May 2025 Sport Preview
As the sporting world enters the heart of 2025, May sports offer South African fans a thrilling calendar filled with world-class action. From the Soweto Soccer Derby and HSBC 7s to the start of the French Open and Giro d’Italia, this May 2025 sport preview showcases an elite line-up of events ideal for bettors and sports lovers alike.
Whether you’re chasing rugby odds, placing football multiples, or backing a long shot in the Kentucky Derby 2025. South Africa’s top sports betting platforms have you covered. Betway, Playa Bets, Hollywoodbets, Easybet, Mzansibet, and Gbets stand out for their competitive odds, betting markets, and smooth mobile experiences. These sites are particularly active this month across football, rugby, tennis, horse racing, and motorsport.
Soccer Updates
Soccer fans, get ready for a high-stakes May. League seasons are coming to a close in Europe and South Africa, with final matchdays and crucial derbies driving betting volume.
Betway Premiership: South Africa’s own league continues with fierce battles at both ends of the table. The spotlight, however, falls on the Soweto Derby on 3 May.
English Premier League (EPL): The title battle is tighter than ever, with top-four and relegation fates still undecided. Expect final-round drama by mid-May. Liverpool is top of the log with Arsenal the closest in 2nd.
La Liga: Real Madrid and Barcelona are neck-and-neck again, with Atletico chasing closely.
Serie A: Napoli lead the Italian charge, but the race for European spots remains intense.
Bundesliga: Bayern Munich are back on top, but Bayer Leverkusen remain in the hunt.
UEFA Champions League: The final is fast approaching on 31 May 2025, with semi-finals taking place this month.
Ongoing Events
Indian Premier League 2025: The IPL 2025 continues to captivate cricket fans with explosive batting and strategic bowling duels. Bettors are backing their favourite franchises as the tournament enters its crucial final stages. Expect the playoffs to shape up by mid-May.
HSBC 7s Series: The HSBC 7s tournament returns this month with the last leg in LAX (Los Angeles). South Africa’s Blitzboks will look to climb the rankings before the end of this weekend. Matches are fast, fierce, and perfect for live betting fans. The last weekend will be a battle for the last spots for the HSBC 7s in 2026 as well.
Formula 1: F1 2025 roars into May with the Miami Grand Prix on 4 May, followed by the Emilia Romagna GP in Imola on 18 May. As well as Monaco 23 May 2025. Max Verstappen continues his title defence, but rivals from Ferrari and McLaren are gaining ground.
Key Sporting Events in May 2025
Kentucky Derby
The Kentucky Derby, America’s most iconic horse race, takes place on 2 and 3 May at Churchill Downs. As the opening jewel of the Triple Crown, it draws intense global betting. Expect major action on top contenders and thrilling finishes on the dirt track.
Soweto Soccer Derby
South Africa’s most passionate rivalry ignites on 3 May as Kaizer Chiefs face Orlando Pirates. The Soweto Derby is more than just a league fixture, it’s a cultural moment. Fans and punters will watch closely to see who takes the bragging rights.
Giro d’Italia
Cycling’s first Grand Tour of the year, the Giro d’Italia, begins on 9 May and runs for three weeks. The Italian mountains and winding roads will challenge the peloton, with GC contenders battling for pink jersey supremacy. Daily stage betting and outright markets are available.
French Open
Paris welcomes the clay court elite for the French Open 2025, beginning on 25 May. This tennis Grand Slam is the second of the year and often unpredictable, with upsets a regular feature on the slow surface. Expect exciting performances from Carlos Alcaraz, Iga Swiatek, and rising stars.
United Rugby Championship (URC) Standings
As the United Rugby Championship 2024/2025 season approaches its climax, Leinster Rugby maintains a commanding lead at the top of the table with 67 points from 16 matches. Despite a recent 35-22 loss to Scarlets. The Vodacom Bulls are also in strong contention, holding third place with 58 points, Sharks in 4th with 53 points and Stormers in 6th with 45 points. Munster have 41 points and Ulster have 38 points. However Munster’s recent 26-21 defeat to Cardiff has pushed them out of the top eight, jeopardizing their playoff hopes. Connacht sits in 14th place with 28 points, following a heavy 26-7 loss to the Lions in Johannesburg. With just two rounds remaining, teams are vying for crucial wins to secure playoff spots and European competition qualifications.
Rugby World Cup Fixtures 2025
While the Rugby World Cup 2025 kicks off in September, May is packed with build-up and warm-up match announcements. There is plenty of Women’s rugby to look forward to. The Springbok Women will be hosting Canada in July in 2 tests at Loftus Versfeld and Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium on 5 and 12 July.
Springbok fixtures 2025 are also a major talking point, with the squad expected to be revealed soon. Keep an eye on betting odds for key pool matches. This is turning into a very exciting May 2025 Sport Preview!
Best Betting Sites
South Africa has quite the selection of licenced betting sites to choose from, here are some of our recommendations.
May Madness, Big Bets & What’s Next
As seen in our April 2025 Sport Preview, the action never slows down, and May sports take it up another gear. With global spectacles like the Giro d’Italia, HSBC 7s, and the French Open, plus local highlights like the Soweto Derby, South African bettors have endless opportunities.
Looking ahead, the June 2025 Sport Preview promises more excitement with the start of Euro 2025, US Open golf, and Rugby World Cup final preparations. Whether you’re backing winners or exploring niche markets, this May is a winning month for sports fans and punters alike.
