September 2026 Sports Calendar: The Biggest Events and Betting Guide

September is shaping up to be one of the busiest sporting months of 2026. South African sports fans have plenty to look forward to, with the Springboks facing the All Blacks, the Proteas taking on Australia, a packed Betway Premiership schedule and some major international events taking place around the world.

Formula 1 heads to Monza and Madrid, the US Open reaches its final stages, the UEFA Champions League gets underway, the NFL season kicks off, and the Presidents Cup brings together some of the world’s best golfers. For South African betting fans, September offers plenty of opportunities across rugby betting, cricket betting, football betting, tennis betting, Formula 1 betting, golf betting and more.

September 2026 Sports Calendar at a Glance

Date                                                       Sport                                     Event   

1-30 September                                 Football                                Betway Premiership continues

4-6 September                                  Formula 1                            Italian Grand Prix, Monza

5 September                                      Rugby                                   Springboks vs All Blacks, Johannesburg

5 September                                      Women’s Rugby               Springbok Women vs Black Ferns

6 September                                      Football                                Mamelodi Sundowns vs Golden Arrows

8-10 September                               Football                                UEFA Champions League Matchday 1

9-15 September                                 NFL                                        2026 season gets underway

11-13 September                             Athletics                              World Athletics Ultimate Championships

September 11                       Formula 1                            Spanish Grand Prix, Madrid

11-13 September                               MotoGP                               San Marino Grand Prix

12 September                                   Tennis                                   US Open women’s final

13 September                                   Tennis                                   US Open men’s final

13 September                                   Cycling                                  Vuelta a España finishes

18-20 September                             MotoGP                               Austrian Grand Prix

20-27 September                             Cycling                                 UCI Road World Championships

24 September                                   Cricket                                 South Africa vs Australia, 1st ODI

24-27 September              Golf                       Presidents Cup

27 September                     NFL                        Ravens vs Cowboys, Brazil

27 September                    Cricket                South Africa vs Australia, 2nd ODI

30 September                    Cricket                  South Africa vs Australia, 3rd ODI

The calendar also includes a full month of European football, international boxing, American sports and domestic South African sport.

Springboks vs All Blacks: September’s Biggest South African Sporting Event

The biggest event on the September sports calendar for South African fans is undoubtedly the Springboks’ third Test against New Zealand. The match takes place at FNB Stadium in Johannesburg on Saturday, 5 September 2026, as part of Rugby’s Greatest Rivalry.

The four-Test series is finely balanced after the Springboks lost the opening match 33-16 before bouncing back to win the second Test 33-26 in Cape Town. The third Test therefore becomes a massive series decider before the final match in Baltimore.

Springboks vs All Blacks betting markets

South African bookmakers should offer plenty of markets, including:

Match winner

Total match points

First-half winner

Half-time/full-time

Winning margin

Total tries

First team to score

Springboks prediction

The Boks have already shown that they can respond after a poor performance, and the second Test demonstrated how effective their physical game can be. Playing at FNB Stadium should give the Boks another advantage.

Prediction: South Africa to beat New Zealand.

Springbok Women vs Black Ferns

South African rugby fans also get another massive international fixture on 5 September. The Springbok Women face New Zealand’s Black Ferns at FNB Stadium in Johannesburg, with the match scheduled for 13:30. It gives South African rugby fans a double dose of international rugby on the same day. Women’s rugby betting continues to grow, and this is one of the standout fixtures for South African punters in September.

Betway Premiership: Plenty of South African Football Betting

The Betway Premiership continues throughout September, giving South African football fans plenty of domestic betting options. The 2026/27 Betway Premiership season kicked off in August and runs through to May 2027.

September gets going with several important fixtures.

1 September

Durban City vs Stellenbosch FC

Kruger United vs Orlando Pirates

2 September

Mamelodi Sundowns vs Milford FC

4 September

Marumo Gallants vs Polokwane City

Richards Bay vs AmaZulu

5 September

Chippa United vs Milford FC

Kruger United vs Orlando Pirates

Sekhukhune United vs TS Galaxy

Kaizer Chiefs vs Siwelele

6 September

Golden Arrows vs Mamelodi Sundowns

9 September

Mamelodi Sundowns vs Siwelele

The league then continues with a busy run of fixtures through the middle and latter part of September.

September Betway Premiership betting markets

South African bookmakers typically offer:

Match result

Draw no bet

Double chance

Both teams to score

Over/under 1.5 goals

Over/under 2.5 goals

Correct score

Half-time result

Half-time/full-time

Mamelodi Sundowns look like the team to keep a particularly close eye on in September. They have several fixtures during the month, including Golden Arrows, Siwelele and Chippa United.

Prediction: Sundowns to collect maximum points from their September fixtures.

For South African football betting, Sundowns match-result bets can be combined with goals markets when the odds make sense.

UEFA Champions League Returns

European club football gets another major boost in September when the 2026/27 UEFA Champions League league phase begins. The first matchday takes place from 8 to 10 September, with 36 clubs involved in the new league-phase format. Each team plays eight league-phase matches.

There are some huge fixtures to look out for.

Champions League Matchday 1

Some of the standout games include:

Borussia Dortmund vs Villarreal

Porto vs Manchester City

Real Madrid vs Inter

Barcelona vs Feyenoord

Liverpool vs Atletico Madrid

PSG vs Slovan Bratislava

Napoli vs Arsenal

Bayern Munich vs Bodo/Glimt

Manchester United vs Sabah

Champions League betting markets

This is one of the best competitions for football betting because bookmakers generally provide an enormous range of markets.

Look for:

Both teams to score

Champions League outright winner

For South African punters, the Champions League outright betting market can also be interesting before the league phase develops.

Formula 1: Monza and Madrid

September is a big month for Formula 1.

The championship heads to Italy for the Italian Grand Prix at Monza from 4-6 September before travelling to Madrid for the Spanish Grand Prix from 11-13 September. Formula 1 confirmed Madrid as a new addition to the 2026 calendar.

Italian Grand Prix – 4-6 September

Monza is one of the fastest circuits on the F1 calendar and places a major emphasis on straight-line speed, braking and low-downforce efficiency. That makes the Italian Grand Prix particularly interesting for betting.

F1 betting markets

South African bookmakers generally offer:

Race winner

Podium finish

Top 6 finish

Qualifying winner

Fastest lap

The 2026 championship is particularly interesting because Mercedes’ Kimi Antonelli currently leads the title race, although he is set to take a grid penalty at Monza. McLaren has also won the last two Grands Prix.

Italian GP prediction

The Antonelli penalty makes the outright winner market more interesting.

Prediction: McLaren to challenge strongly for the Monza win.

Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri are the obvious names to watch, although qualifying and the final grid penalty situation should influence any pre-race bet.

Spanish Grand Prix – Madrid

Formula 1 then moves to Madrid from 11-13 September.

The Madrid race is one of the biggest additions to the 2026 F1 calendar and gives bettors another chance to analyse a new circuit rather than relying entirely on historical results. For Formula 1 betting in South Africa, this is a good race for driver and constructor markets. Because Madrid is a new venue, qualifying performance and practice data will be especially important before placing a race-winner bet.

US Open Tennis Reaches Its Climax

The final Grand Slam of the tennis season runs through 13 September, with the men’s and women’s singles finals taking place in New York. The official US Open schedule lists the women’s final for Saturday, 12 September and the men’s final for Sunday, 13 September. The tournament has already produced plenty of intrigue.

Carlos Alcaraz returns as defending men’s champion but comes into the tournament after a long spell away from singles action because of a wrist injury. Jannik Sinner is also absent, while Aryna Sabalenka is attempting to win three consecutive US Open women’s singles titles.

US Open betting markets

Tennis offers some of the widest betting choices available:

Match winner

Set betting

Correct set score

First-set winner

Tie-break markets

Tournament outright

Quarter/semifinal winner

US Open predictions

Men’s: Carlos Alcaraz is still one of the leading contenders, but his lack of recent singles competition makes this a much harder prediction than usual. Alexander Zverev is another major threat.

Women’s: Aryna Sabalenka remains the player to beat.

Prediction: Sabalenka to reach the women’s final, with Alcaraz/Zverev the two names I would watch most closely on the men’s side.

Vuelta a España Finishes

Cycling fans have plenty to watch at the start of September as the Vuelta a España reaches its conclusion.

The 2026 Vuelta runs from 22 August to 13 September, with the race finishing in Granada. The route contains 21 stages and plenty of mountain racing. The general classification battle has become particularly interesting after Tadej Pogačar’s withdrawal, leaving the red jersey fight more open.

Vuelta betting markets

Cycling offers several interesting markets:

Stage winner

General classification winner

Top 3 finish

Top 10 finish

Stage head-to-head

King of the Mountains

Points classification

Team classification

For South African cycling fans, the Vuelta is also a good event to follow for riders from the African continent and riders with links to South African teams and cycling development programmes.

World Athletics Ultimate Championships

Athletics gets a major international showcase from 11-13 September in Budapest at the World Athletics Ultimate Championships. The competition features 28 events and is designed around a compact three-day format. Finals include the men’s and women’s 100m, 200m, 400m, 800m, 1500m, 5000m, hurdles, jumps and throws.

One of the biggest storylines is the men’s pole vault, where Mondo Duplantis faces increasing competition from Greece’s Emmanouil Karalis. Duplantis remains the dominant figure in the event, but Karalis has recently pushed him to new heights.

Prediction: Duplantis remains the man to beat in the pole vault.

NFL Season Kicks Off

American football returns in September, and South African sports fans can follow the NFL through the early hours of the morning. The 2026 NFL season gets underway on 9 September, with the Seattle Seahawks hosting the New England Patriots. The following day, the San Francisco 49ers face the Los Angeles Rams at the Melbourne Cricket Ground in Australia’s first NFL regular-season game.

The NFL also returns to Brazil on 27 September, when the Baltimore Ravens face the Dallas Cowboys at the Maracanã Stadium in Rio de Janeiro.

NFL betting markets

NFL betting offers:

Moneyline

Point spread

Over/under

First-half result

Team totals

Touchdown scorer

South Africa vs Australia: Proteas ODI Series

September ends with a major cricket series for South African fans.

The Proteas host Australia in a three-match ODI series, with the first match at Hollywoodbets Kingsmead Stadium in Durban on 24 September.

The second ODI takes place at the DP World Wanderers Stadium in Johannesburg on 27 September, followed by the third ODI at JB Marks Oval in Potchefstroom on 30 September. This series is particularly important for South African cricket as the Proteas continue building towards the next major ICC tournaments.

Proteas vs Australia betting markets

Cricket bettors in South Africa have plenty of options:

Match winner

Series winner

Total runs

Team total

Most sixes

South Africa vs Australia prediction

Home conditions should give the Proteas a useful advantage, particularly in Durban and Johannesburg. Australia will provide a serious test, but South Africa have enough quality to make this a competitive series.

Prediction: South Africa to win the ODI series 2-1.

This is one of the most attractive cricket betting South Africa opportunities in September.

Presidents Cup: USA vs International Team

Golf gets one of its biggest events of the year from 24-27 September.

The 2026 Presidents Cup takes place at Medinah Country Club in Illinois, with the United States taking on the International Team.

The event uses a team format featuring four-ball, foursomes and singles matches, with 30 points available and 15½ points required to win. The United States is captained by Brandt Snedeker, while Geoff Ogilvy leads the International Team.

Presidents Cup betting markets

Golf betting can include:

Team winner

Individual match winner

Four-ball winner

Foursomes winner

Singles winner

The United States has won the last several editions and enjoys home advantage.

Prediction: USA to win the Presidents Cup

However, the International Team has enough quality to make the team winner market more interesting than simply backing the USA outright.

UCI Road World Championships

The cycling season gets another major international event when the 2026 UCI Road World Championships take place in Montréal, Canada, from 20-27 September.

The championships bring together the world’s best riders for road races and time trials across multiple categories.

Cycling betting markets

Look for:

Road race winner

Time-trial winner

Top 3

Top 10

The road race is generally the main attraction for outright betting, while head-to-head markets can offer more manageable options for punters who do not want to predict the entire field.

Boxing in September

September also has a busy boxing schedule, with several major cards expected across the month.

One of the early-month highlights is Katie Taylor vs Flora Pili in Dublin on 5 September, while Andy Ruiz Jr faces Damian Knyba on 4 September in Newark.

Boxing betting markets

Boxing is particularly well suited to:

Fight winner

Method of victory

KO/TKO

Points decision

For South African boxing fans, local fighters appearing on international cards can also provide some excellent opportunities when bookmakers offer markets on them.

South African Horse Racing

Horse racing remains an important part of the South African sporting calendar throughout September.

With racing taking place at venues around the country, including Cape Town, Durban and Johannesburg, South African punters can expect regular betting opportunities throughout the month.

Horse racing markets include:

Win

Place

Each-way

Exacta

Quinella

Trifecta

The biggest advantage of horse racing betting is the sheer number of events available, although punters should be careful not to confuse volume with value.

September Football Betting Beyond South Africa

While the Betway Premiership gives South African fans plenty of local action, September also marks the return of the Champions League and continued action in the Premier League, La Liga, Serie A, Bundesliga and Ligue 1.

European football provides some of the most popular betting markets available to South African customers.

Best football betting markets

Match Result: Pick the home win, draw or away win.

Both Teams to Score: Bet on whether both teams will score.

For South African football betting, combining a strong favourite with a goals market can sometimes offer better value than simply taking a short match-winner price.

Our September 2026 Sports Predictions

If you want a quick list of the biggest predictions from the month, these are the ones worth keeping an eye on:

Event     Prediction

Springboks vs All Blacks                                              South Africa win

Springbok Women vs Black Ferns                             Black Ferns slight edge

Mamelodi Sundowns September fixtures            Strong month for Sundowns

Italian Grand Prix                                                         McLaren to challenge for the win

US Open Men’s                                                             Alcaraz/Zverev leading contenders

US Open Women’s                                                      Sabalenka to go deep

World Athletics Pole Vault                                         Duplantis to win

Presidents Cup                                                            USA to win

South Africa vs Australia ODI series                          South Africa 2-1

These are predictions rather than guarantees, and bettors should always check the latest team news, injuries, line-ups, weather and bookmaker prices before placing a bet.

September 2026 Sports Calendar: The Bottom Line

September 2026 is going to be a massive month for sports fans in South Africa. The Springboks’ rivalry with the All Blacks provides the biggest local headline, while the Proteas’ ODI series against Australia gives cricket fans another major international contest to follow. The Betway Premiership keeps South African football ticking over, while the UEFA Champions League returns with some huge opening fixtures.

Internationally, the US Open, Formula 1, MotoGP, NFL, World Athletics Ultimate Championships, Presidents Cup and UCI Road World Championships make September one of the busiest months on the global sporting calendar.

For South African punters, that means plenty of betting markets to choose from. The key is not simply to bet on everything that moves. Pick the sports and markets you understand, compare the available odds and look for genuine value. As always, betting should be treated as entertainment rather than a way to make money. Only bet what you can afford to lose.

September 2026 Sports Calendar FAQs

What are the biggest sports events in September 2026?

The biggest events include the Springboks vs All Blacks Test on 5 September, the US Open finals, the Italian and Spanish Formula 1 Grands Prix, the UEFA Champions League opening matchday, the NFL season, the Presidents Cup and the South Africa vs Australia ODI series.

When do the Springboks play the All Blacks in September 2026?

The Springboks face the All Blacks at FNB Stadium in Johannesburg on Saturday, 5 September 2026. It is the third Test of the four-match Rugby’s Greatest Rivalry series.

When do the Proteas play Australia?

South Africa hosts Australia in three ODIs. The matches take place on 24 September in Durban, 27 September in Johannesburg and 30 September in Potchefstroom.

When is the 2026 US Open final?

The women’s singles final takes place on 12 September, followed by the men’s singles final on 13 September.

When is the Italian Grand Prix?

The 2026 Italian Grand Prix takes place at Monza from 4-6 September, with the race on Sunday, 6 September.

What are the best sports to bet on in September?

South African punters have plenty of options, but the biggest betting opportunities include rugby, cricket, football, tennis, Formula 1, golf, cycling and NFL. The best sport to bet on ultimately depends on which markets and competitions you understand best.