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Set your alarms: Springboks face All Blacks in late-night Baltimore showdown
South African rugby fans are in for a late night this weekend as the Springboks and All Blacks prepare to meet in their historic fourth Test in Baltimore.
The match kicks off at 23:00 SAST on Saturday, 12 September 2026, turning the US clash into a late-night viewing event back home. musojam.blog
In Baltimore, where the match is being played on the US East Coast, kick-off is at 17:00 on Saturday afternoon.
And if the reception the Springboks received when they arrived in the United States is anything to go by, there will be plenty of green and gold support far from home.
What time is Springboks vs All Blacks?
The fourth Test between South Africa and New Zealand kicks off at 23:00 SAST on Saturday.
Here are the kick-off times in other regions:
- South Africa: 23:00 on Saturday, 12 September
- Baltimore: 17:00 on Saturday, 12 September
- United Kingdom: 22:00 on Saturday, 12 September
- New Zealand: 09:00 on Sunday, 13 September
Where to watch Springboks vs All Blacks
South African and African viewers can watch the match live on SuperSport’s Grandstand and Rugby channels.
The SuperSport pre-match build-up is expected to begin an hour before kick-off, with expert panel analysis ahead of the final fixture.
In the United States, the match will stream on Paramount+ and FloRugby.
New Zealand viewers can watch on Sky Sport and Sky Sport Now, while Sky Sports will carry the match in the United Kingdom and Ireland.
Australian viewers can stream the Test on Stan Sport.
Springboks get a taste of home in Baltimore
The Boks might be thousands of kilometres from South Africa, but their arrival in Baltimore reportedly sounded a lot like home.
Despite the Springboks and All Blacks’ shared charter flight landing at around 02:00 local time on Monday morning, South African expats turned out to welcome the team.
Fans dressed in green and gold filled the terminal, waving South African flags and singing Shosholoza.
There were even vuvuzelas.
The reception was firmly focused on the Springboks despite both teams arriving on the same flight, with reports noting the absence of a similar contingent of New Zealand supporters.
Who didn’t make the trip to Baltimore?
Both squads were trimmed following the bruising third Test in Soweto, with injuries and squad rotation leaving several players behind.
The Springboks travelled without six players, while nine All Blacks returned home rather than continuing to Baltimore.
For South Africa, the biggest injury-enforced absence is Cheslin Kolbe.
The winger suffered a fractured jaw during the Springboks’ 29-24 victory and was ruled out of the US tour.
Five other healthy players were omitted as Rassie Erasmus reduced the travelling squad:
- Ben-Jason Dixon
- Cobus Wiese
- Carlu Sadie
- Boan Venter
- Ntuthuko Mchunu
The omissions leave Erasmus with a more streamlined group for the final Test in Baltimore.
All Blacks lose four players to injury
New Zealand’s squad also looks different for the trip to the United States, with nine players heading home.
Four were ruled out through injury.
Ardie Savea dislocated his shoulder during the first half of the third Test, while Quinn Tupaea suffered MCL knee damage.
Cortez Ratima was also ruled out with a knee injury, while Luke Jacobson has an elbow injury.
Five uninjured players were also sent home as the touring squad was reduced:
- Ofa Tu’ungafasi
- Siale Lauaki
- Saula Ma’u
- Bradley Slater
- Josh Jacomb
It means both teams head into the Baltimore encounter without several members of the squads involved in the South African leg of the series.
A Saturday night date for Bok fans
The unusual kick-off means South African supporters will have to wait until late on Saturday night to see the two rivals take the field in Baltimore.
For those planning their night around the rugby, the important time is simple: 23:00 SAST on Saturday, 12 September.
The teams arriving in the United States might look slightly different after the physical third Test and subsequent squad cuts, but the South African support in Baltimore has already made itself heard.
Judging by the welcome awaiting the Boks when they landed, the Springboks won’t be short of a taste of home when they run out for the final Test.
The post Set your alarms: Springboks face All Blacks in late-night Baltimore showdown appeared first on InBound South Africa.
42 wins in 49 Tests: These Springboks are simply relentless
There are statistics and then there are statements. The Springboks, under Rassie Erasmus and Siya Kolisi, have made one hell of a statement in their last 49 Tests.
Jacques Nienaber, who was head coach in 2022 and 2023 while Erasmus was Springboks Director of Rugby, has made as big a contribution to the most unrivalled period in the history of the Springboks.
Since beating Italy 63-21 in Genoa on 19 November 2022, South Africa have played 49 Test matches and won 42.
That is an 85.7 percent winning return across almost four years of international rugby.
Read it again: 42 wins from 49 Tests.
The Boks’ 42 wins have come across 25 stadiums and 22 cities, against 14 different nations. Home, away or neutral, geography has made precious little difference.
This is not a sequence built on beating rugby’s lesser nations. It includes a World Cup title, successive Rugby Championship titles, victories against every one of the game’s traditional heavyweights and wins at some of rugby’s most intimidating venues. It also includes the most recent home series win against great rivals the All Blacks.
It includes beating the All Blacks in a World Cup final in Paris in 2023, smashing the All Blacks 35-7 at Twickenham pre the World Cup win, beating them twice in South Africa in 2024, humiliating them 43-10 in Wellington in 2025 and now beating them twice in succession in Cape Town and Soweto in 2026.
Saturday’s 29-24 win at the FNB Stadium was the latest addition.
The Boks have won in Johannesburg, Cape Town, Pretoria, Durban, Mbombela and Bloemfontein.
They have also won in London, Paris, Marseille, Bordeaux, Cardiff, Edinburgh, Dublin, Genoa, Turin, Brisbane, Perth, Wellington and Buenos Aires.
Home or away, it has made very little difference.
The Springboks numbers tell the story
The starting point is Genoa on 19 November 2022, when the Boks scored nine tries in beating Italy 63-21. A week later they went to Twickenham and beat England 27-13.
South Africa then won 11 of 13 Tests in 2023, culminating in the successful defence of the World Cup.
They beat Scotland, Romania and Tonga in the pool stages, lost only to Ireland and then produced three successive one-point knockout victories against France, England and New Zealand.
France were beaten 29-28 in Paris.
England were beaten 16-15 in Paris.
The All Blacks were beaten 12-11 in Paris.
World champions. Again.
In 2024, the Boks again won 11 of 13 Tests – an 84.6 percent return – and added the Rugby Championship title. They beat the All Blacks twice, Australia twice in Australia and finished the year by winning all three Tests on their northern tour against Scotland, England and Wales.
Then came 2025.
Twelve wins from 14 Tests.
Another Rugby Championship title.
The Boks won 43-10 against the All Blacks in Wellington, beat Argentina 67-30 in Durban and 29-27 at Twickenham, and then swept their November tour.
Japan were beaten 61-7 at Wembley, France 32-17 in Paris, Italy 32-14 in Turin, Ireland 24-13 in Dublin and Wales 73-0 in Cardiff.
That French win mattered. So did Ireland.
These weren’t wins against weakened opponents in South Africa. They were victories against two of the world’s strongest teams in their own countries.
And the winning has continued in 2026.
England were beaten 45-21 at Ellis Park, Scotland 42-28 at Loftus, Wales 43-0 in Durban and Argentina 17-10 in Buenos Aires.
The All Blacks then arrived.
New Zealand won the opening Test 33-16 at Ellis Park, but the response has been emphatic.
South Africa won 33-26 in Cape Town and 29-24 at the FNB Stadium to lead Rugby’s Greatest Rivalry series 2-1.
49 Tests. 42 wins.
Put all of it together and the scale of what the Springboks have done becomes extraordinary.
Played: 49
Won: 42
Lost: 7
Drawn: 0
Win percentage: 85.7%
And within those 49 Tests are wins against New Zealand, Australia, Argentina, England, France, Ireland, Scotland, Wales, Italy, Japan, Georgia, Portugal, Tonga and Romania.
There has been a World Cup.
There have been two Rugby Championship titles.
There have been wins against England at home and away.
France have been beaten in France – twice if the 2023 World Cup quarter-final in Paris is included.
Ireland have been beaten at home and in Dublin.
Australia have been beaten in Australia.
Argentina have been beaten in Argentina.
And the All Blacks have been beaten in Paris, London, Johannesburg, Cape Town, Wellington and Soweto.
The Boks have not been unbeatable. Ireland beat them at the 2023 World Cup. New Zealand won at Mount Smart in Auckland in 2023, Argentina won at home in 2024, Australia shocked them at Ellis Park in 2025 and the All Blacks have beaten them twice during this period, with both wins coming at Ellis Park.
But seven defeats in 49 Tests is the exception.
Winning is the habit.
The wider Erasmus era also includes the 2019 World Cup and the come from behind 2021 British & Irish Lions 2-1 series victory.
| Venue category | Played | Won | Lost | Win rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Home – South Africa | 20 | 17 | 3 | 85.0% |
| Away – opponent’s country | 18 | 15 | 3 | 83.3% |
| Neutral venue | 11 | 10 | 1 | 90.9% |
| TOTAL | 49 | 42 | 7 | 85.7% |
That is probably the most remarkable part of the story.
The Boks’ winning percentage away from South Africa is 83.3%.
There has effectively been no home-ground dependency. They win 85% at home and 83.3% away.
SPRINGBOKS’ RECORD AGAINST EVERY OPPONENT
| Opposition | Played | Won | Lost | Win rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| New Zealand | 10 | 7 | 3 | 70.0% |
| Argentina | 7 | 6 | 1 | 85.7% |
| Australia | 5 | 4 | 1 | 80.0% |
| Wales | 5 | 5 | 0 | 100% |
| England | 4 | 4 | 0 | 100% |
| Ireland | 4 | 2 | 2 | 50.0% |
| Italy | 4 | 4 | 0 | 100% |
| Scotland | 3 | 3 | 0 | 100% |
| France | 2 | 2 | 0 | 100% |
| Georgia | 1 | 1 | 0 | 100% |
| Japan | 1 | 1 | 0 | 100% |
| Portugal | 1 | 1 | 0 | 100% |
| Romania | 1 | 1 | 0 | 100% |
| Tonga | 1 | 1 | 0 | 100% |
| TOTAL | 49 | 42 | 7 | 85.7% |
The quality of opposition kills any suggestion that the percentage is inflated by softer Tests. Forty of the 49 Tests have been against New Zealand, Australia, Argentina or Six Nations opposition. The Boks have won 33 of those 40 82.5%. The underlying results are recorded across the 2022-26 match lists.
AGAINST THE BIG THREE SOUTHERN RIVALS
| Opposition | P | W | L | Win % |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| New Zealand | 10 | 7 | 3 | 70.0% |
| Australia | 5 | 4 | 1 | 80.0% |
| Argentina | 7 | 6 | 1 | 85.7% |
| TOTAL | 22 | 17 | 5 | 77.3% |
Seven wins in the last 10 Tests against the All Blacks is particularly significant.
Those seven include 35-7 at Twickenham, 12-11 in the World Cup final, successive wins at Ellis Park and Cape Town in 2024, 43-10 in Wellington in 2025, and 33-26 in Cape Town and 29-24 at FNB Stadium in 2026.
AGAINST THE SIX NATIONS
| Opposition | P | W | L | Win % |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| England | 4 | 4 | 0 | 100% |
| France | 2 | 2 | 0 | 100% |
| Ireland | 4 | 2 | 2 | 50.0% |
| Scotland | 3 | 3 | 0 | 100% |
| Wales | 5 | 5 | 0 | 100% |
| Italy | 4 | 4 | 0 | 100% |
| TOTAL | 22 | 20 | 2 | 90.9% |
That is a phenomenal number:
Played 22 against the Six Nations. Won 20.
And both defeats were against Ireland 13-8 at the 2023 World Cup and 25-24 in Durban in 2024.
The Boks are therefore 18 wins from 18 against England, France, Scotland, Wales and Italy during this sequence.
THE YEAR-BY-YEAR DOMINANCE
| Period | P | W | L | Win % |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nov 2022 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 100% |
| 2023 | 13 | 11 | 2 | 84.6% |
| 2024 | 13 | 11 | 2 | 84.6% |
| 2025 | 14 | 12 | 2 | 85.7% |
| 2026 to 5 September | 7 | 6 | 1 | 85.7% |
| TOTAL | 49 | 42 | 7 | 85.7% |
WHERE THE SPRINGBOKS HAVE PLAYED SINCE 19 NOVEMBER 2022
| Country | City | Stadium / Venue |
|---|---|---|
| South Africa | Pretoria | Loftus Versfeld |
| South Africa | Johannesburg | Ellis Park |
| South Africa | Johannesburg / Soweto | FNB Stadium |
| South Africa | Cape Town | DHL Stadium |
| South Africa | Durban | Kings Park |
| South Africa | Bloemfontein | Free State Stadium |
| South Africa | Mbombela | Mbombela Stadium |
| South Africa | Gqeberha | Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium |
| England | London | Twickenham Stadium |
| England | London | Wembley Stadium |
| Wales | Cardiff | Principality Stadium |
| Scotland | Edinburgh | Murrayfield |
| Ireland | Dublin | Aviva Stadium |
| France | Saint-Denis / Paris | Stade de France |
| France | Marseille | Stade Vélodrome |
| France | Bordeaux | Stade de Bordeaux |
| Italy | Genoa | Stadio Luigi Ferraris |
| Italy | Turin | Allianz Stadium |
| New Zealand | Auckland | Mount Smart Stadium |
| New Zealand | Auckland | Eden Park |
| New Zealand | Wellington | Sky Stadium |
| Argentina | Buenos Aires | Estadio José Amalfitani |
| Argentina | Santiago del Estero | Estadio Único Madre de Ciudades |
| Australia | Brisbane | Suncorp Stadium |
| Australia | Perth | Optus Stadium |
TOTAL: 9 countries | 22 cities | 25 stadiums/venues | 14 different Test opponents
THE 49 TESTS
2022 Played 2, won 2
| Date | Opposition | Venue status | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| 19 Nov | Italy | Away | W 63-21 |
| 26 Nov | England | Away | W 27-13 |
The sequence starts with the 63-21 win in Genoa and a week later the Boks beat England 27-13 at Twickenham.
2023 Played 13, won 11
| Opposition | Venue status | Result |
|---|---|---|
| Australia | Home | W 43-12 |
| New Zealand | Away | L 20-35 |
| Argentina | Home | W 22-21 |
| Argentina | Away | W 24-13 |
| Wales | Away | W 52-16 |
| New Zealand | Neutral – Twickenham | W 35-7 |
| Scotland | Neutral – RWC | W 18-3 |
| Romania | Neutral – RWC | W 76-0 |
| Ireland | Neutral – RWC | L 8-13 |
| Tonga | Neutral – RWC | W 49-18 |
| France | Neutral – RWC | W 29-28 |
| England | Neutral – RWC | W 16-15 |
| New Zealand | Neutral – RWC final | W 12-11 |
2024 Played 13, won 11
| Opposition | Venue status | Result |
|---|---|---|
| Wales | Neutral – Twickenham | W 41-13 |
| Ireland | Home | W 27-20 |
| Ireland | Home | L 24-25 |
| Portugal | Home | W 64-21 |
| Australia | Away | W 33-7 |
| Australia | Away | W 30-12 |
| New Zealand | Home | W 31-27 |
| New Zealand | Home | W 18-12 |
| Argentina | Away | L 28-29 |
| Argentina | Home | W 48-7 |
| Scotland | Away | W 32-15 |
| England | Away | W 29-20 |
| Wales | Away | W 45-12 |
11 wins from 13. Rugby Championship champions.
2025 Played 14, won 12
| Opposition | Venue status | Result |
|---|---|---|
| Italy | Home | W 42-24 |
| Italy | Home | W 45-0 |
| Georgia | Home | W 55-10 |
| Australia | Home | L 22-38 |
| Australia | Home | W 30-22 |
| New Zealand | Away | L 17-24 |
| New Zealand | Away | W 43-10 |
| Argentina | Home | W 67-30 |
| Argentina | Neutral – Twickenham | W 29-27 |
| Japan | Neutral – Wembley | W 61-7 |
| France | Away | W 32-17 |
| Italy | Away | W 32-14 |
| Ireland | Away | W 24-13 |
| Wales | Away | W 73-0 |
12 wins from 14. Rugby Championship champions again.
That made the Springboks back-to-back Rugby Championship winners.
The end-of-year tour is worth isolating: Japan 61-7, France 32-17, Italy 32-14, Ireland 24-13 and Wales 73-0. Five Tests, five wins. The Dublin win was South Africa’s first there for more than a decade.
2026 Played 7, won 6
| Opposition | Venue status | Result |
|---|---|---|
| England | Home | W 45-21 |
| Scotland | Home | W 42-28 |
| Wales | Home | W 43-0 |
| Argentina | Away | W 17-10 |
| New Zealand | Home | L 16-33 |
| New Zealand | Home | W 33-26 |
| New Zealand | Home | W 29-24 |
THE SEVEN DEFEATS
| Year | Opposition | Score | Venue |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 | New Zealand | 20-35 | Auckland |
| 2023 | Ireland | 8-13 | Paris |
| 2024 | Ireland | 24-25 | Durban |
| 2024 | Argentina | 28-29 | Santiago del Estero |
| 2025 | Australia | 22-38 | Johannesburg |
| 2025 | New Zealand | 17-24 | Auckland |
| 2026 | New Zealand | 16-33 | Johannesburg |
So of 49 Tests, only four countries have beaten South Africa at all: New Zealand three times, Ireland twice, Argentina once and Australia once.
England, France, Scotland, Wales and Italy have played South Africa 18 times between them without winning once.
THE ENGLAND STORY
South Africa are four from four against England since Genoa:
| Match | Result |
|---|---|
| Twickenham, 2022 | 27-13 |
| World Cup semi-final, Paris 2023 | 16-15 |
| Twickenham, 2024 | 29-20 |
| Ellis Park, 2026 | 45-21 |
Home, away and neutral: England have not beaten these Boks.
THE FRANCE STORY
| Match | Result |
|---|---|
| World Cup quarter-final, Paris 2023 | 29-28 |
| Paris, 2025 | 32-17 |
The 2023 quarter-final was technically a neutral World Cup Test despite being played in France, whereas the 2025 victory was a true away Test against France.
THE IRELAND STORY
| Match | Result |
|---|---|
| World Cup, Paris 2023 | L 8-13 |
| Pretoria, 2024 | W 27-20 |
| Durban, 2024 | L 24-25 |
| Dublin, 2025 | W 24-13 |
Ireland are the only Six Nations country to have beaten South Africa in these 49 Tests.
But the Boks have now beaten Ireland at home and away, including the breakthrough 24-13 win at the Aviva Stadium in November 2025.
WHAT THE SPRINGBOKS HAVE WON IN THIS 49-TEST WINDOW
| Achievement | When |
|---|---|
| Rugby World Cup | 2023 |
| Rugby Championship | 2024 |
| Rugby Championship | 2025 |
| Freedom Cup v New Zealand | 2024 & 2025 |
| Nelson Mandela Challenge Plate | 2024 & 2025 |
| Prince William Cup | 2024 & 2025 & 2026 |
| November tour clean sweep | 2024 |
| Five-Test European tour clean sweep | 2025 |
The 2019 World Cup falls outside this 49-Test statistical window, but it is relevant when describing the broader generation: this Springbok era has won back-to-back World Cups, 2019 and 2023.
The same distinction has to be made with the British & Irish Lions. South Africa’s series win 2021 cannot be described as achievements “during these 49 Tests”. The 2021 Lions series belongs to the Rassie Erasmus and Siya Kolisi golden Springbok championship generation.
- The Record: Won 133 of 148 Tests under his captaincy, losing only 15 matches (a remarkable 90% win rate).
- Consistency: Dominated world rugby between World Cups with unmatched week-in, week-out ruthlessness.
- Trophies: Lifted back-to-back World Cups in 2011 and 2015.
- The Record: Secured historic back-to-back World Cups in 2019 and 2023, paired with a massive cultural and inspirational legacy.
- Big-Game Impact: Riser on the grandest stages, turning defining moments and tight knockout matches into victories.
- The Verdict on Teams: Rugby analysts, myself included on KEO.co.za argue that McCaw’s All Blacks hold the edge for absolute statistical dominance between World Cups, but Kolisi’s Springboks match them in sheer trophy success and ultimate pressure performance. A third successive World Cup title would end any debate.
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C’est désormais acté : Anis Hadj Moussa poursuivra son aventure à Feyenoord au moins jusqu’au prochain mercato hivernal. Alors que l’international algérien souhaitait initialement quitter Rotterdam cet été, notamment après l’intérêt concret d’Al-Ittihad, le scénario a finalement changé. Selon les informations de ShootAfrica, Feyenoord a intensifié ses efforts pour convaincre son joueur de rester et […]
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VALORANT’s strongest teams in each region before Champions Shanghai
As the dust settles on the 2026 VALORANT Champions Tour (VCT) Stage 2 events, we turn our attention to the crowning event of the year: Champions Shanghai. At the heart of the discussions is one simple question: which teams are the strongest in each region?
Building on an earlier analysis of the strongest VCT regions in 2026, I’ve identified four teams leading the race before Champs. Before I highlight the most impressive squads, though, here’s how I decided which ones to feature.
How the “strongest” VCT teams were decided
Many fans might disagree with my picks and would rather see fan favourites such as Paper Rex or NRG named. Instead, I selected the VCT 2026 Stage 2 winners as the strongest teams in each region.
At the highest level of esports, teams that peak at the right time often put themselves in contention for titles. With that in mind, triumphing at Stage 2 gives each regional champion valuable momentum heading into VALORANT Champions 2026.
The elephant in the room is “recency bias” – basically, overvaluing recent events while ignoring historical context. However, recent results hold significant weight as indicators of player form and how teams tactically adapt to the current meta.
Last but not least, Riot Games uses Stage 2 performance and Championship Points to seed the draw, which determines Champions groups. You might not agree with the reasoning for picking these teams as the “strongest,” and that’s totally fine.
Note: Individual player ratings and stats were sourced from VLR.gg and are accurate as of Sep. 7, 2026. I’ve included the overall Rating (2.0), Average Combat Score (ACS), Kill: Death (K:D), Average Damage per Round (ADR), Kills Per Round (KPR), and Kill/Assist/Survive/Trade (KAST) percentage.
100 Thieves (Americas)
There’s no better example of hitting peak form at the perfect time than 100 Thieves.
The North American juggernaut finished 4th in Stage 1 and missed qualification for both Masters events. However, they hit their stride at the Esports World Cup (EWC) 2026, earning a spot by sweeping LOUD 3–0 in the qualifiers.
In front of a crowd in Paris during the EWC 2026 playoffs, 100 Thieves went on to beat MIBR 2–1, Nongshim RedForce 2–1, and finally NRG 3–1 to lift the trophy. Matthew ‘Cryocells’ Panganiban was the spearhead of the attack, earning the MVP award.
Proving that their success at EWC 2026 wasn’t a fluke, 100 Thieves proceeded to top Group Omega in VCT 2026 Stage 2 Americas with a 4–1 record.
In the playoffs, Jordan ‘vora’ Pulwer led his team to decisive 2–0 wins over Leviatán and NRG in the upper bracket to secure a grand final spot. In a slugfest of a series, 100 Thieves took down LOUD 3–2 to earn the top Americas seed going into Champions Shanghai.
100 Thieves hold the #3 spot on the Global Power Rankings (GPR), with a 17–8 record and 1449 points. They are technically 2nd in the Americas, behind Leviatán, who failed to earn a spot at Champs.
100 Thieves roster:
- Peter ‘Asuna’ Mazuryk
- Matthew ‘Cryocells’ Panganiban
- Timothée ‘Timotino’ Lavigne Dupont
- Sean ‘bang’ Bezerra
- Jordan ‘vora’ Pulwer (IGL)
- Laurynas ‘Nbs’ Kisielius (Coach)
Asuna was named the MVP of the VCT Americas Stage 2 grand final.
100 Thieves player stats
Find the individual player stats for the 100 Thieves roster outlined below.
| Player | Rating | ACS | K:D | ADR | KAST | KPR |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Asuna | 1.19 | 243 | 1.22 | 160.5 | 77% | 0.83 |
| Cryocells | 1.05 | 191 | 1.17 | 126.1 | 73% | 0.71 |
| vora | 1.05 | 187 | 1.09 | 122.9 | 74% | 0.66 |
| bang | 1.05 | 178 | 1.04 | 114.5 | 73% | 0.66 |
| Timotino | 1.02 | 221 | 1.12 | 141.6 | 71% | 0.77 |
Global Esports (Pacific)
Ranked #2 globally and #1 in Pacific with a 16–12 record and 1455 points, Global Esports is my top pick for the Pacific region. Sorry, Paper Rex fans!
Global Esports has been slowly gaining momentum throughout the year. At the VCT Pacific Kickoff, they finished 7th–8th, and in Stage 1, they finished 3rd, qualifying for Masters London, where they finished 9th–10th. While Global Esports dropped out early at EWC 2026, they bounced back in style.
After a solid 3–2 record in Group Alpha of VCT 2026 Pacific Stage 2, Global Esports powered up during the playoffs. They defeated DRX 2–1 and VARREL 2–0, before suffering a 1–2 defeat at the hands of Nongshim RedForce. A 3–1 victory over T1 earned Global Esports a spot in the grand final.
- “We’ve admittedly created an unintentional imbalance over the last few years”: VCT Pacific has an inclusivity problem, but can Riot fix it?
- Riot gave Tier 2 VALORANT a chance and it exposed VCT Tier 1 teams’ vulnerability
- How well did Paper Rex f0rsakeN perform on each VALORANT agent?
- VALORANT’s viewership at Esports World Cup has fans worried that the game is “dying” once and for all
Nongshim RedForce took a commanding 2–0 lead and, with their backs against the wall, Global Esports delivered one of the greatest comebacks in VALORANT esports history. They won the last three maps in a row to complete a historic reverse sweep.
Bouncing back from a 0–2 deficit to win Stage 2 showed incredible big-match temperament and should give Global Esports all the confidence they could need going into Champions Shanghai.
Global Esports roster
- Savva ‘Kr1stal’ Fedorov
- Go ‘UdoTan’ Kyung-won
- Kale ‘autumn’ Dunne
- Patrick ‘PatMen’ Mendoza
- Xavier ‘xavi8k’ Juan (IGL)
- Daniel ‘Platoon’ Zhou (Coach)
South Korean superstar Go ‘UdoTan’ Kyung-won was named the Finals MVP of VCT 2026 Pacific Stage 2.
Global Esports player stats
Get acquainted with the Global Esports roster by checking out various stats.
| Player | Rating | ACS | K:D | ADR | KAST | KPR |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| xavi8k | 1.13 | 208 | 1.11 | 138.7 | 74% | 0.72 |
| PatMen | 1.07 | 221 | 1.10 | 143.3 | 72% | 0.79 |
| UdoTan | 1.03 | 222 | 1.07 | 146.8 | 70% | 0.77 |
| Kr1stal | 1.01 | 175 | 0.97 | 119.9 | 75% | 0.61 |
| Autumn | 0.99 | 192 | 1.06 | 126.1 | 69% | 0.70 |
TYLOO (China)
Despite not qualifying for either Masters Santiago or Masters London, TYLOO hold the #1 spot in China and #13 globally on the GPR, with an 18–10 record and 1,321 points!
TYLOO produced improved form in Group Alpha of Stage 2, recording an impressive 4–1 record to earn a spot in the playoffs, but lost the seeding match against one of the favourites, XLG Esports.
After defeating Titan Esports Club, TYLOO got knocked down to the lower bracket by JD Gaming, who went on to beat Bilibili Gaming 2–0 for a spot in the grand final.
TYLOO impressed me with their resilience on the brink of elimination, making a dominant lower-bracket run as they eliminated All Gamers 2–0, NOVA Esports 2–0, and Bilibili Gaming 3–0.
Despite JD Gaming taking the opening map of the grand final, TYLOO stabilised and won the next three in a row to claim the trophy with a 3–1 victory.
TYLOO roster:
- Sun ‘slowly’ Kelun
- Zhang ‘Scales’ Zhen
- Moses ‘Splash’ Jonathan
- Shen ‘Erv’ Zhiwei
- Pong ‘SiuFatBB’ Ka Hei (IGL)
- Xie ‘hypnotizing’ Haozhi (Coach)
Indonesian player Moses ‘Splash’ Jonathan picked up four MVP awards during Stage 2, making a “splash” to help his team qualify for Champs.
TYLOO player stats
Check out the individual player stats for the current TYLOO roster for an overview of their performances at VCT 2026 China Stage 2.
| Player | Rating | ACS | K:D | ADR | KAST | KPR |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| slowly | 1.22 | 250 | 1.30 | 161.7 | 73% | 0.88 |
| splash | 1.19 | 247 | 1.20 | 161.2 | 74% | 0.84 |
| Erv | 1.10 | 184 | 1.03 | 121.9 | 77% | 0.64 |
| Scales | 1.06 | 196 | 1.06 | 133.5 | 71% | 0.69 |
| SiuFatBB | 1.03 | 165 | 1.01 | 111.8 | 75% | 0.60 |
Karmine Corp (EMEA)
Ranked #9 globally and #1 in EMEA according to the GPR, Karmine Corp has 1,384 points and an 8–9 record. They did not manage to earn a spot at Masters Santiago or Masters London.
Karmine Corp performed poorly at both the Kickoff and Stage 1 events. After finishing 9th–12th at EWC 2026, their season looked beyond recovery. However, they bounced back in VCT EMEA Stage 2, showing improvements in both individual form and tactical depth.
Karmine Corp topped Group Omega with a 4–1 record. In the upper bracket of the playoffs, Hazem ‘avez’ Khaled led his team to a 2–1 win over Enterprise Esports and an impressive 2–0 sweep of FUT Esports.
In the grand final against Team Liquid, one of the favourites, Karmine Corp showed no mercy, winning convincingly 3–1 to lift the trophy.
Karmine Corp roster:
- Dmitrii ‘SUYGETSU’ Iliushin
- Dastan ‘dos9’ Zhumagali
- Burak ‘LêwN’ Alkan
- Marshall ‘N4RRATE’ Massey
- Hazem ‘avez’ Khaled (IGL)
- Ahmed ‘ZE1SH’ Sheikh (Coach)
Kazakhstani star Dastan ‘dos9’ Zhumagali was named the MVP of the grand final, testing Team Liquid at every turn.
Karmine Corp player stats
For an overview of Karmine Corp’s player performances throughout VCT 2026 EMEA Stage 2, check out the table below.
| Player | Rating | ACS | K:D | ADR | KAST | KPR |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| N4RRATE | 1.21 | 235 | 1.34 | 153.1 | 76% | 0.85 |
| Avez | 1.14 | 200 | 1.19 | 132.6 | 75% | 0.72 |
| LewN | 1.10 | 239 | 1.25 | 151.9 | 71% | 0.86 |
| dos9 | 1.06 | 186 | 1.09 | 121.2 | 76% | 0.66 |
| SUYGETSU | 0.88 | 164 | 0.93 | 110.7 | 72% | 0.59 |
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