Padel’s Ryder Cup Moment: Guardrisk North vs South Returns to Cape Town

Guardrisk North vs South : 15–17 May 2026 : The Rotunda & The Bay Hotel, Camps Bay, Cape Town

South Africa’s biggest team padel showdown is back and this time the Mother City is once again ready to bring the gees.

From 15 to 17 May 2026, Camps Bay hosts the fourth edition of the Guardrisk North vs South, a tournament that has quickly become one of the standout events on the South African padel calendar. Fifty-six of the country’s top players will battle it out across three days of high-intensity, team-based padel at the iconic Rotunda in Cape Town where spectators can attend for free.

The Sport South Africans Cannot Stop Playing

To understand why the Guardrisk North vs South matters, you first need to look at the explosion of padel in South Africa over the last few years. Invented in 1969 in Acapulco, Mexico, padel combines elements of tennis and squash on an enclosed court surrounded by glass walls, where the ball can rebound off the glass to create fast, tactical and entertaining rallies.

South Africa’s first padel court opened in 2020 at Val de Vie Estate in the Western Cape, kickstarting what has become one of the country’s fastest-growing sports trends. Since then, courts have popped up everywhere from Cape Town and Johannesburg to Durban and Pretoria, with booking slots disappearing faster than a parking spot at Camps Bay on a sunny weekend.

The growth has been massive. Globally, padel continues to boom with millions of active players and thousands of new courts opening every year. While South Africa has become one of the sport’s emerging hotspots. Residential developers like Balwin have even added padel courts to several lifestyle estates. These includes Munyaka in Waterfall and Thaba Eco Estate in Johannesburg, showing just how mainstream the sport has become.

The international spotlight has also shifted toward South Africa. Johannesburg hosted the high-profile South African Invitational at DP World Wanderers Stadium in 2025. Bringing elite international talent to local fans. Even bigger news arrives later this year when Pretoria hosts the continent’s first-ever Premier Padel P2 event in July 2026. A landmark moment for African padel.

North vs South: South Africa’s Own Ryder Cup

While international tournaments continue to grow, the Guardrisk North vs South has become the heartbeat of competitive domestic padel. The format pits players from the northern provinces against their southern rivals in a Ryder Cup-style showdown packed with regional pride, pressure and bragging rights.

This is not about individual rankings or collecting points. It is about team chemistry, clutch moments and holding your nerve when the pressure hits. And if you have ever watched a South African sporting rivalry, you already know nobody likes losing to the oke from the other side.

The tournament’s short history has already produced plenty of drama. Team South won the inaugural edition before the second event ended level. Team North then grabbed the trophy in 2023, setting up another proper grudge match for 2026. That back-and-forth rivalry is exactly why the tournament keeps attracting bigger crowds and more attention every year.

Team North will once again be captained by Paul Anderson, while Paul Waldburger leads Team South. The player list reads like a who’s who of South African padel, with stars including Luan Krige, Richard Ashforth, Adam van Harte, Warren Kuhn, Jason Blakey-Milner, Shaun Leagas, Egmond van Heerden and Josh Deutschmann all expected to feature.

Each player brings a unique style to the court from aggressive baseline power to silky net play and tactical control. And in a team environment those combinations can become match-winning weapons very quickly.

The Venue: Padel Under the Dome

The choice of venue is part of what makes this event special. The Rotunda in Camps Bay has become synonymous with North vs South, and the indoor court beneath the famous dome creates one of the best atmospheres in South African padel.

Fans sit close enough to hear every smash off the glass and every frustrated mutter after an unforced error. It is loud, intense and properly dramatic, exactly what you want from a Ryder Cup-style sporting event.

“Playing under the dome changes everything,” said player Adrian Jacobs. “The crowd is close, the intensity builds quickly, and you feel every point.”

Additional matches will take place at The Bay Hotel courts, where players will compete against the backdrop of Camps Bay’s famous beachfront scenery. Friday’s schedule starts with 14 matches from 10am, Saturday features two high-pressure sessions, and Sunday’s final clashes will decide who lifts the trophy.

And because this is Cape Town, there will also be food stalls, lounge areas, ocean views and enough lifestyle energy to make you forget you are technically watching people suffer through pressure tiebreaks.

Don’t Miss South Africa’s Biggest Team Padel Event

The Guardrisk North vs South is more than just another tournament on the calendar. It is a reflection of how quickly padel in South Africa has grown from a niche sport to a full-blown sporting phenomenon.

With free entry, elite players, an incredible venue and serious rivalry energy, this year’s edition promises to deliver one of the biggest weekends yet for South African padel fans.