It's 30 years since famous Ellis Park Triumph
With Madiba Magic in the air, South Africa went on to win that famous clash 15-12 to lift their first ever Webb Ellis Cup.
Members of that famous Bok team have swapped their boots for golf clubs, to raise funds for a Township Rugby Youth Tournament.
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The Citizen
10 hours ago
- The Citizen
‘Son of Gayton McKenzie': Calvyn Le'John says he doesn't live with the title
Le'John admitted that SuperSport United Football Club was bought through family businesses established by McKenzie. The son of the minister of Sports, Arts and Culture, Calvyn Le'John, said he lives under the radar and that he steers away from the 'son of Gayton McKenzie' title. 'I don't live with the title of 'the son of Gayton McKenzie', I've never lived like that,' said Le'John in a recent interview with Robert Marawa on his radio show. 'I've always tried to keep under the radar.' Le'John came under the spotlight recently after buying SuperSport United Football Club for R50 million and renaming it Siwelele FC. The acquisition of SuperSport has been criticised for multiple reasons, mainly for taking away the established club from Tshwane and, more controversially, for the conflict of interest in the son of the minister of sport owning a soccer club in the Premier League. ALSO READ: Gayton McKenzie says he's 'gonna fight very hard' for at least one Bok game to be broadcast to everyone McKenzie's family businesses Le'John admitted that the buying of SuperSport was made through the family businesses, which McKenzie established. 'In my personal capacity, I am not a millionaire. I got my inheritance early; I'd like to believe because my father, when he was appointed minister, he was no longer allowed to do business. So all the family businesses were then moved to my name,' said McKenzie's eldest son. The McKenzie family has interests in mining, transport, hotels and publishing, among the confirmed ones by Le'John. 'I have dedicated my entire life to the Patriotic Alliance. You have taken full control of the family businesses; you move differently than me. You're taking the businesses in another direction, and I trust you, don't always agree, but I trust you,' wrote McKenzie on Facebook in early July. 'I agree fully with your purchase of SuperSport because we both stood at the deathbed of my father and your grandad, and we promised that we will always look after Siwelele.' ALSO READ: Gayton McKenzie: 'Sustainable, long-term employment for most artists remains implausible' Different surnames Le'John said that on the day he was born, McKenzie was sentenced to 17 years in prison, which made his mother want to distance herself and Le'John from any association with the minister of sport. 'My mother then decided she's not going to give her child the surname 'McKenzie'. She didn't want her child to grow up with the surname of a prisoner,' shared the businessman. 'So, she gave me her surname, Le'John.' In the aforementioned McKenzie Facebook post, the minister said Le'John was born just five hours after he was sentenced. 'You were born five hours after I had been jailed for 17 years. You grew up seeing me through jail bars. You never visited me on the weekends of the home games of Siwelele because you and your grandpa would go and watch the games religiously, just like me and him when I was young.' ALSO READ: 'It was an awesome moment': Tshegofatso Mabasa's mother on being included in the Pirates doccie 'My father is my teacher, mentor' Le'John said he has been in business most of his life, learning from his father, whom he described as his mentor. 'My father is my teacher, my mentor. I love him, I respect him, and I admire him.' 'Some would say I'm a daddy's boy, but he's taught me all I know.' Le'John said McKenzie hasn't just taught him, but said his life story has been an inspiration to other people. After serving his time in prison, McKenzie leveraged his experiences to become a motivational speaker and author, sharing his story of transformation from a life of crime. His most popular book is 2013's A Hustler's Bible: Words to Hustle by. 'He's one of those people that show you that you can literally come from nothing, and he came from below zero and made it to where he is,' shared Le'John. NOW READ: Nomzamo Mbatha shuts down Paul Mashatile dating rumours with Airbnb receipts
The Herald
10 hours ago
- The Herald
MBDA exiting the Nelson Mandela Bay stadium on a path of success
The Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium is a dynamic trading operation that requires a predictable environment to thrive. To ensure a multipurpose facility like it works well, it requires investing time in building relationships, technology, maintenance, and getting the right people on board to build an attractive calendar of events and inventory. A lot of what we see today at the stadium is a return on two years of hard work and investment, developing a whole suite of bankable projects and a viable commercial plan. In the 2024/25 financial year that ended June 30, the Nelson Mandela Bay municipality had set a revenue target of R14m for the stadium's operations, and not only did the MBDA surpass this, but significantly so to the tune of more than R20m. For accountability, the financial performance of the MBDA is recorded in monthly management reports submitted to the municipality as a compliance requirement. Since October 2024, the stadium has been the focus of national and international attention, whether for the Home of Legends Cup, Nedbank Semifinal, DHL Stormers against RC Toulon, Bafana Bafana playing Ghana, U20 Rugby Championship, or more recently the Springboks Test match against Italy. The fact is, the Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium is buzzing again. It is this buzz that seems to have suddenly caught attention, and as the popular proverb goes, 'failure is an orphan, but success has many fathers'. The Bay stadium is demonstrating signs of success, and it is no surprise then that some are eager to associate with it. What is not apparent to them is that the fruits we see today are the results of two years of planning, canvassing and lobbying by the MBDA management, while maintaining this city's iconic facility with diligence and care. As we prepare to transition out of the Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium, we hold our heads high and it is important that we give account to the ratepayers of the most recent and notable initiatives of the last 12 months. The Test match did not land on our lap; it came through intense background work we did with EP Rugby and supporting the union with restoring and reimagining its relationship with SA's rugby community. Subsequently, this agreement led to a delegation to SA Rugby presenting our case for regular international rugby Test fixtures to return to the Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium. Ultimately, this objective was achieved through a shared commercially driven model that was both mutually beneficial not only for Saru and the MBDA, but the entirety of the Eastern Cape province. The MBDA raised direct revenue of R4.4m from the Test match including nearly R400,000 from food and beverage sales as part of the agreed commercial model with Saru. To put this in context, this equates to 22% of the R20m target that the municipality has challenged the MBDA to achieve in this current financial year. The MBDA has already achieved 22% in one month. In addition, the MBDA saved the municipality a whopping R10m Test match hosting fee through smart commercial deal-making led by the executive management. The Test match's economic impact in the city was north of R60m, with every registered hospitality establishment either full or near capacity. The ripple effect was felt in all corners of the Bay, from Gelvandale, Motherwell, to KwaNobuhle, as a record number of mainly youth were gainfully employed during that week. The retail industry also reported a big surge in sales. The positive media coverage tracked is in the millions, stretching to international markets. The image presented is of a Bay venue with the most gees and vibe not seen in a long time. Social media was abuzz, commending the Bay for a memorable experience, thanks to a partnership forged through efforts of the MBDA, EP Rugby and Saru. The successful hosting of the Springbok Test match was an intended catalyst to advance the case for more national and international fixtures to return to the Bay. Currently, we are at an advanced stage in preparations for hosting an Investec Champions Cup match, once again highlighting the proactive approach of the MBDA in attracting major events that have significant economic spin-offs for the city. We exit the Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium mindful that the facility has been well-maintained, has improved operations, systems and controls, but most importantly, the people who we have entrusted with this work are the best at what they do, they are resilient and innovative. As evidenced by the upcoming Jazz on the Lake concert, we had started creating our own portfolio of events as a proactive step to close any gaps in the calendar. It is our hope that absorbing the staff of the stadium into the Nelson Mandela Bay municipality does not diminish their entrepreneurial character and creativity. We also hope that those who take charge can only build on the success they are about to inherit as this stadium represents the only hope for economic growth fuelled by mass sporting events in the province. This is why when we took over the stadium in 2017, rebranded it — giving it back to its citizens as #OURSTADIUM. Anele Qaba, MBDA chief executive The Herald
TimesLIVE
11 hours ago
- TimesLIVE
Tests, training camp set Boks up for Championship defence: Erasmus
Rassie Erasmus says the Springboks are gearing up for a testing Rugby Championship campaign, which kicks off against the Wallabies at Ellis Park on August 16. The Bok coach stressed the importance of their two-week training camp saying it was vital in ensuring the coaches, players, and entire management team were aligned and prepared for the competition. The Springboks won the prestigious tournament for the first time since 2019 last year in an impressive campaign in which they suffered only one defeat – against Argentina by a single point in Santiago del Estero. Erasmus' charges will aim to defend their title this year and retain the Freedom Cup against the All Blacks and Nelson Mandela Challenge Plate against the Wallabies. The Boks begin their campaign with back-to-back Tests against Australia in Johannesburg and Cape Town, before facing the All Blacks in successive matches in Auckland and Wellington. They face Argentina in Durban and London. "Hou vas Krappe!" 💪 Nothing worse than being a scrumhalf at Springbok training 😂 #SSRugby — SuperSport Rugby (@SSRugby) July 31, 2025 "We are always careful about the opposition in the Rugby Championship,' Erasmus said. 'Australia showed last weekend they have what it takes to win a match against a team like the British & Irish Lions and they have an opportunity to try to achieve that this weekend, so we are expecting tough battles against them, as well as New Zealand and Argentina.' The Boks, after a four-match winning run this season from their victories against the Barbarians and an Incoming Series clean-sweep against Italy (two Tests) and Georgia, have worked on the Rugby Championship squad further in their training camp. 'We would have eight weeks of proper preparation before we take the field in the Rugby Championship and we are pleased with the physicality Italy and Georgia brought against us in the last few weeks," Erasmus said. 'We have another three weeks to prepare for the matches against Australia, so we'll be working hard on the training field in the next few weeks. 🗣️ "Maybe some of them play next year, maybe some play in the World Cup year." Rassie Erasmus explains the reason behind selecting the three Junior Boks to join the Springboks for their training camp ahead of the Rugby Championship. #SSRugby | #TRC2025 — SuperSport Rugby (@SSRugby) July 29, 2025 'We always knew that our first few matches would not be as tough as the Rugby Championship, even though the opposition was competitive and physical, but we are now going up against teams with solid game plans and a different intensity. 'Australia are coming off the British & Irish Lions series, so it will be a challenging tournament.' Erasmus admitted that this week's training camp was not originally part of their schedule, but he said it would benefit the team on several fronts. 'These two weeks of camp will give us time to align as coaches, as well as on the conditioning aspects for the players and to take stock from a medical perspective. It's important in assisting us to get to where we want to be against three good countries in the series.' The Springboks wrapped up the first week of their training camp on Thursday afternoon and will spend the weekend with their families, before reassembling in Johannesburg on Sunday to continue their on-field preparations. Springboks' Rugby Championship fixtures (SA times) SA Rugby media
