MBOMBELA, South Africa (AP) — The guy who eclipsed the great Victor Matfield as South Africa's all-time caps record-holder wants to keep playing rugby for as long as his body can hack it.
Eben Etzebeth became the most capped Springbok in his 128th test on Saturday, and said he's still loving what he does.
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South Africa's Eben Etzebeth catches the ball during a rugby championship test match against Argentina at Mbombela stadium in Nelspruit, South Africa, Saturday, Sept. 28, 2024. (AP Photo/Themba Hadebe)
South Africa's Eben Etzebeth, right, is tackled by Argentina's Joel Sclavi during a rugby championship test match at Mbombela stadium in Nelspruit, South Africa, Saturday, Sept. 28, 2024. (AP Photo/Themba Hadebe)
South Africa's Eben Etzebeth goes out on the field for a rugby championship test match against Argentina at Mbombela stadium in Nelspruit, South Africa, Saturday, Sept. 28, 2024. (AP Photo/Themba Hadebe)
South Africa's Eben Etzebeth jumps for the ball during a rugby championship test match against Argentina at Mbombela stadium in Nelspruit, South Africa, Saturday, Sept. 28, 2024. (AP Photo/Themba Hadebe)
Winning trophies helps.
Etzebeth played all 80-odd minutes as South Africa won the Rugby Championship for the first time in five years by dominating Argentina 48-7.
It was a typical Etzebeth performance: He carried seven times, made 10 tackles — second only to fellow lock Ruan Nortje — caught a couple of throw-ins and conceded a penalty.
After receiving a special tasseled cap to mark his milestone from Matfield, with whom he went to the 2015 Rugby World Cup, Etzebeth said, "The milestone wouldn't have been nice if we'd lost this game. The team really showed up.
“The guys wanted to make it special for me, but it will always be a team sport, and the trophy was the big thing, and we'll celebrate it very nicely tonight. It was an unbelievable performance from everyone.”
Etzebeth debuted in mid-2012 against England at age 20. He was the fastest Bok to 50 tests and the youngest Bok to 100. The Bok enforcer doesn't turn 33 for another month. He appeared in all six Rugby Championship rounds.
"I've made no secret that the reason I play this game is to play for this team; to perform for my (Sharks) club and to be selected for the national side — that's the ultimate.
“So I'll keep pushing, training hard and performing for my club and hopefully the coaches will keep on selecting me. I never like to share my goals with the public — I like to keep it close to my heart — and I'll still push on, and if the body's good I'll continue to go.”
That was sweet news to Springboks captain Siya Kolisi, with whom Etzebeth goes way back.
“We have been together since we were 18 and you've been a true friend and you have led us in so many ways the way you play the game,” Kolisi said.
“I am so proud of you and pleased to be your friend. I can't wait to tell my grandkids I played with Eben Etzebeth. Cheers, my friend, I love you.”
AP rugby: https://apnews.com/hub/rugby
South Africa's Eben Etzebeth catches the ball during a rugby championship test match against Argentina at Mbombela stadium in Nelspruit, South Africa, Saturday, Sept. 28, 2024. (AP Photo/Themba Hadebe)
South Africa's Eben Etzebeth, right, is tackled by Argentina's Joel Sclavi during a rugby championship test match at Mbombela stadium in Nelspruit, South Africa, Saturday, Sept. 28, 2024. (AP Photo/Themba Hadebe)
South Africa's Eben Etzebeth goes out on the field for a rugby championship test match against Argentina at Mbombela stadium in Nelspruit, South Africa, Saturday, Sept. 28, 2024. (AP Photo/Themba Hadebe)
South Africa's Eben Etzebeth jumps for the ball during a rugby championship test match against Argentina at Mbombela stadium in Nelspruit, South Africa, Saturday, Sept. 28, 2024. (AP Photo/Themba Hadebe)
ADEN, Yemen (AP) — The United Arab Emirates said early Saturday it had withdrawn all its troops from Yemen.
The move comes after days of airlifts by UAE military aircraft following an order to withdraw from anti-Houthi forces in Yemen following Saudi Arabia pushing back against the advance of Emirati-backed separatists there.
“The UAE forces follows the implementation of a previously announced decision to conclude the remaining missions of counter-terrorism units,” a Defense Ministry statement said. “The process has been conducted in a manner that ensured the safety of all personnel and carried out in coordination with all relevant partners.”
THIS IS A BREAKING NEWS UPDATE. AP’s earlier story follows below.
ADEN, Yemen (AP) —
Yemen 's separatist movement on Friday announced a constitution for an independent nation in the south and demanded other factions in the war-torn country accept the move in an escalation of a confrontation that has pitted Gulf powerhouses Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates against each other.
The UAE-backed Southern Transitional Council depicted the announcement as a declaration of independence for the south. But it was not immediately clear if the move could be implemented or was largely symbolic. Last month, STC-linked fighters seized control of two southern provinces from Saudi-backed forces and took over the Presidential Palace in the south's main city, Aden. Members of the internationally recognized government — which had been based in Aden — fled to the Saudi-capital Riyadh.
On Friday, Saudi warplanes bombed camps and military positions held by the STC in Hadramout province as Saudi-backed fighters tried to seize the facilities, a separatist official said. It was the latest direct intervention by Saudi Arabia, which in recent weeks has bombed STC forces and struck what is said was a shipment of Emirati weapons destined for the separatists.
Ostensibly, Saudi Arabia and the UAE and their allies on the ground in Yemen have all been part of a Saudi-led coalition fighting Iranian-backed Houthi rebels who control the north in the country's decade-long civil war. The coalition's professed goal has long been to restore the internationally recognized government, which was driven out of the north by the Houthis. But tensions between the factions and the two Gulf nations appear to be unraveling the coalition, threatening to throw them into outright conflict and further tear apart the Arab world's poorest country.
The head of the STC, Aidarous al-Zubaid, issued a video statement Friday saying that the constitution his group issued would be in effect for two years, after which a a referendum would be held on “exercising the right to self-determination for the people of the South.” During those two years, he said, the “relevant parties” in north and south Yemen should hold a dialogue on “a path and mechanisms that guarantee the right of the people of the South.”
He said that if the other factions don't agree to his call or if they take military action, “all options remain open.”
The 30-article “constitution” proclaimed the creation of “the State of South Arabia," covering the same territory of the former People’s Democratic Republic of Yemen, the independent southern state that existed from 1967-1990.
It seemed to be the most overt move yet by the STC toward its long-proclaimed goal of independence. In the confusion that has reigned in the south in recent weeks, it was not clear what practical impact it would have. But the declaration could set back efforts to avert an outright conflict between the separatists and the rest of the Saudi-led coalition.
The UAE’s Foreign Ministry said in a statement Friday that the country was dealing with the situation “with restraint, coordination, and a deliberate commitment to de-escalation, guided by a foreign policy that consistently prioritizes regional stability over impulsive action.”
The Saudi-led coalition in Yemen demands the withdrawal of the STC-linked Southern Shield forces from the two governorates they seized, Hadramout and Mahra, as part of de-escalation efforts. The STC has so far refused to hand over its weapons and camps.
Saudi-backed fighters, known as the National Shield Forces, advanced on two STC-camps in Hadramout, said a senior STC official, Ahmed bin Breik, a former governor of the province. The separatist forces refused to withdraw and in response, Saudi planes struck the camps, he said.
Mohamed al-Nakib, spokesperson for the STC-backed forces, said the strikes caused fatalities, without providing details. The Associated Press couldn’t independently verify that claim.
He told the AP later Friday that “intense clashes” erupted between his forces and the National Shield forces across several areas of Hadramout.
It was not clear if the Saudi-backed forces succeeded in retaking the camps.
Salem al-Khanbashi, the governor of Hadramout who was chosen Friday by Yemen's internationally recognized government to command the Saudi-led forces in the governorate, said the move to reclaim the camps was “not a declaration of war and is not seeking an escalation.” He said it was a “pre-emptive measure to remove weapons.”
In a post on X, the Saudi ambassador to Yemen, Mohammed al-Jaber, said the kingdom had tried “all efforts with STC” for weeks "to stop the escalation" and to urge the separatists to leave Hadramout and Mahra, only to be faced with “continued intransigence and rejection from Aidarous al-Zubaidi."
Al-Jaber said the STC had not permitted a Saudi delegation's jet to land in Aden, despite having agreed on its arrival with some STC leaders to find a solution that serves “everyone and the public interest.”
Yemen’s Transportation Ministry, aligned with STC, said Saudi Arabia on Thursday imposed requirements mandating that flights to and from Aden International Airport undergo inspection in Jeddah. The ministry denounced the decision. There was no confirmation from Saudi authorities.
ِA spokesperson with the transport ministry told the AP late Thursday that all flights from and to the UAE were suspended until Saudi Arabia reverses these reported measures.
Khaled reported from Cairo. Associated Press writer Bassem Mroue in Beirut contributed to this report.
Yemeni workers chat at a popular market in Sanaa, Yemen, Thursday, Jan. 1, 2026. (AP Photo/Osamah Abdulrahman)
A Southern Yemen soldier of Southern Transitional Council (STC) stands at a check point, in Aden, Yemen, Wednesday, Dec. 31, 2025. (AP Photo)
A Yemeni rides his motorbike under a banner honoring Houthi leaders who were killed during Israeli airstrikes, in Sanaa, Yemen, Thursday, Jan. 1, 2026. (AP Photo/Osamah Abdulrahman)
Supporters of the Southern Transitional Council (STC), a coalition of separatist groups seeking to restore the state of South Yemen, hold South Yemen flags during a rally, in Aden, Yemen, Friday, Jan. 2, 2026. (AP Photo)
Supporters of the Southern Transitional Council (STC), a coalition of separatist groups seeking to restore the state of South Yemen, hold South Yemen flags during a rally, in Aden, Yemen, Friday, Jan. 2, 2026. (AP Photo)
Southern Yemen soldiers of Southern Transitional Council (STC) at a check point, in Aden, Yemen, Wednesday, Dec. 31, 2025. (AP Photo)
