Nyali’s Nduva, Rwandese Nsanzuwera share lead at Ruiru Sunshine Devel…

RUIRU, Kenya, Aug 17 – After the second round of the fifth leg of the Sunshine Development Tour – East Africa Swing, Nyali Golf Club’s Daniel Nduva and Rwanda’s Celestin Nsanzuwera took control of the Absa Ruiru Invitational tournament.

The two are tied on 5-under par overall, setting up a closely contested final round tomorrow.

Nduva, who won the Royal Nairobi Golf Club leg earlier this season, produced a composed round, carding 3-under par 67. milkshakeslot.lat

He made birdies on the second, ninth, 13th and 17th holes, with his only dropped shot coming on the final hole.

“It was another solid round. I managed to hit some good shots and convert a few birdie opportunities. The bogey on 18 was a bit disappointing, but overall I am happy with the way I played. I am in a good position going into tomorrow and I just need to stay patient and focus on executing my game,” Nduva said.

On his part, Nsanzuwera, who started the day tied for fifth on 1-under par, also produced a near-flawless round of 4-under par 66, featuring five birdies on the third, fourth, ninth, 12th and 16th holes. His only blemish came on the 14th hole.

“It was a very good round for me. I stayed patient and managed to take advantage of the opportunities I got. The birdies gave me good momentum and I was able to keep my focus throughout the round. I am happy with where I am going into the final round and will just try to play my game and see what happens,” Nsanzuwera stated.

Taking third position on 4-under par overall is Nyali professional Samuel Njoroge Chege, the winner of the Absa Invitational at Nyali last month.

Chege carded a 3-under par 67 despite an early setback, dropping shots on the fourth and fifth holes before recovering strongly with birdies eighth, 12th, 13th and 14th holes, adding to an earlier birdie on the second.

“I had a difficult start and the two early bogeys could easily have affected my round, but I managed to settle down and get myself back into it. The birdies in the middle of the round gave me the momentum I needed. I am happy to be in contention again and looking forward to tomorrow,” Chege underscored.

Mike Kisia of VetLab Sports Club occupies fourth position on 3-under par overall after carding an impressive 4-under par 66 to recover from his opening-round 1-over par.

A three-way tie for fifth position on 2-under par features John Karichu of Limuru Country Club, David Wakhu of Golf Park and Nigeria’s Godwin Okoko.

Following the second round, the top 30 players and ties will proceed to the final round on Tuesday, with a Sh2 million prize purse up for grabs. The winner will take home Sh400,000.

Select the Springbok starting XV you think should run out at Ellis Park for the first Test against the All Blacks.

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Steve Hansen claims Richie Mo’unga’s return to the All Blacks set-up isn’t about him challenging for the No 10 jersey, with Ruben Love playing well enough to retain his spot.

Mo’unga was called into New Zealand’s touring squad last week as a replacement for the injured Billy Proctor.

Hansen believes there is no pressure for the veteran playmaker to feature during the remainder of the Rugby’s Greatest Rivalry tour, with time spent learning the lay of the land under head coach Dave Rennie equally important.

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“It doesn’t matter if he doesn’t play, I don’t think,” Hansen was quoted by Newstalk ZB. “I think what matters is that he has the time with the group and the new coaches, the new systems, and he benefits then when he does get to play; so he’s got an understanding and he’s up to speed.

“So yeah, that’s obviously the reason why they’ve taken him, and I think it’s smart play.”

The former All Blacks boss also pointed to Beauden Barrett’s influence despite limited Test involvement early in Rennie’s tenure. The two-time World Player of the Year has started at flyhalf and fullback so far on the South African trip.

“He’ll bring a lot to the discussion because he’s a smart player and he’s an experienced player,” Hansen added. “We saw Beauden not play a big part in the first three Test matches, but he was huge for the team.”

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The 25-year-old Love has impressed in Mo’unga’s absence, winning all three of his Test starts in 2026.

“Love is still learning to be the player that he wants to be; he’s playing well,” Hansen noted.

“[Damian] McKenzie’s playing well, so we’ve just got to sit back and see what he does bring.”

The first of four Tests in the Rugby’s Greatest Rivalry series kicks off at Ellis Park on Saturday, with the All Blacks coming off a huge win against the Vodacom Bulls while the Springboks’ last outing was a narrow win in Argentina two weeks ago.

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Boss Dave Rennie has put in a call back home and the All Blacks now await the arrival of a hulking scrummager to tackle the Springboks.

New Zealand have called up Highlanders prop Saula Ma’u for the remainder of the Rugby’s Greatest Rivalry tour.

The 26-year-old replaces Ollie Norris, who injured his knee against the Vodacom Bulls last week. Norris becomes the fourth All Blacks star ruled out of the tour.

Ma’u, who stands 1.93m and weighs 140kg, has 58 Super Rugby appearances for the Highlanders and 40 provincial caps for Otago, alongside previous selection for the All Blacks XV.

Crusaders scrumhalf Noah Hotham has also been added to the group as Cortez Ratima undergoes assessment for a knee issue.

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Kaizer Chiefs’ Langelihle Phili says his goal celebration against Mamelodi Sundowns showed exactly what it means for him to don the colours of Amakhosi and hit the back of the net in such a big match.

Chiefs’ Phili’s goalscoring delight

Phili fired Chiefs in front in the 63rd minute at FNB Stadium, and embarked on a full-blooded celebration that involved him ripping his shirt off and jumping into the arms of ecstatic teammates.

The 21-year-old has made an impressive start since joining Chiefs from Stellenbosch, winning Man-of-the-Match in a 2-0 win over Sekhukhune. He then netted his first goal for Chiefs against Sundowns, though Amakhosi were ultimately pegged back in a 1-1 draw.

“Obviously, being at such a great football institution as Kaizer Chiefs you want to play in the big games, so being able to play and score against Mamelodi Sundowns, the African champions, was huge for me, as could be seen from my celebration,” Phili told Chiefs media.

“For me to represent Kaizer Chiefs is an honour and a privilege, and being able to help the team is a testament to the people within the club and the organisation who have welcomed me with open arms.

A fine start for Amakhosi

“They have provided me with the environment to give something back through doing my best and putting in good performances.”

Chiefs’ have had a good start to the Premiership campaign, with Fernando Da Cruz’ side sitting on seven points from their opening three matches.

Their only real setback so far came in their 1-0 defeat by Golden Arrows in the MTN8 quarterfinals. But one positive is that this has given Da Cruz plenty of time to work with his side on the training field ahead of their next match.

Chiefs’ next match is in the Premiership at Richards Bay on August 26.

Da Cruz did say after the Sundowns game that there is still plenty of room for improvement with Phili, and this is something the talented youngster seems to understand perfectly.

“In order to maintain my form consistently I must just keep listening to the coach and the technical team, learning from my teammates and just keep trying hard every day to become a better version of myself,” he added, while adding a word of appreciation for Chiefs’ fanbase.

“It’s the best feeling ever to be loved by supporters. When I arrived at the club my priority was to earn the love of the fans. I’ll keep on trying to please them through maximum effort, which is something they appreciate.”