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Coupe du Monde 2026 : La chaleur, l’autre adversaire des joueurs
À quelques jours de la Coupe du Monde 2026, les sélections qualifiées se préparent déjà à relever de nombreux défis. Mais au-delà des adversaires qu’elles affronteront sur le terrain, un autre ennemi pourrait jouer un rôle déterminant dans la compétition : la chaleur.
Organisée aux États-Unis, au Canada et au Mexique, la prochaine Coupe du Monde se déroulera en plein été nord-américain. Une période de l’année marquée dans plusieurs villes hôtes par des températures particulièrement élevées, souvent accompagnées d’une forte humidité et d’orages fréquents. Des conditions météorologiques qui risquent de mettre les organismes des joueurs à rude épreuve.
Mondial des club, une première expérience
Les acteurs du football mondial ont déjà eu un aperçu de cette réalité lors de la Coupe du Monde des Clubs 2025 organisée aux États-Unis. Plusieurs rencontres s’étaient déroulées sous une chaleur accablante, obligeant les joueurs à multiplier les pauses hydratation et à adapter leur rythme de jeu. Certains avaient même reconnu avoir souffert physiquement de ces conditions extrêmes. asg-reflektory.pl
Lors du Mondial 2026, la problématique pourrait prendre encore plus d’ampleur. Les matchs programmés en journée dans certaines villes américaines et mexicaines pourraient se jouer sous des températures dépassant régulièrement les 30 degrés Celsius. Dans ces circonstances, la récupération, l’hydratation et la gestion des efforts deviendront des éléments aussi importants que la tactique ou la technique.
Les staffs médicaux et les préparateurs physiques travaillent déjà sur des protocoles spécifiques afin de limiter les effets de la chaleur sur les joueurs. L’acclimatation aux conditions climatiques, les programmes de récupération renforcés et la surveillance constante des paramètres physiologiques devraient faire partie intégrante de la préparation des équipes.
Si les stars du football mondial rêvent de soulever le trophée le plus prestigieux de la planète, elles devront d’abord apprendre à dompter un adversaire invisible mais redoutable. En 2026, la chaleur pourrait bien peser sur le destin de nombreuses sélections et influencer le déroulement de plusieurs rencontres décisives.
The post Coupe du Monde 2026 : La chaleur, l’autre adversaire des joueurs appeared first on AfricaFootUnited.
EP U16 prop ‘doesn’t know how to scrum’
Eastern Province U16 forwards coach Johan Meyer says two Grey High stars were replaced by players who didn’t even make it to the final trials.
EPRU president George Malgas confirmed this week that changes had been made to the union’s 23-player squad for the U16 Grant Khomo Week squad as it “was not representative of EP’s demographics”.
According to Meyer, the original squad had been unanimously agreed upon by eight selectors and three coaches before two players were removed.
MORE: EPRU defends quotas over merit selection
“All 11 of us, the eight selectors and three coaches, agreed and signed off the group of 23 players for Grant Khomo Week,” Meyer told Rapport.
“Four days later, we learned that our starting prop, Carl Killian, and loose forward Arno Nortjé had been removed and replaced with players from Tsitsikamma Secondary School and Bonzai Kabega School.
“These are players who didn’t even make it to the final trials.”
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Meyer, a former Italy loose forward who won 14 Test caps, said he supported transformation and development but questioned the process.
“You should see what the prop Carl had to make way for looks like,” he said.
“To be honest, I feel sorry for the kid. He doesn’t know how to scrum properly, and as a forward at that level a guy has to know what to do.
“It’s a specialised key position that they’ve been messing with. I just hope and pray that he doesn’t get hurt.”
The post EP U16 prop ‘doesn’t know how to scrum’ appeared first on SA Rugby magazine.
Bulls to face Leinster in URC Grand Final
The Vodacom Bulls will return to Dublin for a second successive Vodacom United Rugby Championship Grand Final against Leinster after the two teams won their respective semi-finals in an enthralling weekend of rugby.
The URC has confirmed that the fifth Grand Final will take place on Friday, 19 June at Croke Park in Dublin, where Leinster and the Vodacom Bulls will face each other in a rematch of last year’s decider. Kick-off is scheduled for 20h30 and the encounter will be broadcast live on SuperSport in South Africa.
The Vodacom Bulls had to overcome two yellow cards in their semi-final in Edinburgh to clinch a nail-biting 22-21 victory against the Glasgow Warriors, who finished top of the log. It will be the team from Pretoria’s fourth appearance in the Vodacom URC Grand Final.
Leinster had the upper hand against the DHL Stormers in Dublin after the visitors received three cards in the second stanza, which set up the Irish giants for a 20-11 victory, and secured them a home final in the process.
Bulls edge Glasgow in Murrayfield thriller
The Vodacom Bulls produced a remarkable comeback from 21-3 down to edge the Glasgow Warriors 22-21 in a pulsating Vodacom United Rugby Championship semi-final at Murrayfield in Edinburgh, booking their place in the Grand Final for the third successive season.
Glasgow dominated the opening exchanges, capitalising on the Vodacom Bulls’ ill-discipline, which cost them two yellow cards — first to Handre Pollard for a deliberate knock-down, and Ruan Nortje shortly after.
This paved the way for Kyle Steyn to cross twice in quick succession, before the Warriors were awarded a penalty try from a powerful rolling maul. The visitors’ only points, in turn, were compliments of a penalty goal by Pollard in the sixth minute.
Despite this, the Vodacom Bulls refused to fold, and they eventually powered over the chalk with Johan Grobbelaar scoring from strong forward play to reduce their deficit to 21-10 going into the break.
The second half, meanwhile, belonged entirely to the visitors, as they kept Glasgow scoreless, while Embrose Papier — the South African Vodacom URC Player of the Season — went over from a pick-and-go, before Francois Klopper dotted down in the 53rd minute with Glasgow reduced to 14 men, to hand the Vodacom Bulls a 22-21 lead.
Three missed penalty goal attempts by Pollard set nerves jangling in the closing stages, but Johan Ackermann’s team held firm to seal the rewarding one-point victory.
Scorers:
Glasgow Warriors 21 (21) — Tries: Kyle Steyn (2), Penalty Try. Conversions: Dan Lancaster (2).
Vodacom Bulls 22 (10) — Tries: Johan Grobbelaar, Embrose Papier, Francois Klopper. Conversions: Handre Pollard (2). Penalty goal: Pollard.
Stormers’ discipline costs them dearly against Leinster
Leinster ensured that they gave themselves the best possible opportunity to defend their Vodacom URC title this season as they maintained their composure and took advantage of the DHL Stormers’ ill-discipline at the Aviva Stadium to secure a vital 20-11 victory in the second Vodacom URC semi-final on Saturday.
This hard-fought victory earned the Irish giants the right to host the Grand Final against the Vodacom Bulls in a repeat of last season’s decider.
The Capetonians started slowly and found themselves under pressure at the scrum early on, but gradually wrestled that battle back and were competitive enough to earn occasional penalties as the match wore on.
Leinster struck first through a converted Rieko Ioane try in the eighth minute, and two Sam Prendergast penalty goals stretched the lead to 13-0 before the Stormers found their footing.
Adre Smith crossed from a sustained drive on the Leinster line to get the Capetonians on the board, and Jurie Matthee’s penalty goal reduced the deficit to 13-8 at the break.
The second half, however, unravelled quickly for the Cape side, as Leolin Zas was yellow-carded for a deliberate knock-down, and Ruan Ackermann followed in the 69th minute for a dangerous clean-out at the ruck, which was upgraded to a red card.
Leinster capitalised immediately through Jamison Gibson-Park to extend their lead to 20-11 with 10 minutes remaining.
Worse was to come when Salmaan Moerat was sin-binned for kicking the ball in a ruck, leaving the DHL Stormers to see out the final stages with 13 men. Their defence held to deny Leinster further scores, but the damage was done, with the three cards in the second half proving too costly, bringing their campaign to a frustrating end.
Scorers:
Leinster 20 (13) – Tries: Rieko Ioane, Jamison Gibson-Park. Conversions: Sam Prendergast, Harry Byrne. Penalty goals: Prendergast (2).
DHL Stormers 11 (8) – Try: Adre Smith. Penalty goals: Jurie Matthee (2).
Issued by SA Rugby Communications
The post Bulls to face Leinster in URC Grand Final appeared first on SportsClub.
Cherop tops women’s 21km at Nairobi City Marathon
NAIROBI, Kenya, June 7, 2026 – Doreen Cherop Kibet was Sunday crowned the women’s 21km champion at the Nairobi City Marathon.
Amid a punishing hilly course, Cherop did just enough to beat a field of over 1,000 runners to finish first, clocking 1:09:19.
Following closely, over a minute later, was Sylvia Changeiwo who ran 1:10:05, ahead of third-placed Sharon Cherotich who clocked 1:10:30.
Speaking afterwards, Cherop admitted the race stretched her to ultimate limits.
“The weather was a bit heavy and the course was a bit hilly, at times. Especially after the first 5km…and then from 18km that’s when I built momentum,” the runner explained.
It was Cherop’s second win in just over a month after she clocked 51:06:09 to win the Iten Half Marathon in Iten.
It came almost a month after she finished second at the Kapsabet Half Marathon.
She is hoping to be back on the road soon enough, competing for more honours.
“I do not yet know when next I will be in action. That will be decided by my manager,” Cherop said.
Following her victory, Cherop went home Ksh 150,000 richer compared to Changeiwo and Cherotich who pocketed Ksh 80,000 and Ksh 50,000 respectively.
The post Cherop tops women’s 21km at Nairobi City Marathon appeared first on Capital Sports.
Equipe de France : Deschamps rassure pour Saliba avant le début de la Coupe du Monde
Le sélectionneur des Tricolores, Didier Deschamps s’est exprimé sur l’état de santé de son défenseur, William Saliba, et s’est voulu, ce dimanche, rassurant.
Vainqueur du championnat d’Angleterre et finaliste de la Ligue des Champions, William Saliba est arrivé au rassemblement des Bleus avant le Mondial diminué par une douleur au dos. Absent lors de la défaite face à la Côte d’Ivoire, le défenseur de 25 ans postule pour le dernier match de préparation, demain soir à Lille contre l’Irlande du Nord.
Au micro de Téléfoot, ce dimanche, le sélectionneur français, Didier Deschamps est revenu sur la blessure du joueur dont il aura besoin demain. « Les 26 seront disponibles pour le match de demain. Il est pris en main par le staff médical, on le gère aussi de par son ressenti. Mais c’est quelque chose qu’il a depuis plusieurs semaines et qui ne l’a pas empêché de jouer tous les matchs avec Arsenal, dont cette finale avec 120 minutes. », , a indiqué Deschamps dans l’émission de TF1.
The post Equipe de France : Deschamps rassure pour Saliba avant le début de la Coupe du Monde appeared first on AfricaFootUnited.