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Rassie: Boks won’t chase bonus points in Nations Championship
The Springboks will not chase bonus points, but rather seek wins by whatever means necessary in the Nations Championship, said head coach Rassie Erasmus.
The inaugural tournament features two groups: one made of six northern hemisphere teams and the other of six southern hemisphere teams, with each side playing matches against teams from the opposing hemisphere.
Bonus points for scoring four or more tries and for losing by seven points or fewer will come into play as the pools are ranked ahead of a finals weekend in November. orlando-books.blog
At that stage, the rankings are locked, and only the top team from each hemisphere will have the chance to become the overall winner.
On the finals weekend, teams then face the side from the opposite hemisphere that finished in the same position, determining not only the overall champion but also the winning hemisphere.
Every point on offer
The Springboks face England, Scotland and Wales in South Africa in three consecutive weekends starting next Saturday.
Then, after a break for a one-off Test against Argentina and the Rugby’s Greatest Rivalry series, they return to Nations Championship action against Italy, France and Ireland in Europe before the finals weekend in Twickenham, all in November.
With top European teams expected to capitalise against Fiji and Japan, and top southern teams to do so against Wales and Italy, there is motivation to take every point on offer.
Springboks take a different approach
However, Erasmus said, “We just want to try win every match, and build squad depth and character and a playing style everyone is used to.
“So when we get to the [2027] World Cup, there will be a lot of players who can play the style we want.”
He said other competing nations would also likely stay clear of permutations.
“I don’t think we really see it as a competition. We see it as a Test match and then the next Test match [and so on]. We want to beat England and then Scotland, and then Wales. I think they want to do the same with us.”
Erasmus said Test rugby didn’t involve chasing bonus points.
“Even if we win by just one point and we play the rugby we wanted to, which makes our fans and ourselves proud. We don’t look at log points and that stuff. We’ve never done that and I don’t think we’ll change to that.”
Counter-Strike 2 is clearly winning the viewership war against VALORANT after the IEM Cologne Major 2026… For now
Viewership is frequently used to determine whether a notable esports tournament is a success or a failure. High figures often grab the headlines, with some tournaments peaking at several million viewers, matching or exceeding those of traditional sporting spectacles.
Between June 19th and 21st, 2026, Counter-Strike’s IEM Cologne Major filled the iconic LANXESS Arena as thousands watched the world’s best teams battle for Valve’s first-person shooter’s most prestigious trophy. Over the same weekend, the VALORANT Champions Tour (VCT) headed to London’s Copper Box Arena for its second Masters event of 2026.
As the dust settles on both tournaments, viewing figures have sparked fierce debate as both communities defend their preferred title in the viewership war between Counter-Strike and VALORANT.
But there is a clear winner.
A Record-Breaking Cologne
Following the conclusion of the Cologne Major, Esports Charts reported the title’s first tentpole tournament of the year hit a peak of 2,752,353 viewers, becoming the most-watched Counter-Strike tournament of all time. The Grand Final between Team Falcons and FURIA surpassed the previous peak of 2,748,434 reached at the Stockholm Major in 2021.
There are several factors as to why the Cologne Major hit a record number. Legendary rifler Nikola “NiKo” Kovač finally got his hands on the trophy after 16 previous attempts to win Counter-Strike’s biggest prize. His victory was met with a huge outpouring of support from fans and the wider industry, and even saw Major League Baseball reference the achievement across its social media channels.
The Grand Final also featured a battle between Finn “Karrigan” Andersen and Gabriel “FalleN” Toledo, two of Counter-Strike’s legendary in-game leaders. Karrigan’s superior mid-round calls proved the difference, with Team Falcons sweeping FURIA 3-0. The Dane also set a new record, achieving the worst rating for a Major Grand Final.
Team Falcons’ victory wasn’t a surprise result either. The Saudi Arabian organization successfully navigated its way past the powerhouse rosters of Team Spirit and Team Vitality to secure a place in the Grand Final alongside FURIA, which bested 9z and Aurora Gaming on its way to the championship showdown. Besting Team Spirit and Team Vitality is a notable achievement in itself, given the incredible talent representing both teams.
A Huge Gap To VALORANT
Compared to the record-breaking Cologne Major, VALORANT’s VCT Masters London recorded a peak almost three times lower. Although the peak was significantly smaller than its rival, Masters London still surpassed one million viewers, becoming the fifth most-watched Masters event in history.
The event may not have reached the dizzying heights of Counter-Strike’s biggest tournament, but it did surpass the peak viewing figures of Masters Santiago, which peaked at 883,064 viewers.
While Leviatan and Paper Rex battled it out in front of a packed live audience, it’s possible that the timing of the Grand Final played a part in struggling to generate high viewing figures. A time more suited to the South American and Southeast Asian fan base could have increased the figures further, enabling more fans to watch their favourite squads battle it out on the big stage.
Following the conclusion of both tournaments, VALORANT fans were quick to defend the gap between Riot Games’ shooter and Valve’s. Esports Charts doesn’t account for Chinese viewership, suggesting the total number is higher than the recorded figure. Several Chinese streaming platforms use heat indexes to measure popularity, while their algorithms remain secret. As a result, esports viewership data rarely features figures from China.
But would Chinese viewership truly rocket VCT Masters London to a peak that would rival IEM Cologne?
CS2 vs. VALORANT: Sorry, It’s a Fair Comparison
The difference between the Cologne Major and Masters London continues to split opinions of fans, several days following both Grand Finals. While Counter-Strike enjoys its new record after 27 years on the market, some members of the VALORANT community believe the comparison between the two events isn’t fair.
A Counter-Strike Major occurs twice a year and is deemed the title’s crowning tournament. VALORANT Masters events take place several times over the year, whereas the season-ending VCT Champions is considered a fairer comparison. The most-watched VCT Champions event of all time is 2022’s tournament, where the majority-Brazilian side of LOUD defeated OpTic Gaming in the Grand Final. The tournament is VALORANT’s second-most-watched, peaking at 1,505,804.
Even when comparing the Cologne Major to the most-watched VCT Champions event, there’s still a huge gap between the shooter titles. The excuses are excusing, but it’s clear that Counter-Strike 2 is the more popular esport of the two, at least that weekend.
Despite this, we should remember that VALORANT’s esports ecosystem is still in its infancy, having launched in 2020. Achieving peaks of over a million in its sixth year of existence is a commendable achievement and cements its place as one of the biggest scenes in the first-person shooter genre.
Regardless of varying opinions, it’s clear that the IEM Cologne Major dominated VCT Masters London in the viewership department. Despite the huge gap, having two first-person shooters thriving over the same period of time is a huge positive for the wider ecosystem. Counter-Strike may have won the battle of Cologne and London, but the war between the long-standing veteran and the relative newcomer of VALORANT is only just beginning.
The post Counter-Strike 2 is clearly winning the viewership war against VALORANT after the IEM Cologne Major 2026… For now appeared first on Esports Insider.
Stéphanie Frappart nommée responsable de l'arbitrage de l'UEFA
Au sein de la commission des arbitres de l'UEFA, l'arbitre française de 42 ans contribuera notamment «au développement stratégique de l'arbitrage en Europe», à la «désignation des arbitres» pour les compétitions européennes, ainsi qu'au «contrôle de la performance» des arbitres. La commission des arbitres, présidée par l'Italien Roberto Rosetti, compte quatre autres membres, dont à présent Stéphanie Frappart, qui succède à la Tchèque Dagmar Damkova.
Arbitre internationale depuis 2010, Stéphanie Frappart a officié dans plus de 100 matches de compétitions de l'UEFA, et avait été la première femme à officier en Ligue 1 masculine en 2019, lors d'un match entre Amiens et Strasbourg. Elle avait également été la première femme à arbitrer en Supercoupe d'Europe (2019), en Ligue des champions (décembre 2020) et en phase finale de Coupe du monde masculine, fin 2022 au Qatar.
Trust cost Asenathi in doping case
The tribunal that handed Asenathi Ntlabakanye an 18-month doping ban found he genuinely relied on the Lions’ medical system.
But it ruled that it didn’t remove his personal responsibility under anti-doping regulations.
The three-Test Springbok prop was suspended until 13 November 2027 after being found to have committed an anti-doping rule violation.
A 44-page written ruling, released after the hearing, reveals that former Lions team doctor Rob Collins declined to testify in Ntlabakanye’s defence after receiving legal advice.
ASENATHI: Doc said ‘shap, all good’ to prescribed meds
The Independent Doping Tribunal described Collins as “central to the medical process”, adding that his actions – or omissions – were critical in the chain of events that led to the anti-doping violation.
However, the panel said Collins’ absence from the hearing limited the direct evidence about what checks he performed on the medication prescribed to Ntlabakanye.
The tribunal accepted that Ntlabakanye relied on Collins and the Lions’ medical staff, but ruled that his reliance fell short of the “utmost caution” required under anti-doping rules.
It therefore found that while the prop was not guilty of significant fault or negligence, his conduct amounted to reckless disregard.
According to the ruling, Ntlabakanye’s defence was that the prohibited substances entered his body through the Lions’ medical system rather than through any private or self-directed use.
He told the tribunal he had been referred to specialist Dr Bhana through the Lions, returned with the prescribed medication to Collins for approval, and was told everything was “all good” or “shap”.
ASENATHI: Doc said ‘shap, all good’ to prescribed meds
From there, the medication was managed by the Lions’ medical department. Ntlabakanye said administrative assistant Alicea van Niekerk issued him with his medication each week, while either Collins or Dr Genis administered his weekly Mounjaro injection for weight loss.
The prop said he did not know the names of the medication because he trusted the Lions’ medical staff had checked that everything complied with anti-doping regulations.
ALSO: Saids hits back at UK media doping claims
The South African Institute for Drug-Free Sport argued that, regardless of any shortcomings in the Lions’ medical processes, athletes ultimately remain responsible for ensuring no prohibited substance enters their bodies.
The organisation also argued that Ntlabakanye, as an elite professional player with anti-doping education, should have independently verified the medication rather than relying solely on assurances that everything was “all good”.
Photo: Daniel Hlongwane/Gallo Images
The post Trust cost Asenathi in doping case appeared first on SA Rugby magazine.
Pepe Grabs Double Over Curacao To Aid Ivory Coast Advance To Round Of 32
TORONTO, Canada, Jun 26 – Ivory Coast reached the knockout stages for the first time in World Cup history thanks to a Nicolas Pepe double as they eliminated minnows Curacao.
The Ivorians needed just a point to reach the round of 32, having exited at the group stage in their three previous World Cup appearances.
And they settled their nerves with a goal after just seven minutes as Curacao’s defenders were caught out at the back and dispossessed by Yan Diomande, who squared for Pepe to tap in.
Then, in the 65th minute, former Arsenal forward Pepe – who was left out of the Ivory Coast squad for the Africa Cup of Nations earlier this year – got his second as he slotted a left-footed strike into the top corner past Curacao keeper Eloy Room.
It means Ivory Coast finish second in Group E with six points, winning two matches at a World Cup for the first time.
“My message to fans would be to enjoy this historic qualification, celebrate it,” Ivory Coast manager Emerse Fae told his post-match media conference.
“Once we are done celebrating, please continue sending us positive vibes so we can go as far as we can in this tournament.
“I am very happy with this result. Not everything was perfect but not conceding is good for our morale. Now our group has to bask in this victory. It is easy to recuperate after a victory.
“This group is growing. They are all at their first World Cup but they are growing well – it is a team that sticks together. Even the players competing for similar positions are laughing together, always together. We have healthy competition which helps every player give their best.”
Curacao, the smallest nation by population ever to play at a men’s World Cup, went down fighting as they created several chances to score.
Their best opening came shortly before half-time when forward Juninho Bacuna broke between two men and into the box but fired wide at the near post.
They leave the tournament with reputation enhanced from their performances against much larger football nations, including their first World Cup point earned from a draw against Ecuador.
Ivory Coast finally lift group stage jinx – analysis
The legends of Ivory Coast’s golden generation will have watched with pride and relief after the current team finally managed to achieve a landmark that the group led by Didier Drogba and Yaya Toure could never reach.
Finally, 20 years after they qualified for their first World Cup, the Ivorians can look forward to the knockout stages, and perhaps draw a line under a series of unlucky moments and heartbreaking near misses.
In 2006, they had a nightmare group with Argentina and the Netherlands. After losing both of those games they salvaged some pride with a victory over Serbia and Montenegro, but it was not enough to go through.
In 2010 there was another very tough draw for a team managed by Sven-Goran Eriksson. Ivory Coast held Portugal to a goalless draw, but lost to Brazil and despite beating North Korea convincingly, they missed out on progression.
Then there was the worst memory of all for Ivorian fans in 2014, who were favourites to progress going into the final group game against Greece – but conceded a 93rd-minute goal in a 2-1 defeat.
With the added emotional baggage of failing to qualify for the past two World Cups, there was pressure on the current players to finally end the group stage jinx.
But while this squad may lack the big stars of past, one thing they have proved over the last three years is that they have great spirit and mental strength.
Who could forget their incredible 2023 Africa Cup of Nations victory – when they sacked their manager in the group stage but still went on to lift the trophy?
That Afcon triumph has forged these Ivory Coast players under their impressive coach Emerse Fae, who gets the best out of these players tactically and takes the pressure off them as well.
Their group stage blockage has finally been removed and a new generation has given the fans back in Ivory Coast something huge to celebrate.
What’s next for these teams?
Ivory Coast will face the runners-up from Group I – either France or Norway – in Arlington, Texas on 30 June in the second round.
Curacao finish bottom of Group E with one point from three matches and are out.