Latest news with #Senatla
The South African
4 days ago
- Sport
- The South African
Stormers' humiliating exit: Dobson reflects on painful defeat
The Stormers went down humiliating fashion against the defending champion Glasgow Warriors in their Vodacom United Rugby Championship quarterfinal at Scotstoun on Friday night. The defending champions Glasgow beat the Stormers 36-18, eliminating the Cape side at the quarter-final stage for the second consecutive season. It was a disappointing end to the campaign for the Stormers, who endured a frustrating evening in Glasgow. The Stormers started brightly with a penalty from Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu, but momentum shifted quickly after captain Salmaan Moerat departed for a head injury assessment and Seabelo Senatla was shown a yellow card. Glasgow capitalised with tries from Rory Darge and Kyle Rowe. Senatla hit back with a try of his own, but Henco Venter's score gave the hosts a 19-13 lead at halftime. Senatla's second try early in the second half briefly narrowed the gap, but Glasgow surged ahead with Rowe's brace and a solo try from George Horne, who also slotted a penalty to seal the win. Apart from the team's elimination, the result also marked the final appearance for a number of Stormers stalwarts, including Joseph Dweba, Herschel Jantjies, Ben Loader, Paul de Wet, and Dave Ewers. Manie Libbok, meanwhile, has been linked with an overseas sabbatical. Stormers director of rugby John Dobson reflected on a tough night in Scotland and an emotional farewell to several senior players. 'It's sitting pretty tough in the throat emotionally,' Dobson said post-match. 'We didn't plan to be done this weekend. That changing room is like an American Civil War tent. The guys are really distraught, and it's not the way I wanted to say goodbye to players who've given us so much.' Dobson praised the Stormers players' effort, he admitted the defeat was 'probably our worst performance in a couple of years', crediting a drop in key areas. 'We weren't winning the gainline, made too many mistakes, and our kicking was inaccurate. Glasgow punished us. Our lineout success dropped, tackle completion was poor—it was a rough night.' Still, the Stormers boss found positives in the performance of Senatla and the scrummaging effort, as well as signs of promise from the next generation. 'Our scrum and some youngsters were silver linings. Players like Paul de Villiers will grow from this. The depth we've built gives me a lot of reason for optimism,' he added. Let us know by leaving a comment below, or send a WhatsApp to 060 011 0211. Subscribe to The South African website's newsletters and follow us on WhatsApp, Facebook, X and Bluesky for the latest news.
IOL News
4 days ago
- Sport
- IOL News
Stormers' URC dreams dashed in Glasgow quarter-final defeat
Stormers flyhalf Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu could not spark his side on the attack in their quarter-final loss to the Glasgow Warriors in Scotland on Friday evening. Image: BackpagePix The Stormers have only themselves to blame for Friday night's quarter-final loss against the Glasgow Warriors at the Scotstoun Stadium in Scotland. Atrocious defending, with a 65% tackle success rate minutes before the end, coupled with some terrible decision-making on the attack and a Warriors team on the rampage, led to a 36-18 defeat and one of if not arguably the worst performance of the Cape side in the play-offs of the United Rugby Championship (URC). While they had the ascendency in the scrum, they couldn't gain any momentum elsewhere on the field even after they started the match like a house on fire. They were all over the home side in the opening stages of the clash and it delivered an early penalty goal and a 3-0 lead. . @GlasgowWarriors are the first team off to the Semi-Finals 🔥 One step closer to becoming the first team to go back-to-back!#BKTURC #URC | #GLAvSTO — BKT United Rugby Championship (URC) (@URCOfficial) May 30, 2025 Video Player is loading. Play Video Play Unmute Current Time 0:00 / Duration -:- Loaded : 0% Stream Type LIVE Seek to live, currently behind live LIVE Remaining Time - 0:00 This is a modal window. Beginning of dialog window. Escape will cancel and close the window. Text Color White Black Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Background Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Transparent Window Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Transparent Semi-Transparent Opaque Font Size 50% 75% 100% 125% 150% 175% 200% 300% 400% Text Edge Style None Raised Depressed Uniform Dropshadow Font Family Proportional Sans-Serif Monospace Sans-Serif Proportional Serif Monospace Serif Casual Script Small Caps Reset restore all settings to the default values Done Close Modal Dialog End of dialog window. Advertisement Next Stay Close ✕ Ad loading However, their inability to exit after a kick-off, a recurring issue this season, reared its ugly head again and the home side quickly found them in front, playing against 14 men, after a break that led to a Seabelo Senalta yellow card. That sin bin proved costly, but in the lead-up to it, there was a clear obstruction on two Stormers players, but the referee, Andrew Brace, failed to see it. Some other questionable referee calls also snuck into the game, but with the way the Cape side played, they can hardly blame the referee for it. In the time that Senatla was off, Glasgow scored two tries, and the moment they found the space through the midfield, things started getting ugly for the Cape side. When Senatla returned from the bin, he made an immediate impact and scored a try that brought his side back into the game, only for the team to mess up their exit play from the resulting kick-off. Off the back of a maul, and with the Stormers' defence seemingly napping, South African Henco Venter scored for the Warriors and extended their lead. Senatla pounces on the scraps and turns it into gold! 💥 One loose ball, one lethal finish!@Vodacom #URC | #GLAvSTO — Vodacom United Rugby Championship (URC) (@URCOfficial_RSA) May 30, 2025 The Stormers were not helped by the loss of their captain and hardman Salmaan Moerat. He went off for a head injury assessment during the opening 10 minutes and never returned. He was followed by Dan du Plessis who injured what looked like his shoulder. That meant two big defensive players were missing from the team's lineup for the rest of the duel. Flyhalf Manie Libbok entered the fray to replace Du Plessis and things looked way more controlled when he was the general. Starting pivot Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu had a match to forget and looked lost on the field at times. So too did young outside centre Suleiman Hartzenberg. This clash would've been a tough but good learning curve for them, especially when it comes to knockout rugby. When Senatla scored his second try shortly after the start of the second half, it looked like the inaugural champions would mount a fightback. The resulting conversion by Feinberg-Mngomezulu would've put them in the lead, but he missed it. From there, another exit error off the restart saw Glasgow winger Kyle Rowe score his second of the match. Six minutes later, a neat little counter-attack try for George Horne hit the nail in the Stormers' coffin and they failed for another year at the Scotstoun Stadium. 'That has to be a contender for try of the season' 🥵@GlasgowWarriors are turning up the HEAT in the first Quarter-Final!#BKTURC #URC | #GLAvSTO — BKT United Rugby Championship (URC) (@URCOfficial) May 30, 2025
Forbes
27-03-2025
- Sport
- Forbes
Seabelo Senatla's Advocacy For Blood Cancer Awareness Through Rugby With DKMS Africa
DKMS Africa ambassador Seabelo Senatla leads DKMS Africa and UWC Rugby team collaboration Seabelo Senatla's journey as a professional rugby player extends beyond the confines of the game itself. Most athletes will agree that being a team player is essential for individual success. Collaborating with something or someone greater than oneself is crucial not only for personal growth but also in the pursuit of excellence. Senatla truly embodies this philosophy in his role as an ambassador for DKMS Africa, an organisation committed to fighting blood cancer. In an interview with Senatla shares his experiences with DKMS Africa, discusses blood cancer, and explains how he is contributing to the fight against the disease with the support of UWC and the Western Cape Province. His advocacy is particularly meaningful to him, rooted in his personal journey of dependence and recovery following a severe car accident in 2023 that threatened his career. Dublin , Ireland - 24 March 2023; Seabelo Senatla of DHL Stormers after the United Rugby ... More Championship match between Leinster and DHL Stormers at the RDS Arena in Dublin. (Photo By Tyler Miller/Sportsfile via Getty Images) Reflecting on his experience, Senatla shared, 'I found inspiration in having been in that position myself. In 2023, I was involved in an accident that made me heavily dependent on others for care as I nursed back to health.' Senatla felt a deep connection to Axola, an aspiring rugby player whose dreams were derailed due to blood cancer. His familiarity with the sport and understanding of what it means to pursue a dream only to see it endangered motivated him to act. 'Axola is an aspiring rugby player, but unfortunately, his dreams have been compromised because of the disease. His story resonated with me on a personal level. I remembered my childhood aspirations—rugby is deeply woven into the South African landscape, and all I ever wanted was to play for the Springboks. I saw myself in Axola's journey, and it brought me closer to the cause.' Senatla's role with DKMS extends beyond personal inspiration. His partnership with the organisation has allowed him to leverage his influence within the rugby fraternity to bring widespread awareness to blood cancer. Over the past few months, Senatla and DKMS have launched initiatives at every level of the sport, starting from grassroots rugby and expanding to professional teams. 'We started at the grassroots level last year within the Western Cape because that's where we're stationed. Club rugby here is a massive space with big crowds at games. We targeted club rugby, both from the 15s and 7s rugby fronts.' Through these efforts, DKMS has educated players and supporters not only about the disease but also about how simple it is to register as a stem cell donor—a crucial step in saving lives. The initiative has been well received, with clubs eager to spread the message. The next phase of the initiative is expanding to the collegiate and professional levels, with The University of the Western Cape (UWC) playing a pivotal role. Senatlawho visited the University of the Western Cape (UWC) Rugby team during their Varsity Shield ... More home fixtures, seeing an opportunity to align their shared mission of giving back. The University of the Western Cape Rugby team (UWC Rugby) is starting an important partnership with DKMS Africa, incorporating this initiative into their Academia, Sport, and Education Management (ASEM) and Corporate Social Investment (CSI) programs. This collaboration demonstrates UWC's strong commitment to fostering social change beyond just the rugby field. UWC's involvement in this initiative goes beyond merely participating; it aims to harness the power of sport for advocacy and meaningful impact. By integrating DKMS's mission into its broader social responsibility framework, UWC Rugby is committed to making this awareness campaign a sustainable movement rather than just a temporary project. 'Right now, we have UWC in our books. They're playing in the Varsity Cup Shield, so raising awareness through there. We're quite lucky that the Stormers have been very receptive to having us on board and assisting in spreading the message. A lot of the guys on the team signed up and put it on their platforms—that helps to build awareness,' shares Senatla. The DHL Stormers, one of South Africa's top rugby teams, have played a vital role in promoting DKMS's message. Their involvement highlights how professional rugby teams can leverage their influence to create significant social impact. With the Stormers' large fan base, the potential to raise awareness about blood cancer extends well beyond the borders of the Western Cape. Through this collaboration with Seabelo Senatla, DKMS is committed to shift mindsets on the Stigmas ... More around blood cancer DKMS aims to increase donor registration, particularly among diverse communities, where finding a genetic match can be more challenging. By engaging with the rugby community, Senatla and DKMS hope to make a lasting difference. 'With the platform that I carry, and the way society sees us, if we are moving in a certain direction, people are more susceptible to move that way too. I'm trying to use this platform that I have to actually do some good, which could save a life. I don't think there's work more rewarding and more important than that.' Raising awareness is just the first step. Senatla emphasises the importance of early detection and dispelling misconceptions about blood cancer. Detecting blood cancer in its early stages can be challenging, as many symptoms may be mistaken for those of other common illnesses. However, recognising key signs can significantly enhance the chances of successful treatment and recovery. - Unexplained fatigue or weakness - Frequent infections - Unexplained weight loss - Easy bruising or bleeding - Swollen lymph nodes - Pale or sallow skin - Shortness of breath 'Blood cancer is tricky because it's undetected for the most part. But I think with more awareness of the signs, we can prompt better action. If we understand what we're looking for, we can detect it quite early, improving the chances of curing it.' DKMS covers all the costs associated with donor registration, making it accessible to anyone who wants to join the fight against blood cancer. 'Registration is free, simple, and painless. But the effect does it have on the person looking for a match? It will be life-changing.' The collaboration between Senatla and DKMS in the Western Cape is just the beginning of their efforts. They have already improved the chances for people living with blood cancer, and with ongoing collaboration across various levels of rugby, they plan to expand this initiative nationwide. The University of the Western Cape's active participation highlights the role of sport as a catalyst for social change. Through its ASEM and CSI-driven programs, UWC is helping to reshape the narrative around community engagement in sports. The involvement of the DHL Stormers also indicates the potential for a global impact, as their extensive fan base can help spread awareness beyond South Africa. By merging rugby's strong cultural presence with a life-saving cause, Senatla, UWC, and DKMS are creating a movement that transcends the sport itself—one that has the power to change lives and redefine what it means to be a true team player.
