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The Citizen
16-07-2025
- Sport
- The Citizen
SA and NZ set to write another chapter in special rugby rivalry
The Junior Boks and Junior All Blacks meet in a blockbuster World Rugby U20 Championship final in Italy on Saturday night. The Junior Boks during their World Rugby U20 Championship semifinal win over Argentina in Italy on Monday night. Picture: Emmanuele Ciancaglini/The rugby rivalry between South Africa and New Zealand will enter another chapter on Saturday when the Junior Springboks face the Junior All Blacks in the final of the 2025 World Rugby U20 Championship in Rovigo, Italy. The Junior Boks qualified for their first final appearance since 2014 when they defeated Argentina Monday evening in Viadana, while New Zealand beat France in their semi-final played earlier in the day at the same venue. Junior Springbok head coach Kevin Foote spoke of the significance of the occasion set to happen on Saturday, highlighting the rivalry and rugby culture shared by both nations. 'Every child in South Africa and every child in New Zealand who has ever picked up a rugby ball dreams of this occasion. It's a special moment, and they (NZ) are a special side. A final between these two teams is fantastic for the game of rugby,' said Foote. Junior Bok captain Riley Norton echoed his coach's sentiments, calling the final the 'ultimate test' for the South African U20 side. No extra motivation 'You don't need any extra motivation for a final like this. As coach Kevin said, you dream of a match like this. Facing the haka on Saturday, the history and tradition of rugby between SA and NZ is just unbelievable,' explained Norton. 'We love playing each other and have great respect for one another. It's going to be an 80-minute battle. We're extremely excited for Saturday, and I know the guys are up for it and very keen.' While the SA U20s are excited for the final, Foote emphasised that the Junior Boks remain focused on growth and continuous improvement: 'We'll keep improving, and the thing is that we've played some awesome rugby in this tournament. I couldn't be prouder of this group. 'I told them in the changeroom (after the Argentina victory) how proud I am, to be on this journey with them is very special. They are absolute warriors and remain humble.' The Junior Boks enjoyed a non-training on Tuesday to recover from their energy-sapping semi-final against Argentina and will resume preparations on Wednesday at their base in Valpolicella outside Verona. The matchday squad to face New Zealand will be announced on Thursday afternoon. Saturday's final marks the first time the two sides meet in a World Rugby U20 Championship final since South Africa's memorable victory over New Zealand in the 2012 sold-out final at Newlands in Cape Town.
The Citizen
16-07-2025
- Sport
- The Citizen
OPINION: Junior Bok talent bodes well for the future of the Springboks
The Junior Boks and Junior All Blacks are the only two unbeaten teams in the competition and will contest the World Rugby U20 Champs final in Italy on Saturday. Junior Bok utility forward Bathobele Hlekani has enjoyed a strong World Rugby U20 Championship and is one of the players to watch for the future. Picture: Emmanuele Ciancaglini/) Some serious talent is rising through the ranks of the Junior Springboks, with a number of potential future stars on show at the World Rugby U20 Championship in Italy, and that can only bode well for the future of the Springboks. The Junior Boks have been in scintillating form and have swept all before them on their way to their first final appearance in 11 years, where they will face fierce Southern Hemisphere rivals, the All Blacks U20s. It has been an impressive campaign for the Junior Boks, with them hammering Australia (73-17) and Scotland (73-14), while beating defending champs England (32-22) in the pool face to cruise into the semifinals. Up against fellow Southern Hemisphere rivals Argentina they showed their class by clinching a comfortable 48-24 win despite being heavily penalised and not at their best, to reach their first final since 2014 (when they were edged by England 21-20). The New Zealand U20s got off to a slow start against Italy, winning 14-5, but have since stepped it up with wins over Georgia (39-18), Ireland (69-22), and France (34-26) to reach their first final since 2017 (when they defeated England). It is thus all set up for a blockbuster final, and a repeat of the 2012 final in South Africa, the only other time they have met in the trophy match, with the Junior Boks emerging as 22-16 winners on that occasion. A number of Junior Bok players will be aiming to impress, and based on current form have bright futures ahead of them. 2012 heroes They will also be hoping to follow in the footsteps of some of their 2012 heroes, like Pieter-Steph du Toit, Handre Pollard and Steven Kitshoff, who have all gone on to become double Springbok World Cup winners. Others also found considerable success, with Jan Serfontein, Dillyn Leyds, Raymond Rhule and Travis Ismaiel all becoming Springboks, while Paul Willemse (France), Oli Kebble (Scotland) and Braam Steyn (Italy), also became internationals for other nations. A number of the Junior Bok class of 2025 have shown they have the talent to make the step up. Electrifying scrumhalf Haashim Pead has been brilliant and must be one of the contenders for player of the tournament, and currently leads the try scoring charts with six tries, while he has also made four try assists. Flyhalf Vusi Moyo is the leading points scorer with 50 points, and his unerring boot has been impressive over the tournament. Captain Riley Norton is a dual sport star, having captained the SA U19 cricket team at last year's U19 World Cup, and having chosen rugby, with him contracted to the Stormers, and he will hope to lead his side to U20 glory. Other players that have also impressed for the Junior Boks include utility forward Bhatobele Hlekani, outside backs Cheswill Jooste and Gilermo Mentoe, centre Albie Bester and loose forward Xola Nyali among others. Whether they will be able to make the step up to the big leagues remains to be seen, but they have certainly proved they have the talent, and another big effort in helping their team clinch the U20 champs title will be another step in the right direction.
Yahoo
20-06-2025
- Automotive
- Yahoo
MotoGP Italian Grand Prix 2025: How to watch this weekend's race, channel, time and more
If you buy something through a link in this article, we may earn commission. Pricing and availability are subject to change. Marc Marquez remains the top driver in the 2025 MotoGP World Championship standings headed into the MotoGP Brembo Grand Prix of Italy (Emmanuele Ciancaglini/) MotoGP rolls into Italy this weekend for the 2025 Brembo Grand Prix of Italy. The race will be held at the fan-favorite Autodromo Internazionale del Mugello. The challenging course stretches 5,245 meters and features fast corners and long straights. This weekend will also feature an adrenaline-inducing Sprint Race on Saturday. The past two top speed records in MotoGP history were set at Mugello in 2023 and 2024. Headed into this weekend, the Márquez brothers remain at the top of the drivers standings separated by just 32 points — with Ducati Lenovo's Marc Márquez in the lead. This weekend's Sprint Race is on Saturday, June 21, at 9 a.m. ET. The grand prix race will begin that Sunday, June 22, at 8 a.m. ET All the action will air on FS1. Here's everything you need to know about MotoGP this weekend. How to watch the 2025 MotoGP Grand Prix of Italy: Date: Sunday, June 22 Advertisement Time: 8 a.m. ET Location: Autodromo Internazionale del Mugello TV channel: FS1 Streaming: DirecTV, Fubo, ExpressVPN When is the MotoGP Italian Grand Prix? The 2025 MotoGP Italian Grand Prix is this Sunday, June 22 airing at 8 a.m. ET. You can also tune in to practices and the Tissot Sprint Race on Saturday. What channel is the Mugello MotoGP on? You can tune into Sunday's MotoGP race and Saturday's Tissot Sprint Race on FS1. For eligible cable subscribers, The 2025 MotoGP Gran Premio d'Italia will also be available to stream live on the FOX Sports website and the FOX Sports App. If you don't have access to FS1, we recommend trying out a live TV streaming service or a VPN to watch this weekend's race. How to watch the 2025 MotoGP season: Watch the MotoGP Grand Prix with the help of a VPN Looking for a way to stream MotoGP coverage from anywhere in the world without access to FS1? One option for catching this weekend's coverage of the Grand Prix is with the help of a VPN. With a VPN, you can change your location to one in Austria and stream every race this weekend available for free on ServusTV. Advertisement A VPN (virtual private network) helps protect your data, can mask your IP address and is perhaps most popular for being especially useful in the age of streaming. Whether you're looking to watch Friends on Netflix (which left the U.S. version of the streamer back in 2019) or tune into the F1 race this weekend without a cable package, a VPN can help you out. Stream MotoGP coverage for less ExpressVPN ExpressVPN offers "internet without borders," meaning you can tune into an Austrian live stream of the race for free as opposed to paying for FS1 for U.S. coverage of the grand prix. All you'll need to do is sign up for ExpressVPN, change your server location to one in Austria and then find the MotoGP live stream on ServusTV. ExpressVPN's added protection, speed and range of location options make it an excellent choice for first-time VPN users looking to stretch their streaming abilities. It's Engadget's top pick for the best streaming VPN, and the service offers a 30-day, money-back guarantee in case you're nervous about trying a VPN. From $4.99/month at ExpressVPN Schedule of events at the 2025 MotoGP Grand Prix of Italy: All times Eastern Friday, June 20 MotoGP Free Practice Nr. 1 - 4:45 a.m. - 5:30 a.m. ET MotoGP Practice - 9:00 a.m. - 10 a.m. ET Saturday, June 21 MotoGP Free Practice Nr. 2 - 4:10 a.m. - 4:40 a.m. ET Advertisement MotoGP Qualifying Nr. 1 - 4:50 a.m. - 5:10 a.m. ET MotoGP Qualifying Nr. 2 - 5:15 a.m. - 5:30 a.m. ET MotoGP Tissot Sprint Race - 9:00 a.m. ET (FS1) Sunday, June 22 Mugello MotoGP Grand Prix: 8 a.m. (FS1) More ways to watch MotoGP:
