Jan de Koning | Editor at Rugby365

The United Rugby Championship is in for an entertaining conclusion as just six points separate sixth and 10th place in the table.

In the penultimate round before the play-offs, there are two fixtures on Friday.

Zebre host Scarlets in Italy, while the match of the evening sees Munster travel to Scotland to take on Edinburgh.

The reigning champions are currently third on the table with 58 points and will want to cement their spot in the top four when they face Sean Everitt’s side.

Getting one over a desperate and determined Edinburgh will also boost their chances of a top-two ending.

However, it will be easier said than done as Edinburgh also have a lot at stake. They are seventh with 48 points and a defeat could see them overtaken by Connacht who face Stormers on Saturday.

A win on the other hand will keep their knockout fate in their own hands.

Jan de Koning | Editor at Rugby365 
The United Rugby Championship is in for an entertaining conclusion as just six points separate sixth and 10th place in the table.
In the penultimate round before the play-offs, there are two fixtures on Friday.
Zebre host Scarlets in Italy, while the match of the evening sees Munster travel to Scotland to take on Edinburgh.
The reigning champions are currently third on the table with 58 points and will want to cement their spot in the top four when they face Sean Everitt’s side.
Getting one over a desperate and determined Edinburgh will also boost their chances of a top-two ending.
However, it will be easier said than done as Edinburgh also have a lot at stake. They are seventh with 48 points and a defeat could see them overtaken by Connacht who face Stormers on Saturday.
A win on the other hand will keep their knockout fate in their own hands.

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Early Breakfast with Africa Melane

Your early morning catch-up with chat, traffic and news delivered in a relaxed manner. weekdays from 4 am to 6 am.

Your early morning catch-up with chat, traffic and news delivered in a relaxed manner. weekdays from 4 am to 6 am.

United Rugby Championship

Jeremy Fredericks | Cricket Commentator 

The Proteas have safely secured their passage through to the Super Eight stage of the T20 World Cup, with their final group stage match against Nepal on Saturday inconsequential to the final standings. 

The match is, however, an opportunity for head coach Rob Walter and his men to find some much-needed confidence, particularly in the batting department.

The Proteas’ top order struggled in the side’s three matches at the pop-up Nassau County International Cricket Stadium on Long Island, New York, which is currently being taken down.

South Africa are unbeaten in the tournament after beating Sri Lanka by six wickets, edging the Netherlands by four wickets and scraping past Bangladesh by four runs.

The victories were largely set up by South Africa’s relentless bowlers, who were ably assisted by the tricky wicket at the Nassau County ground.

The top order failed to get going, however, and were bailed out by the middle order in all three matches.

Quinton de Kock has been the most successful, with scores of 20 and 18 and a duck wedged in between when he was run out at the non-striker’s end without facing a ball.

Jeremy Fredericks | Cricket Commentator 
The Proteas have safely secured their passage through to the Super Eight stage of the T20 World Cup, with their final group stage match against Nepal on Saturday inconsequential to the final standings. 
The match is, however, an opportunity for head coach Rob Walter and his men to find some much-needed confidence, particularly in the batting department.
The Proteas’ top order struggled in the side’s three matches at the pop-up Nassau County International Cricket Stadium on Long Island, New York, which is currently being taken down.
South Africa are unbeaten in the tournament after beating Sri Lanka by six wickets, edging the Netherlands by four wickets and scraping past Bangladesh by four runs.
The victories were largely set up by South Africa’s relentless bowlers, who were ably assisted by the tricky wicket at the Nassau County ground.
The top order failed to get going, however, and were bailed out by the middle order in all three matches.
Quinton de Kock has been the most successful, with scores of 20 and 18 and a duck wedged in between when he was run out at the non-striker’s end without facing a ball.

Proteas are looking forward to the Super Eight leg of the T2O

Matthew Parks | Parliamentary Coordinator with COSATU

The Congress of South African Trade Unions (Cosatu) has assured workers of efforts to defend their gains amid ongoing coalition talks and efforts to form a new government of national unity. Politics and the reflections of the general elections dominated talks at the NUM’s three-day policy conference that wrapped up in Boksburg east of Johannesburg.

Cosatu will be meeting the ANC’s Central Executive Committee to make its input on the composition of the new government as part of the tripartite alliance. NUM is one of the labour unions affiliated with Cosatu. The tripartite alliance members including Cosatu, SACP and ANC met on Wednesday in Gauteng.

This as workers attending the NUM Policy Conference strengthened their call for policy certainty and the protection of the working class in a new government that will soon be formed. The NUM gathered over 500 union leaders from across the country on a national policy conference that sits every two years in between Congress.

The theme was around the marking of 41 years of unbroken revolutionary struggle for the workers. The union says it is worried about the current political climate as it may threaten gains made over 41 years.

But NUM’s mother body Cosatu has sought to allay fears. The federation has met with the ANC and says it will form part of those who will be drafting a declaration post the formation of a new government.

Matthew Parks | Parliamentary Coordinator with COSATU 
The Congress of South African Trade Unions (Cosatu) has assured workers of efforts to defend their gains amid ongoing coalition talks and efforts to form a new government of national unity. Politics and the reflections of the general elections dominated talks at the NUM’s three-day policy conference that wrapped up in Boksburg east of Johannesburg.
Cosatu will be meeting the ANC’s Central Executive Committee to make its input on the composition of the new government as part of the tripartite alliance. NUM is one of the labour unions affiliated with Cosatu. The tripartite alliance members including Cosatu, SACP and ANC met on Wednesday in Gauteng.
This as workers attending the NUM Policy Conference strengthened their call for policy certainty and the protection of the working class in a new government that will soon be formed. The NUM gathered over 500 union leaders from across the country on a national policy conference that sits every two years in between Congress.
The theme was around the marking of 41 years of unbroken revolutionary struggle for the workers. The union says it is worried about the current political climate as it may threaten gains made over 41 years.
But NUM’s mother body Cosatu has sought to allay fears. The federation has met with the ANC and says it will form part of those who will be drafting a declaration post the formation of a new government.

Lead: COASTU shares its views on coalitions and GNU

Craig Wilkinson | Founder and CEO of Father a Nation 

Close to sixty percent of South African children are growing up without a present and engaged father. Research shows that fatherlessness is the single biggest driver of violent crime globally. By failing to father our children South Africa has been growing an army of dangerous men. We have the highest rate of rape and gender-based violence (GBV) in the world. Our murder rate is almost 8 times higher than the USA and 37 times higher than the UK.

Men who have had an absent or abusive father grow up wounded. And if they’ve had no male mentors or role models to teach them good, positive masculinity they often have a distorted concept of what it means to be a man. Wounded men with false notions of what it means to be a man are the primary cause of masculine abuse in all its forms. This is not something that will self-correct. Wounded men raise wounded boys who become wounded men who wound. We need to break the cycle. Unless we deal decisively with this our future is in very real danger.

Father A Nation (FAN) has been working with men and boys since 2010. If we can equip and inspire enough men to use their strength to love, serve and protect, we will turn the tide against crime, violence, GBV, corruption and social disintegration and build a nation that is safe, secure and prosperous for all.

There is no greater nation building imperative for South Africa than the restoration of men.

Craig Wilkinson | Founder and CEO of Father a Nation 
 Close to sixty percent of South African children are growing up without a present and engaged father. Research shows that fatherlessness is the single biggest driver of violent crime globally. By failing to father our children South Africa has been growing an army of dangerous men. We have the highest rate of rape and gender-based violence (GBV) in the world. Our murder rate is almost 8 times higher than the USA and 37 times higher than the UK.
Men who have had an absent or abusive father grow up wounded. And if they’ve had no male mentors or role models to teach them good, positive masculinity they often have a distorted concept of what it means to be a man. Wounded men with false notions of what it means to be a man are the primary cause of masculine abuse in all its forms. This is not something that will self-correct. Wounded men raise wounded boys who become wounded men who wound. We need to break the cycle. Unless we deal decisively with this our future is in very real danger.
Father A Nation (FAN) has been working with men and boys since 2010. If we can equip and inspire enough men to use their strength to love, serve and protect, we will turn the tide against crime, violence, GBV, corruption and social disintegration and build a nation that is safe, secure and prosperous for all.
There is no greater nation building imperative for South Africa than the restoration of men.

United Rugby Championship

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