It’s almost that time of the year again. The 2010 Super 14 Rugby tournament will start on the weekend of the 12th of February 2010. Like previous years, it promises to be a display of the best rugby in Southern Hemisphere. Teams from South Africa, Australia and New Zealand will once again be competing for the Super 14 trophy and the honor of being named the best team in the Southern Hemisphere for 2010. In 2009 a South African team, The Bulls (from my native Pretoria) won the competition (repeating their victory of 2007). The Super 14 will take place of 16 weeks. The final for the competition will be played on the 29th of May 2010.

This is the schedule of matches to be played in the 2010 Super 14 Tournament:

Friday, February 12:
Blues v Hurricanes (Auckland)
Western Force v Brumbies (Perth)
Cheetahs v Bulls (Bloemfontein)

Saturday, February 13:
Crusaders v Highlanders (Christchurch)
Reds v Waratahs (Brisbane)
Lions v Stormers (Johannesburg)
Sharks v Chiefs (Durban)

Friday, February 19:
Highlanders v Blues (Dunedin)
Reds v Crusaders (Brisbane)
Sharks v Cheetahs (Durban)
Lions v Chiefs (Johannesburg)

Saturday, February 20:
Hurricanes v Western Force (Wellington)
Bulls v Brumbies (Pretoria)
Stormers v Waratahs (Cape Town)

Friday, February 26:
Crusaders v Sharks (Christchurch)
Stormers v Brumbies (Cape Town)

Saturday, February 27:
Hurricanes v Lions (Wellington)
Reds v Blues (Brisbane)
Western Force v Chiefs (Perth)
Cheetahs v Highlanders (Bloemfontein)
Bulls v Waratahs (Pretoria)

Friday, March 5:
Chiefs v Reds (Hamilton)
Brumbies v Lions (Canberra)

Saturday, March 6:
Crusaders v Blues (Christchurch)
Waratahs v Sharks (Sydney)
Stormers v Highlanders (Cape Town)
Cheetahs v Hurricanes (Bloemfontein)

Friday, March 12:
Chiefs v Crusaders (Hamilton)
Waratahs v Lions (Sydney)

Saturday, March 13:
Brumbies v Sharks (Canberra)
Bulls v Highlanders (Pretoria)
Stormers v Hurricanes (Cape Town)

Sunday, March 14:
Reds v Western Force (Brisbane)

Friday, March 19:
Blues v Brumbies (Auckland)
Bulls v Hurricanes (Pretoria)

Saturday, March 20:
Crusaders v Lions (Christchurch)
Highlanders v Sharks (Dunedin)
Western Force v Waratahs (Perth)
Stormers v Cheetahs (Cape Town)

Friday, March 26:
Highlanders v Lions (Dunedin)
Brumbies v Chiefs (Canberra)
Cheetahs v Reds (Bloemfontein)

Saturday, March 27:
Hurricanes v Sharks (Wellington)
Waratahs v Blues (Sydney)
Western Force v Bulls (Perth)

Friday, April 2:
Hurricanes v Crusaders (Wellington)
Western Force v Stormers (Perth)

Saturday, April 3:
Blues v Bulls (Auckland)
Chiefs v Highlanders (Mt Maunganui)
Waratahs v Cheetahs (Sydney)
Sharks v Reds (Durban)

Friday, April 9:
Chiefs v Bulls (Hamilton)

Saturday, April 10:
Highlanders v Western Force (Queenstown)
Blues v Stormers (Auckland)
Crusaders v Waratahs (Christchurch)
Brumbies v Cheetahs (Canberra)
Lions v Reds (Johannesburg)

Friday, April 16:
Chiefs v Stormers (Hamilton)
Brumbies v Hurricanes (Canberra)

Saturday, April 17:
Blues v Western Force (Auckland)
Crusaders v Cheetahs (Christchurch)
Reds v Bulls (Brisbane)
Lions v Sharks (Johannesburg)

Friday, April 23:
Chiefs v Cheetahs (Hamilton)
Reds v Stormers (Brisbane)
Western Force v Crusaders (Perth)

Saturday, April 24:
Highlanders v Hurricanes (Dunedin)
Waratahs v Brumbies (Sydney)
Bulls v Lions (Pretoria)
Sharks v Blues (Durban)

Friday, April 30:
Highlanders v Waratahs (Invercargill)
Stormers v Crusaders (Cape Town)

Saturday, May 1:
Hurricanes v Chiefs (Wellington)
Brumbies v Reds (Canberra)
Cheetahs v Blues (Bloemfontein)
Lions v Western Force (Johannesburg)
Bulls v Sharks (Pretoria)

Friday, May 7:
Hurricanes v Reds (Wellington)
Lions v Blues (Johannesburg)

Saturday, May 8:
Chiefs v Waratahs (Hamilton)
Brumbies v Highlanders (Canberra)
Bulls v Crusaders (Pretoria)
Cheetahs v Western Force (Bloemfontein)
Sharks v Stormers (Durban)

Friday, May 14:
Blues v Chiefs (Auckland)
Waratahs v Hurricanes (Sydney)
Sharks v Western Force (Durban)

Saturday, May 15:
Crusaders v Brumbies (Christchurch)
Reds v Highlanders (Brisbane)
Cheetahs v Lions (Kimberley)
Stormers v Bulls (Cape Town)

Friday, May 21 – Semi Final 1
Saturday, May 22 - Semi Final 2

Saturday, May 29 – Final

Related Posts

• October 14, 2009 -- Currie Cup 2009 – Update (0)
• October 9, 2009 -- Currie Cup 2009 – Update (0)
• October 6, 2009 -- Australia win 2009 ICC Champions Trophy (0)
• September 7, 2009 -- Wallabies bring Springboks down to earth in Brisbane (0)
• September 3, 2009 -- Currie Cup 2009 Update (0)
• September 2, 2009 -- ICC Champions Trophy 2009 around the corner (0)
• September 2, 2009 -- Springboks make history in Tri-Nations (0)
• January 18, 2010 -- Proteas pull one back against England (0)
• December 7, 2009 -- World Cup 2010: Groups (0)
• November 2, 2009 -- Bulls are 2009 Currie Cup Champions (0)

Going into the final 5 day test of the 4 test series against England the Proteas were trailing by 1 test in the series. England were ahead 1-0 in the series. 2 of the 5 day tests in the series ended in draws. From the get-go the South African cricket team seemed determined not to loose the series. On the first day of the final test at the Wanderers in Johannesburg, South Africa Dale Steyn was the star of the show, taking 5 wickets in 13.5 overs. England were dismissed for 180. South Africa came in to bat and achieved a total 29 without loss at the end of play. On the 2nd day South African captain Graeme Smith scored a century and in the process helped South Africa to gain a total of 215 for the loss of only 2 wickets. Graeme Smith did have a little bit of luck on his side though. He was clearly caught behind when he had only 15 runs behind his name. A distinct sound could be heard. Even though the appeal was referred to the television umpire (who clearly did not have his sound on) and he survived. On day 3 South Africa added more runs to their total (thanks to contributions by AB De Villiers and Mark Boucher) and declared with their total at 423 runs for the loss of 7 wickets. England were sent in to bat. The English team suffered a top order collapse and the day ended with England at 48 runs for the loss of 3 wickets. The 4th day of the test match belonged to the Proteas. The South African team managed to bowl out England just before lunch for only 169 runs. All credit to Morne Morkel who took 4 wickets for 59 runs in 16 overs against the visitors. All credit to the Proteas for fighting back. This win means that South Africa retains the Basil D’Oliveira Trophy. It also means that the series against the visitors ends in a draw. Definately a better performance by the South African cricket team.

Related Posts

• January 21, 2010 -- Super 14 Fixtures for 2010 (1)
• December 7, 2009 -- World Cup 2010: Groups (0)
• November 16, 2009 -- Proteas have mixed results against England (0)
• October 1, 2009 -- England 2009 / 2010 Tour to South Africa – Match Schedule (0)
• September 28, 2009 -- South Africa knocked out of ICC Champions Trophy (0)
• September 2, 2009 -- ICC Champions Trophy 2009 around the corner (0)
• November 17, 2009 -- France teach Springboks a lesson (0)
• November 13, 2009 -- Springboks to take on France tonight (0)
• November 11, 2009 -- Famous Cricketers: Graeme Pollock (0)
• November 9, 2009 -- Famous Footballers: Gary Lineker (0)

This past weekend the group draw for the FIFA World Cup 2010 was staged in Cape Town, South Africa at the Cape Town International Convention Centre. The ceremony was presented by South African actress Charlize Theron, assisted by FIFA Secretary General Jérôme Valcke. The results of the draw had mixed response internationally. It seems that the whole world is in FIFA World Cup football fever now.

Here are the results of the draw.

Group A:

• South Africa
• Mexico
• Uruguay
• France

Group B:

• Argentina
• Greece
• South Korea
• Nigeria

Group C:

• England
• United States
• Algeria
• Slovenia

Group D:

• Germany
• Australia
• Ghana
• Serbia

Group E:

• The Netherlands
• Denmark
• Japan
• Cameroon

Group F

• Italy
• Paraguay
• New Zealand
• Slovakia

Group G

• Brazil
• North Korea
• Côte d’Ivoire / Ivory Coast
• Portugal

Group H:

• Spain
• Switzerland
• Honduras
• Chile

This really was an interesting FIFA World Cup draw. There could be some surprise results in the group matches of the tournament which kicks off on the 11th of June 2010 in Johannesburg. Only time will tell who will make it into the knockout stage of the 2010 FIFA World Cup in South Africa.

Related Posts

• January 21, 2010 -- Super 14 Fixtures for 2010 (1)
• January 18, 2010 -- Proteas pull one back against England (0)
• November 17, 2009 -- France teach Springboks a lesson (0)
• November 16, 2009 -- Proteas have mixed results against England (0)
• November 13, 2009 -- Springboks to take on France tonight (0)
• November 11, 2009 -- Famous Cricketers: Graeme Pollock (0)
• November 3, 2009 -- Springbok Squad announced for 2009 European Tour (0)
• October 6, 2009 -- Australia win 2009 ICC Champions Trophy (0)
• October 1, 2009 -- England 2009 / 2010 Tour to South Africa – Match Schedule (0)
• September 28, 2009 -- South Africa knocked out of ICC Champions Trophy (0)