Aphiwe Dyantyi’s Narbonne triumph in insane French playoff
NEWS: It was a herculean match of more than 100 minutes ending with a penalty shootout as former Springbok wing Aphiwe Dyantyi’s side Narbonne booked their ticket for the French Nationale semifinal.
It was an old-fashioned and thrilling penalty shootout, decided after Sporting Club Albigeois and RC Narbonnais remained tied at 29 points after 100 minutes in the French third-tier playoffs.
The match-defining moment came at the seventh penalty kick attempt, with Téo Dospital missing it for Albi. With a chance to qualify for the final, former Pumita Axel Müller sent Narbonne’s fans into celebration.
𝐄𝐍 𝐅𝐈𝐍𝐀𝐀𝐀𝐀𝐀𝐀𝐋𝐄 !! 🤩🔥#FFR #Ensemble #Finale pic.twitter.com/MEvI5MGRhY
— Racing Club Narbonnais (@RCNarbonnais) May 9, 2026
The 31-year-old Dyantyi joined the French outfit in February on a deal that will run until the end of the season.
Once a prolific Springbok winger who burst onto the international rugby scene in 2018, he won the World Rugby Breakthrough Player of the Year Award in the same year.
He earned 13 caps for the Springboks before a suspension abruptly halted his meteoric rise.
He made a sensational comeback in 2023 after completing a four-year ban for using performance-enhancing substances. He played nine matches for the Sharks before joining the Bulls in Pretoria. However, he struggled to recapture the form that once made him a household name.
Narbonne heads to the final, where they will meet Waisea Nayacalevu, Owen Lane and Joel Kpoku’s Nissa Rugby, with the Nationale decider taking place on May 16 at the Stade Marcel Verchere.
The winner secures promotion to Pro D2, while the runner-up will still have a chance to go up, facing the second-from-bottom side in Pro D2 in a barrage final.
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