormers XXIII found themselves behind, and it got even worse on the stroke of half-time, with Pumas wing Banie Britz scoring from a cross-kick to make it 15-0 at the break.

The visitors got on the scoreboard early in the second half, with Mfundo Ndhlovu scoring after getting a good offload from young Markus Muller.

The Mpumalanga side responded with a maul try before lock JJ Scheepers bashed his way over to secure the bonus point and make it 29-7.

The Stormers XXIII remained a threat in the dying stages and looked certain to score on multiple occasions, but could not find the finishing touch.

The Pumas next host defending champions Griquas on Friday afternoon while the Stormers XXIII make the trip to Pretoria to face the struggling Bulls XV.

Scorers:

Pumas 29: Tries: Thomas Bursey, Banie Britz, Jan-Henning Campher, JJ Scheepers. Conversions: Nevaldo Fleurs (3). Penalty: Fleurs.

Stormers XXIII 7: Try Mfundo Ndhlovu. Conversion: Kyle Smith.

Other scores: Griquas 55 Sharks XV 21, Lions 29 Boland Kavaliers 38. - Stormers Media

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Police spokesperson Captain Welile Matyolo said the woman was severely assaulted at Upper Mjika, Tsolo, at about 6.30pm.

She was rushed to hospital but died from her injuries on arrival.

“As police arrived at the scene, community members were holding the suspect. He had been assaulted by community members and was also rushed to hospital under police guard.

“The motive for the assault that led to the death of the deceased forms part of the investigation,” Matyolo said.

The man will face a murder charge and is expected to appear in the Tsolo Magistrate’s Court once he has recovered sufficiently to do so.

Acting OR Tambo district commissioner Brigadier Vukile Ntuli welcomed the arrest.

“It is so disturbing that a mother-and-son relationship can end up in such a gruesome manner,” Ntuli said.

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The students, aged 19 and 23, were arrested on charges of public violence after they allegedly threw objects at moving vehicles and attempted to set a police vehicle alight.

Police spokesperson Captain Majola said six motorists had since reported damage to their vehicles, with cases of malicious damage to property opened for investigation.

The two students are expected to appear in court on Monday, August 17.

“The SAPS has reiterated that acts of public violence and the destruction of property will not be tolerated.

“A clear warning has been issued to the student body: should any further incidents occur, the SAPS will be compelled to exercise its powers under Section 48 of the Criminal Procedure Act, which authorises entry onto campus premises for the purpose of effecting additional arrests.

“At this stage, six motorists have since reported damage to their motor vehicles, and cases of malicious damage to property were opened for further investigation,” Majola said.

He said police remained committed to “upholding law and order” and called on students to refrain from unlawful conduct and pursue their grievances through peaceful channels.

The arrests come amid protests at the university, though police did not provide further details about the students’ grievances in the statement.

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On a chilly Friday evening in Gqeberha, WP claimed the men’s title, overcoming Northerns Blues (NOR) 6-5 in the shootout after an extraordinary final ended 6-6 in regulation time.

Earlier, NW secured the women’s title, edging WP 1-0 in the shootout after the final finished 1-1 in regulation time.

In the bronze-medal matches, KwaZulu-Natal secured third place in the men’s competition with a 4-0 victory over the SA U18 Boys, while the SA U18 Girls claimed the women’s bronze medal with a 2-1 win over NOR.

In the men’s final, WP retained the men’s title after edging NOR 6-5 in a shootout following a thrilling 60 minutes that was not short of end-to-end action.

Litha Kraai opened the scoring for WP in the 14th minute, with Reuben Sendzul doubling the lead five minutes later.

Luken Brunette pulled one back for NOR in the 20th minute, but Sendzul restored WP’s two-goal advantage two minutes later.

Sendzul completed his hat-trick in the 32nd minute before Kraai added his second four minutes later, putting WP 5-2 ahead.

NOR mounted a remarkable fightback, with Brunette completing his hat-trick while Jack Waddell and Zeyad Davids also found the net to level the scores at 6-6.

With neither side able to break the deadlock, the clash went to a shootout, where WP held their nerve to win 6-5 and successfully defend their championship.

While the women’s final was a much lower-scoring affair, it was no less exciting as NW claimed the women’s Under-21 title after edging WP 1-0 in the shootout following a 1-1 draw in regulation time.

WP took the lead in the 21st minute through Tanya Pieterse, but NW fought back and levelled through Germarie Spershott in the 58th minute to force the match into a shootout.

With the scores still locked, the goalkeepers produced an outstanding display. WP’s Emily Adams and NW’s Kelly Wilson combined to save nine of the 10 shootout attempts.

The goalkeepers kept the contest on a knife-edge as Marika Neethling scored NW’s only successful attempt to secure a 1-0 shootout victory and hand her side the title.

In the lower classifications, Western Province Peninsula (WPP) secured fifth place in the men’s competition with a 4-1 victory over Eastern Province, while Southern Gauteng finished seventh after beating North West 2-0. Free State ended the tournament in ninth place.

WPP finished fifth in the women’s competition as well after drawing 2-2 with EP before winning the shootout 3-2 while SG claimed seventh place with a resounding 8-0 victory over Free State, who finished eighth.

For a full list of results and tournament statistics, click here.

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