Ospreys sign South African Boshoff on permanent deal

Centre Evardi Boshoff will rejoin Ospreys from Toyota Cheetahs on a permanent deal for the 2025-26 season.Boshoff first joined the Ospreys on loan for the second half of the 2023-24 season and returned for a second loan spell the following season.The 26-year-old South African has made a total of 23 appearances for Ospreys during his previous loan spells."I'm looking forward to having a full season with this group and reconnecting with the fans who have been great since I first came here," Boshoff said."I've really enjoyed life in Wales, the people here are so welcoming …. This is a special club and it's a privilege to be a part of."Ospreys head coach Mark Jones said: "Evardi is both a talented and dedicated player who has already proven his ability at this level."I was really impressed with how he stepped up to the plate for us last season."We've seen in the past how much he can contribute on and off the field, and his return not only brings a familiarity to our backline, but also some valuable experience amongst it as well."

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Learn with AIFact CheckingText to SpeechAI Summary

Related Articles

BBC News

33 minutes ago

• BBC News

Hull cards lowest second round at PGA Championship

Women's PGA Championship first-round leaderboard:-6 J Thitikul (Tha); -3 M Lee (Aus), R Takeda (Jpn); -2 L Thompson (US); -1 C Iwai (Jpn), A Kim (US), S Lee (Kor)Selected others: +2 N Korda (US), L Maguire (Ire); +3 C Hull (Eng); +4 L Ko (NZ)Leaderboard England's Charley Hull carded the lowest second-round score at the Women's PGA Championship as Thailand's Jeeno Thitikul extended her lead at the top of the carded a three-under-par 69, which included four birdies and a bogey, in the only round under 70 on a day when only 14 players broke par in hot and windy conditions at the Fields Ranch East course in 29-year-old shot 78 in her opening round and is on three over for the tournament, with leader Thitikul on six number two Thitikul has yet to win a major but put herself in a promising position after a two-under par round of 70, which included four birdies and two said the "wind and the rough" provided the toughest challenges during the second round. She added: "I had better tee shots than yesterday and put myself in the positions that I have a chance."If not, I just tried to make par. I think par, it's a really big key here - no birdies but 18 pars, you take it."Thitikul's nearest challengers are Japan's Rio Takeda, who shot a 71, and Australian Minjee Lee, who went round in 72, with both players on three under par. American Lexi Thompson is on two under following a 70."[It] got pretty windy even for the morning," said Thompson. "It was blowing more than it did yesterday, so I knew I just had to commit to my lines out there."It's a tough golf course, especially when the wind blows. If you miss the fairways you just have to take your medicine, pitch out, and try to save par any way you can, make the worst score a bogey."World number one Nelly Korda could only manage a 74, which included two birdies and four bogeys, and the American is on two over par, while Ireland's Leona Maguire is on the same score after also carding a Korea's Amy Yang won the tournament last year but, after rounds of 76 and 77, missed the cut on nine over par.

South Wales Argus

39 minutes ago

• South Wales Argus

Aneurin Owen: I want to add X-factor to push on at Dragons

The Rodney Parade club had a nightmare season in which they won just two games and finished bottom of the United Rugby Championship. However, Owen battled until the very end and his wholehearted exploits, especially when senior teammates were dropping like flies, led to the centre being named as player of the season by the coaches. The 24-year-old from Newport played in 21 of 22 games, only sitting out the Challenge Cup defeat against Pau. He has grown into a leader for the Dragons and is one of the first names on the teamsheet, with his qualities meaning he has racked up 71 outings since his debut in 2020. Owen, who was called up by Wales four years ago, is developing nicely but wants to hit the next level in 2025/26. 'To play all those games was great and it helped me to work on my game,' said Owen. 'I worked really hard with Dan Lydiate on my defence, plus contact work on both sides of the ball. 'Probably the next bit of my game is to have more big moments – I feel I've got to a level of consistency but want to produce those key moments, maybe with a bit of X-factor.' TALENTED: Centre Aneurin Owen is a key figure for the Dragons (Image: Ben Brain/Huw Evans Agency) Owen's chances of pushing for a Wales cap have been hit by the Dragons' struggles, with a crippling injury list playing a part in their paltry win ratio. 'Results and where we finished in the table meant it was tough but I genuinely love it every time that I put the jersey on,' said the centre. 'I just hope that what we went through helps us next season because there were an unprecedented amount of injuries and we just had to get on with it. 'Those were the cards that we were dealt and the boys that were fit just had to dig deep. It was great to see how the young players went because they really stepped up in some difficult places against quality teams. 'We definitely need to have a focus on getting our best 23s on the pitch throughout the season because if we do that then I don't doubt we will be in more games, get more wins and finish higher up the league.' It was a tough season but it did provide Owen with the chance to play alongside a pair of Wales legends – blindside Dan Lydiate, who is staying on as a coach, and centre Scott Williams. 'To play with Scott and Lyds after what they have achieved in their careers was incredible,' he said. 'To train with them, be around them and watch them was invaluable. 'I was then buzzing to actually play with Scott and be 12 and 13. He is someone that I grew up watching and he was class. 'Scott is an unbelievable player but even more than that, he is a great guy and added loads to the group.' Owen will be a midfield option next season along with Joe Westwood, Harri Ackerman and Fetuli Paea, with wingers Jared Rosser and Fine Inisi able to slot in at 13 if needed.

The Sun

an hour ago

• The Sun

‘Defending my spot' – Oban Elliott driven by fear of return to life before Dana White issued UFC deal ahead of Baku bout

OBAN ELLIOT may have established himself as a mainstay in the UFC, but the Welsh welterweight is refusing to rest on his laurels. 2024 was a year to remember for the pride of Wales, who fulfilled his lifelong dream of competing in the promised land of mixed martial arts. 8 8 8 8 And he entered the promotion with a bang, going a perfect 3-0 in just under nine life-changing months. Elliott, who is poised to make an assault on the top 15 this year, has come a long way from working night shift on the railways in Merthyr Tydfil and cleaning the grill at Nando's to pay the bills and supplement his training. His feet may be firmly in the UFC door, but the fear of one day having to return to the life he worked so hard to escape is as much his driving force as winning a world title. In an exclusive interview with SunSport, 'The Welsh Gangster' said: "I'm just so glad it worked out, man. I'm so glad. "And just for me, it just meant that much more, you know? To get here and do it. I didn't care for anything else, I didn't. "There was nothing else that interested me in life. And that's probably dark when you look like that, but it worked out. "When I got that UFC contract is when I relaxed and when I could smile without something in the back of my head saying, 'Yeah, but you're not there yet.' "And now I'm like, 'No, I'm here. I'm home. And just the fact that it all worked out, thank f***ing God. It just meant that much to me." JOIN SUN VEGAS: GET £50 BONUS 8 8 The memory of working on the railways and at Nando's is still fresh for Elliott, who believes he already has a belt adorned on him as a result of all the blood, sweat and tears he's shed trying to achieve his dream. "To be settled in and to be living this life now, it's a new challenge in itself," Elliott candidly admitted. "Because now I just think about defending it." Brit UFC star Oban Elliot explains how working nightshift on railway tracks fortified his mindset He continued: "I'm just thinking about defending my spot. There's a belt over my shoulder and I'm defending my belt every fight. "Every training session, I'm defending my belt and that is it. "And maybe somewhere along the line, Dana is gonna wrap another one around me. But I will always have my one. "That's the way I see all of this. So it's just a case of defending this spot and defending this life that I now live." The highlight of Elliott's UFC career came at Madison Square Garden last November in the form of a beautifully set-up third-round knockout of Bassil Hafez. And that moment, which earned the 27-year-old a life-changing $50,000 Performance of the Night bonus, will likely only be topped when he becomes the undisputed king of the welterweights. "To get that knockout was just the best moment ever," Elliot said. "For me, everything that I wanted in life happened in that third round. "That little fake with my feet going outside of his right leg, throwing the shot and there he was, right in the middle of the Monster can. it's just a case of defending this spot and defending this life that I now live." Oban Elliot "And I look up. The cry was going nuts, the pose. 'Who's the man in New York City, brother?' "How lucky am I? That's how I feel. That is just unreal. Like, look at that. Jesus Christ, that happened to me. "I've heard people say, 'You work hard for this?' People work hard for things and they fall short of their dreams and it happens to people. "But in that moment, in the cage that night, all my hard work paid off. And I got that for the rest of my life. So I'm the proudest guy ever." Elliott's latest outing will take place this evening in a land far, far away from Merthyr Tydfil - Baku. Fellow Dana White 's Contenders Series contract winner Seok-hyeon Ko stands between Elliott and a four-fight win streak. And if he notches it in similarly spectacular fashion as he did his last victory, it will put him on the precipice of tangling with the elite of the talent-rich 170lbs division. "This guy is a tough, tough man," Elliot said of the South Korean. " And he's coming to win. 8 8 "And he is going to come to fight. Take the UFC out and take the nonsense out of all of it, this is a man versus a man who are going to fight to the death in the cage. "He has all my respect, all my attention and it's going to be a tough fight for both of us. "May we get out of their cage healthy, and the better man will win. "I think the better guy is me, so we'll see if I'm wrong." He added: "After this fight, [I want to get] two more [fights in] hopefully and keep my imaginary belt over my shoulder. "The belt that I had before I even put the gloves on - in my mind. "In my mind, I've been a champion long before any of this came to light in my life. "So I'm just [going to] keep defending my spot, keep making my family proud and keep doing my best. And if I'm doing that, I'm winning."