Sale Sharks have confirmed a new team captain as Ernst van Rhyn has been named the skipper for the 2025/26 season.
Fan favourite van Rhyn joined Sale from South African side DHL Stormers and quickly became a popular character around the club.
Arriving in Greater Manchester from Cape Town for the 23/25 campaign, it’s been a great start to life for ‘Ernie’, who extended his stay at the recently rebranded CorpAcq Stadium last week.
Sharks fans will no doubt be happy with the selection in the wake of star player and England international Ben Curry passing on the armband.
𝙊𝙪𝙧 𝘾𝙡𝙪𝙗 𝘾𝙖𝙥𝙩𝙖𝙞𝙣 🫡
Ernie takes the reins this season 🔥
Get ready to welcome him back home on Thursday, as he leads Your Sharks out for the first time at our @PremRugby opener!
Signing a fresh deal on 16 September, van Rhyn has not only put pen to paper on a new three-year contract extension but also expressed his further commitment to the club by accepting the captaincy.
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Chosen by Director of Rugby, Alex Sanderson, because of his clear leadership capabilities and versatility across both the back and second row – and he has the stats to back it up.
Topping the dominant tackle charts in the division and emerging as one of the best combative talents in the Gallagher Premiership, Ernie has now made nearly half a century of appearances for the Sharks, starting all 18 league fixtures last term.
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With the new season getting underway this Thursday, the appointment of Ernst van Rhyn comes after one of the Curry twins earned himself an enhanced England playing contract earlier this month, meaning he’s unlikely to be able to provide the same level of dedication domestically.
“Over the past two years, I’ve really enjoyed learning from some of the amazing leaders we’ve got at the club – guys like Ben Curry, George Ford, Rob du Preez and others are fantastic leaders and I’ve tried to take bits from each of them.
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“But it’s also important for me to keep doing what I’m doing because that’s what has got me to this point. I know this role brings more responsibility, but I feel like I’m ready for that. I pride myself on my ability to lead by example, and I know I need to keep on improving my own game and working hard as a player.”
Insisting that he wants to be a “calming” presence in the pitch and deliver extra confidence all the way from the dressing room to the field, the Sale boss echoed similar aspirations.
Sanderson went on to add, “He leads by example, he’s respected by everyone at the club, and I have no doubt that he’ll be a fantastic captain for us”, crediting his “boundless work-rate” and “attitude” beyond merely his natural ability.
“Off the field, he is an incredible leader, not just in how he trains and carries himself, but in his words and the way he speaks to people”, continued ‘Sandy’; “On the field, he’s relentlessly physical and an extraordinary player who we feel very fortunate to have at the club.
“We’re so excited that he’s committed his future to the club because we feel he’s only going to get better.” What do you make of Ernie as the new captain, Sale fans – and how are you feeling for the Sharks’ season opener against Gloucester Rugby on Thursday?
Pep Guardiola apologises for ’embarrassing’ camera operator confrontation
Danny Jones
Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola has apologised after confronting a cameraman following the Premier League fixture against Newcastle United this past weekend.
The Blues boss was left visibly frustrated as Man City were beaten 2-1 away at St James’ Park by Eddie Howe’s side following a flurry of three finishes in the space of just six minutes.
However, this wasn’t the only action pitchside during the game, as not only have some supporters argued they should have had a penalty as Phil Foden was brought down in the box, Pep was also seen engaging in a loaded exchange with opposition captain Bruno Guimarães, as well as a camera operator.
Guardiola has since apologised for the incident, confessing he was left “embarrassed” by his own conduct and admitting that even “after 1,000 games, I’m not a perfect person – I make huge mistakes.”
As you can see, the Catalan coach approached the member of the broadcasting team following a fairly widespread spat both during the second Newcastle goal and following the full-time whistle.
Despite journalists recognising a natural amount of frustration and passion amidst the narrow loss and speculation over decisions, he went so far as to say he wasn’t “ashamed” of his actions at the time and doesn’t like or condone this kind of behaviour.
He was also seen smacking his seat in the dugout after conceding as well as after missed chances by his own players.
Pep assured that he apologised to the cameraman within seconds, remarking, “I am who I am” and reminding football fans that he is a human capable of acting on instinct just like anyone else.
He also clarified that the bulk of his issues on the day were to do with the officiating, taking umbrage with the referee’s decision-making in multiple instances.
You can see the clip down below:
"I feel embarrassed and ashamed when I see it"
Pep Guardiola apologises for his behaviour towards a camera operator after the defeat at Newcastle. pic.twitter.com/wVYfJDbnLm
As for his conversation with Guimarães, he wouldn’t disclose any details of their conversation, but did insist to one reporter that they share a good relationship, confessing that he is “an emotional guy” and can often appear particularly animated as he is known for gesticulating.
It seems that the 54-year-old was just annoyed over the potential penalty, but match-winner Harvey Barnes’ brace in particular, too.
Not only were there questions of a foul on new goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma – whose shot-stopping was otherwise excellent for the majority of the match – but Guimarães was supposedly offside in the build-up to the strike.
Regardless, Pep went on to add that the confrontation with the cameraman, Donnarumma’s booking for dissent, and general disappointment have been “immediately forgotten”, and all eyes are now focused on City’s big European meeting with Bayern Leverkusen.
You can see the highlights from Newcastle vs Man City down below.
Scott Carson reveals important behind-the-scenes role at Manchester City
Danny Jones
Recently retired goalkeeper Scott Carson has revealed the unsung but important role he had behind the scenes during his time at Manchester City.
The 40-year-old ex-pro called time on his playing career after more than two decades and six years in sky blue, having made just two appearances for the club during a period in which they won 11 trophies.
Carson officially hung up his gloves on 23 October 2025, following his contract expiration, and since then has found himself carrying out a number of interviews, including one with Fozcast, hosted by another fellow shotstopper who spent time in Manchester, Ben Foster.
While lots of people have joked that he did very little to earn the flurry of medals so late in his career, or at the very least theorised as to what he actually did behind the scenes, he’s now been more open than ever about the largely sidelined spell.
🗣️ "When people had to be serious, they were serious"
Scott Carson reveals what it was like working under Pep Guardiola at Manchester City. pic.twitter.com/HZGjVkrso0
Sitting down with Sky Sports, the Cumbrian keeper confirmed that initially it was, indeed, just a case of serving as not even as a rotation option but a back-up third choice.
Nevertheless, he’s an experienced veteran with 11 different teams on his CV, including Leeds United, Liverpool and Sheffield Wednesday – though only a handful of games for each – as well as half a century of appearances at Wigan Athletic before his longest stints at the likes of West Brom and Derby County.
While this job usually involves purely training, helping keep other players sharp, he says that after settling into the Etihad Campus a little more, he found himself performing a much more influential, albeit largely unsung, role in the background.
Getting validation from manager Pep Guardiola that the side “needed more of that”, he essentially ended up providing valuable seniority and motivation amongst the group, despite only playing a couple of times.
Bidding farewell to the Whitehaven-born cult hero, the club wrote: “During his time at City, Carson has been praised by goalkeeping coach Xabi Mancisidor and peers Ederson and Stefan Ortega Moreno for his work ethic and the effect of his positive attitude amongst the group.”
Speaking about Guardiola specifically, he hailed the Catalan coach for having overhauled modern football in this country, as well as giving him the secondary task of supporting his teammates, be it via boosting morale and ‘picking up’ those left frustrated by matchday selection.
As well as noting his widely publicised detail-oriented nature, he also made a point of recognising that Pep himself was “evolving each season”, whether or not everyone else saw it.
In short, he said he has helped improve the quality of the Premier League and, more specifically, that he helped redefine what a goalkeeper can be in the division.
You can watch the rest of the interview in full down below.
Danny Jones -
24th September 2025 
