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

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• 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.

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• January 21, 2010 -- Super 14 Fixtures for 2010 (1)
• December 7, 2009 -- World Cup 2010: Groups (0)
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• 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)
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• 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)

The Springboks are currently still on tour in Europe and have lost both their tour matches, the first match against Leicester in the United Kingdom and the second match against France in Toulouse. I hope that they break out of this losing streak. Perhaps it was the poor portrayal of the South African National Anthem before the match by Ras Dumisani that jinxed the performance of the Springboks in the match against the France. Or maybe the Springboks were just completely outplayed by the French on their home ground. Or it could have been the referee (Springbok fans love blaming the referee). It seems that everyone’s looking for a scapegoat to blame for the Springboks’ poor performance on Friday night in Toulouse. The Springboks have not beaten France on their home ground in a game of rugby since 1997 (when Nick Mallet’s Springboks beat the French by 52 points to 10). This may have been in the back of their minds as they started the match on Friday night. Julien Dupuy scored the first points of the game for France in the 6th minute of the first half. The Springboks only managed to reply with a penalty by Morne Steyn in the 20th minute. A few minutes later Morne Steyn kicked over a drop goal for South Africa, followed by a try for South Africa by the captain, John Smit. The Springboks were leading by 13 points to 3, but failed to score in the rest of the match. They had no reply to French try by wing Vincent Clerc and the other points scored by the French. 2 Yellow cards handed out to Kankowski and Morne Steyn didn’t help the Springboks either. In the end France beat the Springboks convincingly by 20 points to 13. The Springboks face Saracens in the UK in a mid week clash this week before facing Italy on the weekend. Let’s hope South Africa have their rugby playing boots on for the rest of their European tour.

This is video of Ras Dumisani performing the SA National Anthem before the match:

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• November 13, 2009 -- Springboks to take on France tonight (0)
• November 16, 2009 -- Proteas have mixed results against England (0)
• November 3, 2009 -- Springbok Squad announced for 2009 European Tour (0)
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• September 14, 2009 -- Springboks clinch 3rd Tri-Nations victory (0)
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• September 2, 2009 -- Springboks make history in Tri-Nations (0)
• January 21, 2010 -- Super 14 Fixtures for 2010 (1)
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This past weekend the South African cricket team played in 2 different T20 Internationals against England. England were victorious in the first match played at the Wanderers in Johannesburg on Friday night. The Proteas won the 2nd match played at Supersport Park in Centurion yesterday.

On Friday night Graeme Smith sent England in to bat first after winning the toss at the Wanderers. England managed to score 202 for the loss of 6 wickets. Contributions of 33 by Trott, 57 by Collingwood and 85 by Morgan helped to power the English innings. Mclaren (fairly new to the South African side) manage to take 3 wickets for 33 runs in 4 overs (the best South African bowler in the match). Langeveldt managed to take 1 wicket for 39 runs in 4 overs. The other 2 dismissals in the English innings were run-outs. Batsmen Loots Bosman and Graeme Smit opened the South African innings and put up an impressive opening partnership for the Proteas in 8.3 overs. They scored 97 runs between the two of them before Graeme Smith was dismissed for 41 runs. Loots Bosman joined him shortly after this on the pavillion and England were back in the game (dismissed for 58 runs). A small contribution by JP Duminy did not help the Proteas (managing to score only 6 runs from 5 balls). A thunderstorm was brewing in Johannesburg. South Africa needed to progress from 121/3 to 129/3 in 1 over to clinch the match for South Africa (according to the Duckworth / Lewis system). The batsmen, AB De Villiers and Albie Morkel only managed to score 6 runs (instead of before rain came pouring down at the Wanderers. South Africa lost by a single run (again). South Africa were a bit unlucky, but would have won this match if the batsmen were not so cautious in the last over.

On Sunday, South Africa batted first in the 2nd T20 International match against England at Supersport Park in Centurion. The Proteas scored the second highest total ever in T20 Internationals, 241 runs for 6 wickets. Loots Bosman and Graeme Smith opened the South African batting innings and managed to put the highest ever opening partnership total in T20 cricket. South Africa only lost the first wicket of their innings with their total on a 170. Graeme Smith scored 88 runs from 44 balls. Loots Bosman scored 94 runs from only 45 balls. Minor contributions by AB De Villiers (24) and Albie Morkel (14) helped the home side to reach 241 runs from 20 overs. England came in to bat but could only manage a total of 157 runs for 8 wickets. South Africa won the match by 84 runs. Loots Bosman was awarded the Man of the Match award for his contribution. The Proteas have proved once again that they are a force to aware of in International cricket. Only time will tell if they manage to keep up this reputation.

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• January 18, 2010 -- Proteas pull one back against England (0)
• November 17, 2009 -- France teach Springboks a lesson (0)
• November 13, 2009 -- Springboks to take on France tonight (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)
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The Springboks are currently on tour in Europe. Unfortunately they lost their first tour match against Leicester in England last week Friday. Guthro Steenkamp and Chillyboy
Ralepelle were injured in the match and sent home to South Africa. 2 Cheetahs players have been called up to replace these 2 players, Wian du Preez (prop) and Adriaan Strauss (hooker). Tonight’s match against France kicks off at 9:45 PM (South African time) and will be broadcast on Supersport 1 and M-net in South Africa. The match is being played in Toulouse in France, at the Municipal stadium. This promises to be a cracking game of rugby, but I think the Springboks will be victorious at the end of it. The French are a force to be reckoned with on their own soil. Only time will tell if the Springboks will be victorious in this match against France. Hopefully we’ll get to see Bryan Habana score one of his world famous tries (example in the photo below)

French Team: Damien Traille, Vincent Clerc, Yann David, Maxime Mermoz, Cedric Heymans, Francois Trinh-Duc, Julien Dupuy, Louis Picamoles, Imanol Harinordoquy, Theirry Dusautoir (captain), Romain Millo-Chluuski, Lionel Nallett, Nicolas Mas, Willem Servat, Fabien Barcella. Reserves: Dimitri Szarzewzski, Sylvain Marconnet, Sebastien Chabal, Julien Bonnaire, Morgan Parra, David Marty, Maxime Medard.

South Africa: Zane Kirchner, JP Pietersen, Jaque Fourie, Adi Jacobs, Bryan Habana, Morne Steyn, Fourie du Preez, Ryan Kankowski, Schalk Burger, Heinrich Brussow, Victor Matfield, Bakkies Botha, John Smit (captain), Bismarck du Plessis, Tendai Mtawarira. Reserves: Adriaan Strauss, Wian du Preez, CJ van der Linde, Andries Bekker, Danie Rossouw, Ruan Pienaar, Wynand Olivier.

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• November 17, 2009 -- France teach Springboks a lesson (0)
• November 16, 2009 -- Proteas have mixed results against England (0)
• November 3, 2009 -- Springbok Squad announced for 2009 European Tour (0)
• September 25, 2009 -- South Africa bounce back in ICC Champions Trophy (0)
• September 23, 2009 -- Sri Lanka crush Proteas in ICC Champions Trophy (0)
• September 14, 2009 -- Springboks clinch 3rd Tri-Nations victory (0)
• September 2, 2009 -- ICC Champions Trophy 2009 around the corner (0)
• September 2, 2009 -- Springboks make history in Tri-Nations (0)
• January 21, 2010 -- Super 14 Fixtures for 2010 (1)
• January 18, 2010 -- Proteas pull one back against England (0)

Graeme Pollock was born in Durban, Kwazulu Natal province in South Africa in 1944. He’s widely regarded as the best South African cricketer and batsmen of all time. Graeme Pollock played for Eastern Province and Transvaal on in the South African domestic cricket competition. In his cricketing career Graeme Pollock played in 262 first class matches and 23 Test matches for South Africa. He scored 2256 test runs, an average of 60.97 per innings (second best in history behind Donald Bradman of Australia). He played in 14 test matches against Australia, 8 against England an 1 against New Zealand. He managed to score 7 test centuries and 11 test fifties in his career. In 1970 he scored 274 against Australia (his highest score in a test) against Australia in Durban at Kingsmead. This was a record which was only broken in 1999 by Daryll Cullinan. He also bowled 414 balls in test cricket and took 4 wickets. He played in his last test for South Africa against Australia in 1970. Unfortunately his international career was cut short by the International Sporting Boycott of South Africa. The boycott was only lifted in 1992 when South Africa was allowed to play in the Cricket World Cup. One can only wonder what would’ve happened if he continued to play international cricket. Graeme Pollock was named as South African player of the year in 1961 and 1984. His nephew, Sean Pollock (son of Peter Pollock) played in 108 test matches for South Africa and captained South Africa between 2000 and 2003.

Related Links:
Graeme Pollock – Who’s Who SA
Graeme Pollock – South Africa.info

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• January 21, 2010 -- Super 14 Fixtures for 2010 (1)
• January 18, 2010 -- Proteas pull one back against England (0)
• December 7, 2009 -- World Cup 2010: Groups (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 3, 2009 -- Springbok Squad announced for 2009 European Tour (0)
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• October 1, 2009 -- England 2009 / 2010 Tour to South Africa – Match Schedule (0)
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After the Vodacom Bulls beat the Vodacom Cheetahs convincingly in this past Saturday’s Currie Cup final, the Springbok squad was announced for the upcoming 2009 South African tour to Europe. 37 players have been chosen to represent their country. South African rugby is really doing well in 2009, so this promises to be one of the best tours in history. Pierre Spies was selected but has withdrawn from the squad. He’s undergoing surgery one of his fingers (an injury sustained in the Vodacom Bulls Currie Cup campaign). He has been replaced by another player (Jean Deysel from the Sharks). South Africa will face Leicester in on the 6th of November, France on the 13th of November, Saracens on the 17th of November, Italy on the 21st of November and Ireland on the 28th of November.

Here is the list of players who were selected:

Forwards (20):

• John Smit (Sharks) – Captain
• Victor Matfield (Vodacom Bulls) – Vice-Captain
• Andries Bekker (Vodacom Western Province)
• Bakkies Botha (Vodacom Bulls)
• Heinrich Brüssow (Vodacom Cheetahs)
• Schalk Burger (Vodacom Western Province)
• Bismarck du Plessis (Sharks)
• Jannie du Plessis (Sharks)
• Alistair Hargreaves (Sharks)
• Ashley Johnson (Vodacom Cheetahs)
• Ryan Kankowski (Sharks)
• Bandise Maku (Vodacom Bulls)
• Tendai Mtawarira (Sharks)
• Dewald Potgieter (Vodacom Bulls)
• Chiliboy Ralepelle (Vodacom Bulls)
• Davon Raubenheimer (GWK Griquas)
• Danie Rossouw (Vodacom Bulls)
• Gurthrö Steenkamp (Vodacom Bulls)
• Heinke van der Merwe (Xerox Lions)
• Jean Deysel (Sharks)

Backs (17)

• Heini Adams (Vodacom Bulls)
• Meyer Bosman (Vodacom Cheetahs)
• Juan de Jongh (Vodacom Western Province)
• Fourie du Preez (Vodacom Bulls)
• Jaque Fourie (Xerox Lions)
• Bryan Habana (Vodacom Bulls)
• Francois Hougaard (Vodacom Bulls)
• Adi Jacobs (Sharks)
• Zane Kirchner (Vodacom Bulls)
• Odwa Ndungane (Sharks)
• Jongi Nokwe (Vodacom Cheetahs)
• Wynand Olivier (Vodacom Bulls)
• Ruan Pienaar (Sharks)
• JP Pietersen (Sharks)
• Earl Rose (Xerox Lions)
• Morne Steyn (Vodacom Bulls)
• Riaan Viljoen (GWK Griquas)

The selected SA Squad features 9 new caps. 14 Vodacom Bulls players have been selected. 11 Sharks players have been selected. 4 Vodacom Cheetahs players have been selected. 3 Xerox Lions players have been selected. 3 Vodacom Western Province players have been selected. 2 GWK Griquas players have been selected. In all, this promises to be a great Springbok team. I’m sure that all the new players are quite excited to be selected. South Africa has a great opportunity to prove to the world that they’re still the World Champions of Rugby Union.

Related Posts

• November 17, 2009 -- France teach Springboks a lesson (0)
• November 13, 2009 -- Springboks to take on France tonight (0)
• January 21, 2010 -- Super 14 Fixtures for 2010 (1)
• January 18, 2010 -- Proteas pull one back against England (0)
• December 7, 2009 -- World Cup 2010: Groups (0)
• November 16, 2009 -- Proteas have mixed results against England (0)
• November 11, 2009 -- Famous Footballers: Roberto Baggio (1)
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Australia faced New Zealand yesterday in the final of the 2009 ICC Champions Trophy at Supersport Park in Centurion, Gauteng, South Africa. Australia beat England and New Zealand beat Pakistan in respective semi-final matches to reach the final of the tournament. New Zealand won the toss and elected to bat. The Black Caps were in trouble in the 27th over of their innings, only managing 94 runs for the loss of 5 wickets. The Australians restricted them to 200 for the loss of 9 wickets (not a very defendable total). New Zealand’s highest scoring batsmen in the match was Martin Guptill who managed to score 40 runs. Neil Broom achieved a career-best total of 37 runs. Even though they managed to bat through their 50 overs, I’m sure that the Black Caps probably wanted a higher score to defend against Australia.

Australia came in to bat. 2 early Australian wickets put the team in trouble at 6 runs for the loss of 2 wickets after the 3rd over. Kyle Mills and Shane Bond were responsible for the 2 wickets. Australia only managed 37 runs in the first 16 overs of their innings. White (who later survived a dropped catch with his total on 15) joined opening batsmen Shane Watson (who scored 136 not out against England in the semi-final) and brought stability back to the Australian innings. White eventually scored 62 runs. Watson stayed on till the end of the innings and scored 105 not out. Australian achieved a comfortable 6 wicket victory over New Zealand in the 45th over of the match. Shane Watson was named the Man of the Match. Australian captain Ricky Ponting was named as the player of the series. Australia successfully defended their ICC Champions Trophy title.

It would’ve been interesting if South Africa wasn’t knocked out in the early stages of the tournament. Hopefully the Proteas will perform better in the upcoming series against England. I just hate the fact they have a tendency to choke in big tournaments, a reason why I don’t watch cricket in the pubs anymore.

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• January 21, 2010 -- Super 14 Fixtures for 2010 (1)
• September 7, 2009 -- Wallabies bring Springboks down to earth in Brisbane (0)
• September 2, 2009 -- ICC Champions Trophy 2009 around the corner (0)
• September 2, 2009 -- Springboks make history in Tri-Nations (0)
• September 25, 2009 -- South Africa bounce back in ICC Champions Trophy (0)
• September 14, 2009 -- Springboks clinch 3rd Tri-Nations victory (0)
• January 18, 2010 -- Proteas pull one back against England (0)
• December 7, 2009 -- World Cup 2010: Groups (0)
• November 17, 2009 -- France teach Springboks a lesson (0)
• November 16, 2009 -- Proteas have mixed results against England (0)

The Proteas have been knocked out of the 2009 ICC Champions Trophy, so there’s almost no need to report on what’s happening in that tournament, since South Africa is not in it anymore (even though we’re hosting it). England is facing Australia today in the 1st semi final of the ICC Champions Trophy at Supersport Park in Centurion. Hopefully the Proteas have learned something from this year’s ICC Champions Trophy tournament. I’m sure that Graeme Smith and the boys are turning their sights and focus towards the upcoming England Cricket tour to South Africa later in 2009. England and South Africa will be facing each other in 2 T20 Internationals, 5 One Day Internationals (ODIs) and 4 five day tests. This promises to be a very exciting series. It’s always exciting to see the Proteas take on England with home ground advantage.

Here is a list of the matches that will be played between the 2 nations:

• 13 November 2009 – SA vs England, 1st T20 International – The Wanderers Stadium, Johannesburg
• 15 November 2009 – SA vs England, 2nd T20 International – Supersport Park, Centurion
• 20 November 2009 – SA vs England – 1st One Day International – The Wanderers Stadium, Johannesburg
• 22 November 2009 – SA vs England – 2nd One Day International – Supersport Park, Centurion
• 27 November 2009 – SA vs England – 3rd One Day International – Newlands, Cape Town
• 29 November 2009 – SA vs England – 4th One Day International – St George’s Park, Port Elizabeth
• 4 December 2009 – SA v England – 5th One Day International – Kingsmead, Durban
• 16 December – 20 December 2009 – SA vs England – 1st Test – Supersport Park, Centurion
• 26 December – 30 December 2009 – SA vs England – 2nd Test – Kingsmead, Durban
• 3 January – 7 January 2010 – SA vs England – 3rd Test – Newlands, Cape Town
• 14 January – 18 January 2010 – SA vs England – 4th Test – The Wanderers Stadium, Johannesburg

Hopefully the Proteas will brush off the bad experience which was the South African Campaign in the 2009 ICC Champions Trophy and perform much better in this series against England. I’m sure that Graeme Smith and the boys will be giving their best, are at least be trying to.

Related Posts

• January 18, 2010 -- Proteas pull one back against England (0)
• November 16, 2009 -- Proteas have mixed results against England (0)
• September 28, 2009 -- South Africa knocked out of ICC Champions Trophy (0)
• September 2, 2009 -- ICC Champions Trophy 2009 around the corner (0)
• January 21, 2010 -- Super 14 Fixtures for 2010 (1)
• December 7, 2009 -- World Cup 2010: Groups (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)

South Africa faced England in their last match of the group stage of the ICC Champions Trophy. The Proteas had a chance of making it in the semi-final for the tournament, but lost by 22 runs at Supersport Park, Centurion in Gauteng. England batted first, racking up a total of 332 for the loss of 8 wickets. Collingwood was the 2nd highest scoring batsmen for England, knocking 82 runs off 94 balls before being dismissed by Wayne Parnell. Shah was the best batsmen for England hitting 98 runs off 89 balls. Johan Botha dismissed Shah, he was caught behind by Mark Boucher. On the bowling side, Wayne Parnell managed to get 3 wickets for South Africa. Johan Botha picked up 2 wickets.

South Africa came in to bat, chasing the biggest total ever at Supersport Park, but once again choked under pressure from a very well disciplined English team. At least South African captain Graeme Smith finally found some form, scoring 141 runs off 134 balls. AB De Villiers was the 2nd highest scoring South African batsmen, only managing 36 runs off 41 balls. Minor contributions by Gibbs (22), Kallis (12), JP Duminy (24), Mark Boucher (8) and Morkel (17) wasn’t really instrumental into helping South Africa reach the target quicker. Broad and Anderson each took 3 wickets for England. Shah was named as the man of the match. Some people might say that the Proteas are continuing the old trend of “choking” in big matches. One could also argument that South African Cricket is in a transformation stage. New, unexperienced players are coming in it will be a while before the Proteas are on top form again. I don’t go pub crawling to watch them play any more, since I can’t handle the disappointment of South Africa losing yet another big game. Well done to the Proteas for trying harder than usual. In my opinion, this was just a case of South Africa being outplayed by England, pure and simple.

Related Posts

• January 18, 2010 -- Proteas pull one back against England (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 2, 2009 -- ICC Champions Trophy 2009 around the corner (0)
• January 21, 2010 -- Super 14 Fixtures for 2010 (1)
• December 7, 2009 -- World Cup 2010: Groups (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)

After suffering a 55 run defeat at the hands of Sri Lanka earlier in the week, the South African national cricket team have bounced back with a 5 wicket victory over New Zealand at Supersport Park in Centurion yesterday. New Zealand were sent in to bat first after South Africa won the toss and decided to have a bowl first. New Zealand did not manage to bat through their allowed 50 overs and were bowled out for 214 runs in the 48th over. Wayne Parnell was the Proteas best bowler for South Africa, taking 5 wickets for 57 runs (a bit expensive but not bad at all for a 19 year old). Ross Taylor was the Black Caps’ best batsman, scoring 72 runs off 106 balls.

After the lunch interval South Africa began their batting innings. Graeme Smith, the SA captain was dismissed in the 6th over. Hashim Amla and Jacques Kallis put up a 2nd wicket partnership of 52 runs. Kallis was caught behind off the bowling of Shane Bond and managed to score 36 runs off 39 balls. South African lost the wickets of Amla and JP Duminy in quick succession and were on 138 runs for the loss of 4 wickets in the 27th over. AB De Villiers and Mark Boucher managed to restore order and put up a 5th wicket partnership of 42 runs. Boucher was caught behind off the bowling of Daryl Tuffey and South Africa were on 180 runs for the loss of 5 wickets. AB De Villiers was joined by Albie Morkel and they closed the deal with an unbeaten 6th wicket partnership of 37 runs off 32 balls. Albie Morkel was responsible for 19 of those runs.

This was much better play by the Proteas and a well-deserved victory indeed. South Africa face England in their next match in the ICC Champions Trophy on the 27th of September at Supersport Park. This promises to be an interesting match. England face Sri Lanka today in the their first match of the tournament. It seems that Gauteng province is the place to be for International cricket this week, if you can find a ticket, most of the games are sold out.

Related Posts

• September 14, 2009 -- Springboks clinch 3rd Tri-Nations victory (0)
• September 2, 2009 -- ICC Champions Trophy 2009 around the corner (0)
• September 2, 2009 -- Springboks make history in Tri-Nations (0)
• January 21, 2010 -- Super 14 Fixtures for 2010 (1)
• 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)
• October 6, 2009 -- Australia win 2009 ICC Champions Trophy (0)
• September 23, 2009 -- Sri Lanka crush Proteas in ICC Champions Trophy (0)
• September 7, 2009 -- Wallabies bring Springboks down to earth in Brisbane (0)

The South African Cricket Team, commonly known as the Proteas lost their opening match against Sri Lanka in the ICC Champions Trophy tournament yesterday. The match was played at Supersport Park, Centurion in Gauteng. The Proteas had to reach the target of 320 runs (set by Sri Lanka). When the first summer rains of the region stopped play, the Proteas had only managed to reach 206 runs for the loss of 7 wickets. The Duckworth Lewis system was applied and South Africa lost the match by 55 runs. It seems that the Proteas “choked” again. Why is it that we always play our worst cricket when it comes to International tournaments like this one and the Cricket World Cup? Once again a South African sports team has put itself under pressure. Some of my friends have stopped watching cricket for this reason. The Proteas have to win their 2 upcoming games (against New Zealand and England) to reach the semi finals of the ICC Champions Trophy. Let’s hope that this was a once off “choke” and that South Africa live up to their current #1 World Ranking.

Related Posts

• September 2, 2009 -- ICC Champions Trophy 2009 around the corner (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)
• September 25, 2009 -- South Africa bounce back in ICC Champions Trophy (0)
• September 14, 2009 -- Springboks clinch 3rd Tri-Nations victory (0)
• September 2, 2009 -- Springboks make history in Tri-Nations (0)
• January 21, 2010 -- Super 14 Fixtures for 2010 (1)
• January 18, 2010 -- Proteas pull one back against England (0)
• December 7, 2009 -- World Cup 2010: Groups (0)

This is the 4th post on Sports Fanatic dealing with the venues for the 2010 FIFA World Cup which will be hosted in South Africa next year. So far, we’ve covered the stadiums in Johannesburg, Polokwane and Rustenburg. Today we will cover 2 more stadiums that will used as venues for matches in next year’s tournament. For those of you who didn’t know, South Africa has 11 official languages, 9 provinces and an estimated population of about 49 million people. Today’s stadiums are located in the Eastern Cape and Free State provinces of South Africa. The Eastern Cape Province is 3rd most populated province in the country with a population of more than 6 million people (behind Gauteng and the Western Cape). The Free State Province is the 8th most populated province in South Africa, with a population of just under 3 million people.

Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium: The venue is set on the shores of the North End Lake, located in the Port Elizabeth area in the Eastern Cape Province of South Africa. The stadium is named after South Africa’s first democratically elected president, Nelson Mandela. The Eastern Cape province border the Kwazulu Natal province. This is the first soccer / football dedicated stadium in the city of Port Elizabeth and its surrounding areas. The Nelson Mandela Bay stadium was newly-built for the 2010 FIFA World Cup. It was completed in May 2009, on schedule. The venue will host 8 matches in the tournament, including the match for third place and 1 of the quarter final matches. The Nelson Mandela Bay stadium is a multi-purpose venue with a unique roof-structure and a spectacular view overlooking the North End Lake area. Before the construction of this venue, all international football matches were played at the EPRU (Eastern Province Rugby Union) Stadium. The Nelson Mandela Bay stadium features a natural grass playing surface with an artificial turf outer / surrounding area. The stadium has a seating capacity of 48,000. The Nelson Mandela Bay stadium has hosted a few events since it’s completion. The venue was used for a rugby match between the British & Irish Lions and the newly launched Southern Kings team in June 2009. The Nelson Mandela Bay stadium also hosted the 2009 edition of the Premier’s Cup and match between Orlando Pirates FC and Kaizer Chiefs FC in the Vodacom Challenge in July 2009.

Related Links:
Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium – Official Website
Nelson Mandela Stadium – Wikipedia

Free State Stadium: Situated in the city of Mangaung / Bloemfontein in the Free State Province of South Africa. The Free State province is situated in the central part of South Africa. The province borders the Northern Cape, Eastern Cape, Gauteng and Kwazulu Natal Provinces. The Free State Stadium is being used for rugby and football (soccer). Bloemfontein Celtic FC and the Free State Cheetahs call this stadium home. The seating capacity of the Free State Stadium was upgraded before the 2009 Confederations Cup. The stadium now has seating available for 45,000 fans. The Free State Stadium will host 5 first round matches and 1 second round match in the 2010 FIFA World Cup. The Free State stadium has a good record of safety and security, ample parking and excellent corporate hospitality. Bloemfontein sports fans are well-known for their enthusiasm. This venue promises to be very enjoyable one in the 2010 FIFA World Cup. The original Free State Stadium was built in 1952.

Related Links:
Free State Stadium – Wikipedia
Free State Stadium – SA Venues

Related Posts

• January 21, 2010 -- Super 14 Fixtures for 2010 (1)
• January 18, 2010 -- Proteas pull one back against England (0)
• December 7, 2009 -- World Cup 2010: Groups (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)

This is the next installment about the stadiums that will be used in South Africa next year during the 2010 FIFA World Cup. So far we’ve covered the stadiums in Kwazulu Natal, the Western Cape and Gauteng provinces. All the previously mentioned stadiums are in the major metropolitan areas of South Africa. Today we will cover 2 stadiums which are situated in smaller metropolitan areas. For the record, more than 70% of South Africa’s population is urbanized.

Royal Bafokeng Stadium: The Royal Bafokeng Stadium is situated 12 km outside the city of Rustenburg in the North West Province of South Africa. The Royal Bafokeng stadium is only a 30 minute drive from Sun City and the Pilanesberg. The stadium has been upgraded to seat 42,000 for the 2010 FIFA World Cup. The roof of the main stand was upgraded as well for about $45 million. The Royal Bafokeng Stadium also has a new electronic scoreboard, new seats, upgraded floodlights and an upgraded public. This address system. This stadium has hosted many Professional Soccer League matches, despite the fact that Rustenburg does not even have a team in the competition. This multi-purpose venue hosted its first rugby international in 2006, for the Tri Nations competition. In the match South Africa beat New Zealand 21 – 20. The stadium has also hosted matches for the 2009 FIFA Confederations Cup. The stadium is named after the Bafokeng people who live in the area around the stadium. The Bafokeng people won a legal battle in 1999, entitling them to 20% of the platinum being mined on their historic land. Rustenburg is just over 1 hrs drive from South Africa’s capital city, Pretoria / Tshwane. The Royal Bafokeng Stadium will host first and second round matches in the 2010 FIFA World Cup.

Related Links:
Royal Bafokeng Stadium – SA Venues
Royal Bafokeng Stadium – Engineering News

Peter Mokaba Stadium: This stadium is situated in Polokwane (formerly known as Pietersburg) in the Limpopo Province of South Africa. Polokwane is about 3 hours drive from Pretoria / Johannesburg. The Peter Mokaba Stadium is named after one of the sons of the struggle and emancipation against the apartheid regime in South Africa. This is being newly built for the 2010 FIFA World Cup and is situated just East of the old Pietersburg Stadium in Polokwane. The stadium is about 5 km from the Polokwane city center. When completed in early 2010, this stadium will seat 46,000 people. The city of Polokwane is home to more than 500,000 people. The Peter Mokaba Stadium will host 4 matches in the first round in next year’s FIFA World Cup. This promises to be a very interesting venue.

Related Links:
Peter Mokaba Stadium – Polokwane Website
Peter Mokaba Stadium – Go 2 Africa

Related Posts

• January 21, 2010 -- Super 14 Fixtures for 2010 (1)
• January 18, 2010 -- Proteas pull one back against England (0)
• December 7, 2009 -- World Cup 2010: Groups (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)

This past Saturday, the 12th of September 2009, will go down as one of the greatest days in the history of South African rugby. The Springboks faced the All Blacks for the 3rd time in this year’s Tri-Nations Tournament in Hamilton, New Zealand. Before this match the South African public was not sure whether the Springboks had it in them to beat New Zealand on one of their own grounds. South Africa does not have a good track record against the All Blacks in New Zealand. It turns out that Springbok supporters did not have to worry too much. In a humdinger of a match, South Africa beat New Zealand by 32 points to 29. This was a welcome result after the previous test against Australia in Brisbane did not go so well. A lot was expected from the Springboks, since they won all their tests against Australia and New Zealand in South Africa (In Durban, Cape Town and Johannesburg).

The Springboks completely overwhelmed the All Blacks in the first half of the game. The All Blacks only managed to score 12 points (4 penalties kicked by Dan Carter) in this half. Fourie Du Preez scored the first try of the match in the 19th minute of the first half. 3 penalties by full back Frans Steyn (including a 60 metre kick over the posts from South Africa’s 10 metre line) and a 35 metre drop goal by fly half Morne Steyn helped to bring up the Springboks score to 22 points when the half time whistle blew. All of South Africa was pleased with the Springboks’ performance, being 10 points head at half time against the All Blacks on their home ground is quite an achievement.

11 minutes into the 2nd half, Springbok centre Jean de Villiers lived up to his reputation of “interception king”, intercepting a pass from Dan Carter 30 metres from the New Zealand goal line and cruising over the line for a trademark try. After the successful conversion, the Boks were ahead by 29 points to 12. Sitiveni Svivivatu managed to score a try for the All Blacks in the 16th minute after half time, which was converted. At this stage, the Springboks were still ahead by 10 points (29 – 19). Dan Carter kicked over another penalty for New Zealand with 16 minutes left in the match, putting the All Blacks only 7 points behind South Africa. However, fly half Morne Steyn gave the Springboks some breathing room, kicking over a penalty with 10 minutes to go to give his team a 10 point lead. In the dying minutes of the match, Richie Macaw sailed over the try line for a New Zealand. The Springboks defended all All Black onslaughts until the 81st minute of the match, beating New Zealand for the 2nd time in 2 years on their own ground and clinching the 2009 Tri Nations Championship for the 3rd time.

Unfortunately I did not see this match on television, but I did follow the online scoring on Supersport constantly because I was worried that the Springboks might not be able to pull it off. It really has been a brilliant year for South African Rugby. The Springboks are the current World Cup Holders, they won the series against the British Lions and now they are the 2009 Tri Nations Champs. Quite impressive if you ask me. Let’s also not forget that a South African team, the Vodacom Bulls are the current Super 14 Champs. With achievements like these, things can only get better for South African Rugby. Hats off to the All Blacks for being a formidable opponent (like always). Some critics have labeled New Zealand as sore losers after South African centre, Jacque Fourie has been handed a 4 week ban for a dangerous tackle. I tend to disagree, a dangerous tackle is still a dangerous tackle and I think this would’ve happened even if we were out of contention for the Tri Nations title. This years Tri-Nations competition will be remembered as the year that Morne Steyn scored all 31 points against the All Blacks in a test in Durban, the year the Springboks beat Australia in Perth with a record score and the year South Africa won its 3rd ever Trophy.

Argentina has been invited to the join the Tri Nations championship in 2012. Argentina has also been given an opportunity for their best players to be allowed in the Super 14 competition. This could be interesting. This could bring some interesting elements into the competition. This could possibly bring up Argentinian rugby to the level of rugby we’ve come to know from Australia, South Africa and New Zealand. Only time will tell whether this will be the case or not. The Springboks are expected to arrive in South Africa after 16:00 on Monday the 14th of September at OR Tambo Airport in Johannesburg. They’re bound to be awaited by some fans who will probably give them a heroes welcome.

Related Links:
A Nation Sceams ‘Yes!’ – Independent Online
Super Boks are Champions – Independent Online
Smit hails Bok heroes – Daily Dispatch
Springboks bask in latest glory – Irish Times
All Blacks have lost ‘aura of invincibility’ – New Zealand Herald
Building a Dynasty – Keo Sport Blog
Argentina to Join Tri-Nations – News 24
De Villiers gives Hamilton a right hook – Supersport Rugby

Related Posts

• September 25, 2009 -- South Africa bounce back in ICC Champions Trophy (0)
• September 2, 2009 -- ICC Champions Trophy 2009 around the corner (0)
• September 2, 2009 -- Springboks make history in Tri-Nations (0)
• January 21, 2010 -- Super 14 Fixtures for 2010 (1)
• 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)
• October 6, 2009 -- Australia win 2009 ICC Champions Trophy (0)
• September 23, 2009 -- Sri Lanka crush Proteas in ICC Champions Trophy (0)
• September 7, 2009 -- Wallabies bring Springboks down to earth in Brisbane (0)

The 2010 FIFA World Cup will kick off in South Africa on the 11th of June next year. 3 million tourists are expected to make their way to South Africa for this event. The 2010 FIFA World Cup is expected to inject more than R20 billion ($2.6 billion) into the South African economy. 15,000 volunteers from around the world will be required by FIFA to host the event in South Africa. FIFA announced in early September 2009 that it has received nearly 70,000 applications from volunteers around the world. Interviews for volunteers will begin in December 2009. A survey released earlier this week indicated that 87 percent of the South Africans in the survey were convinced that South Africa would be ready to host the 2010 FIFA World Cup. Today we will be covering 2 more stadiums which will be used as match venues in the 2010 FIFA World Cup.

Both of these stadiums are situated in the city of Johannesburg in the Gauteng province of South Africa. The province only comprises 1.4% of South Africa’s total land area, but has a population of more than 9.5 million (according to estimates in 2005), making it the most populous province in South Africa. Johannesburg is the largest city in Sub-Saharan Africa and has a population of almost 4 million people. The South African public generally refers to Johannesburg as “Joburg” or “Egoli” (meaning place of gold). In 1886 gold was discovered in the area and people from all over the world flocked to the site of the present day city.

Coca Cola Park: Also known as Ellis Park Stadium. This stadium was first built in 1928 to be used for rugby. In 1982 it was rebuilt for the same reason. Ellis Park Stadium was named after a Johannesburg city councilman, J.D Ellis, who approved the land for the stadium (a full 13 acres). This stadium holds a special place in the hearts of South Africans. The Springboks beat New Zealand on this ground in 1995, winning the Rugby World Cup. Coca Cola Park is also the site of the 2009 FIFA Confederations Cup Final between Brazil and the United States. The stadium was upgraded before the tournament, increasing its seating capacity from 57,000 to 62,000. The stadium also features top notch media facilities, team whirlpools, top notch VIP areas for dignitaries, accessibility for disabled fans, a new pitch and a state-of-the-art audio visual setup to keep fans informed, occupied and entertained. The stadium is also the home of 2 local sports teams, The Golden Lions rugby team and Orlando Pirates FC football team. The venue is also regarded as one of South Africa’s premier concert venues. The Rolling Stones performed here in the early 1990s. Coca Cola Park Stadium promises to be one of most memorable venues of the 2010 FIFA World Cup.

Related Links:
Coca Cola Park Stadium – Official Website
Coca Cola Park – Wikipedia

Soccer City Stadium: This stadium has long been considered as the home of South African Football / Soccer since it was first built in 1987. Soccer City is situated in the South Western part of Johannesburg. It was first known as the FNB stadium with a capacity of about 80,000 people. It was also the first international football stadium to be constructed in South Africa. For the 2010 FIFA World Cup the stadium, now known as Soccer City Stadium, is being upgraded. The amount of suites in the stadium will be increased from 99 to 184. The upper tier of Soccer City Stadium will be upgraded to increase seating capacity. The stadium will be able to house 94,700 people comfortably. An encircling roof, new changing room facilities and new floodlighting were also added to the list of upgrades. The ground’s new design resembles an African pot known as a calabash. Soccer City Stadium was the venue for the first mass rally for Nelson Mandela after he was released from prison in 1990. Thousands of mourners also lamented Chris Hani’s assassination at the stadium in 1993. In 1996 Soccer City hosted the CAF African Cup of Nations final in which South Africa beat Tunisia 2 – 0. Soccer City will host the opening match and the final for the 2010 FIFA World Cup. The atmosphere in this stadium promises to be very electric and vibrant.

Related Links:
Soccer City Stadium – Wikipedia
Soccer City Stadium – Official Website

Related Posts

• January 21, 2010 -- Super 14 Fixtures for 2010 (1)
• January 18, 2010 -- Proteas pull one back against England (0)
• December 7, 2009 -- World Cup 2010: Groups (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)

The IAAF (International Association of Athletics Federation) will receive the results of a gender test done on 18 year old South African 800m athlete, Caster Semenya in the next few days. However, a spokes person for the IAAF has said that the anti-doping and medical experts at the IAAF will take about 2 weeks to analyze the results of the test. Only when this has been done, an educated decision will be made by them. The results of the tests will not be made public. This is not a doping case and is considered as a medical matter which requires patient confidentiality. The IAAF has confirmed that, whatever the result of the gender test, that Semenya will not be stripped of her gold medal. Outside experts have been commissioned by the IAAF to appease South Africa’s stinging criticism of the IAAF’s handling of the gender controversy. However, the IAAF has been subject to criticism from more than one source. Retired sprinter Michael Johnson has also criticized the IAAF about their handling of the issue. According to the IAAF the motivation for the test was not cheating, they wanted to determine whether Semenya has a chromosomal disorder which gives her an unfair advantage over other athletes. The whole issue sparked after it was revealed that Semenya was being gender tested without being told that she’s being gender tested.

Caster Semenya won the 800m Gold Medal at the 2009 World Championships in Berlin, Germany. She became the center of a political and press frenzy in August this year, when her gender was brought into question. Semenya previously participated in the 2008 World Junior Championships in Poland and won the gold medal in the 800m at the 2008 Commonwealth Youth Games in Pune, India. Her gender has been questioned because of her muscular build and deep voice. She has been featured in an article in the South African Magazine, YOU and has been quoted as answering “I see it all as a joke, it doesn’t upset me. God made me the way I am and I accept myself. I am who I am and I’m proud of myself” when she was asked about the whole gender row.

In my opinion, like most issues in the media, this has been given way too much attention, even though its controversial. For political and sports leaders to exploit this fiasco for political gain is just sick. Suddenly this is conveniently earmarked as racist and sexist behaviour by the IAAF by them. Some of the members of parliament in the South African government have even demanded a public apology by the IAAF. Hopefully this all will blow over soon. Judging by her reaction in YOU Magazine, Semenya is not letting the exploits in the media and by politicians get to her.

Related Posts

• January 21, 2010 -- Super 14 Fixtures for 2010 (1)
• January 18, 2010 -- Proteas pull one back against England (0)
• December 7, 2009 -- World Cup 2010: Groups (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)

Last week I was oozing with patriotism in a post about the Springboks’ performance abroad in the Tri-Nations. I’m glad I didn’t look for a ticket for sale for this past weekend’s game. The South African supporters, yours truly and the Springbok team itself were brought back to reality with an astonishing loss against Australia in Brisbane this past weekend. It just shows you, just when you think that a team (in any sport) is unbeatable, the underdogs or team that you least expect to perform brings them back down to earth or at least reminds them that they’re not unbeatable. The Wallabies crushed the Springboks, beating them convincingly by 21 points to 6 and silencing all the critics. The Springboks trailed by 9 points to 6 at half time. Adam Ashley-Cooper and James O’Connor scored the tries for Australia. Matt Giteau kicked over a conversion, 2 penalties and a drop goal. Flyhalf Morne Steyn scored South Africa’s 6 points, kicking over a penalty and a drop goal.

Maybe the Springbok team had a negative connotation in the back of their minds connected with Brisbane. The Springboks have not won a game in Brisbane since 1971. The concept is almost the one the Springboks had with the infamous “House of Pain” in Christchurch, New Zealand, an obstacle overcome by the Springboks in last year’s Tri-Nations competition when they beat the All Blacks in a test there. Besides the loss at the Suncorp stadium this past week, the Springboks still hold a commanding 9 point lead on the Tri-Nations points log. The Springboks have put themselves under pressure, in my opinion. Then again, they can’t be expected to perform at their peak all the time. All they can do is focus on their game. They face the All Blacks this coming weekend in Hamilton, New Zealand. They have to beat New Zealand on their own soil convincingly (with a bonus point) in order to make sure that they win their third Tri-Nations title. To win the Tri-Nations this year, New Zealand must win both their remaining games, with at least one bonus point, against South Africa next week or Australia in Wellington on the 19th of September. Australia have lost 4 of their 5 matches putting them out of the contest for the Tri-Nations Championship title. This is probably why they beat South Africa this past weekend, they had nothing to lose, making them a very dangerous competitor. Should the Springboks loose to New Zealand this coming weekend, every South African supporter will be praying for an Australian victory in the last test in Wellington (not a common trend in South Africa). If this coming weekend’s test was going to be played in Johannesburg or somewhere else in South Africa, the Springboks would probably be a little less worried than now.

South African captain, John Smit sounded confident about his team’s performance against New Zealand in the upcoming test this weekend “Rest assured the guys will be fired up for the final game in Hamilton.” he said. The performance against Australia this past weekend wasn’t the best we’ve seen by the Springboks this year, hopefully they’ll do a lot better against New Zealand this coming weekend. Come on boys! Bring our 3rd Tri-Nations title home!

Related Posts

• September 2, 2009 -- Springboks make history in Tri-Nations (0)
• January 21, 2010 -- Super 14 Fixtures for 2010 (1)
• October 6, 2009 -- Australia win 2009 ICC Champions Trophy (0)
• September 2, 2009 -- ICC Champions Trophy 2009 around the corner (0)
• September 25, 2009 -- South Africa bounce back in ICC Champions Trophy (0)
• September 14, 2009 -- Springboks clinch 3rd Tri-Nations victory (0)
• January 18, 2010 -- Proteas pull one back against England (0)
• December 7, 2009 -- World Cup 2010: Groups (0)
• November 17, 2009 -- France teach Springboks a lesson (0)
• November 16, 2009 -- Proteas have mixed results against England (0)

Gary Player was born in November 1935 in Johannesburg, South Africa. He played his first round of golf at the Virginia Park course in Johannesburg at age 14. His father bought him his first set of golf clubs, after managing to take out a loan. In his first round of golf, Gary Player managed to par the first 3 holes of the course. When he turned 16 he announced that he would become the world’s number one player. At age 17 Gary Player turned professional. Over the years he’s racked an amazing 164 professional wins and 9 wins in major championships (3 Masters, 1 US Open, 3 Open Championships, 2 PGA Championships). Gary Player was made a member of the World Golf Hall of Fame in 1974. Along with Arnold Palmer and Jack Nicklaus he is sometimes referred to as one of “The Big Three” golfers of his era (between the 1950s and 1970s). Gary Player is 1 of the 5 golfers in history to achieve Golf’s “Grand Slam”. He achieved this when he was 29 years old, in 1965. Over the years he’s managed 13 South African Open wins and 7 Australian Open Wins (more than anyone else). In the 20th Century he was the only player ever to win the British Open in 3 different decades. Gary Player achieved his first British Open win in 1959. In 1998 at the US Masters, he became the oldest golfer ever to make the cut, breaking a 25 year old record set by Sam Snead. In 2009, Gary Player played in his record 52nd Masters tournament. He has been called the world’s most travelled athlete. Over the years Gary Player has travelled over 14 million miles for his career. He’s been nicknamed “The Black Knight”, “Mr Fitness” and “The International Ambassador of Golf”. Gary Player is also a renowned golf course architect with more than 300 designs projects all over the globe. He got married 4 years after turning professional, in 1957. He’s a father to 6 children and a grandfather to 21 children.

Related Posts

• January 21, 2010 -- Super 14 Fixtures for 2010 (1)
• January 18, 2010 -- Proteas pull one back against England (0)
• December 7, 2009 -- World Cup 2010: Groups (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)

It’s already halfway into the Currie Cup Season in South Africa this year. 8 sides are competing for the coveted Currie Cup Trophy. The competition has been running since 1899, making it one of the oldest Rugby competitions in the world. The Currie Cup competition has been held annually since 1968. The Sharks are the team who current hold the Currie Cup Trophy in South Africa. So far, each team in the Currie Cup competition has played 8 games. Currently Western Province are on top of the Currie Cup log with 28 points. The defending champions, The Sharks, are in 2nd place with 27 points. The team from Pretoria, the Bulls (a finalist in last year’s competition) are in 3rd place with 25 points. The boys from Kimberley, the Griquas are in 4th position with 24 points.

Because of the Tri-Nations competition, most of the teams in Currie Cup are currently without their star players since most of them are called up to represent South Africa. For instance, the Bulls are currently playing without Fourie Du Preez, Morne Steyn, Danie Rossouw, Pierre Spies, Victor Matfield, Bakkies Botha and Bryan Habana. Despite being 3rd on the Currie Cup log, the Bulls have struggled in this year Currie Cup, narrowly avoiding defeat by the Griquas a few weeks ago. This could change when their players return after the Tri-Nations. The same goes for the Free State, Western Province and the Sharks. We’re bound to see a higher level of commitment and gauranteed quality rugby from that stage onwards. With 6 games to go in the round-robin stage of the Currie Cup, the competition is still wide open. Only time will tell who will be the champions this year. So what are you waiting for? Find some tickets for sale and attend a match this weekend. Support the premier South African domestic competition. Who knows, you might just enjoy yourself extremely in the process and even meet some interesting fans along the way.

Related Links:
SA Rugby – Official Website
Currie Cup Rugby – Rugby Week

Related Posts

• October 14, 2009 -- Currie Cup 2009 – Update (0)
• October 9, 2009 -- Currie Cup 2009 – Update (0)
• October 19, 2009 -- Bulls and Cheetahs to play in Currie Cup 2009 Final (0)
• January 21, 2010 -- Super 14 Fixtures for 2010 (1)
• January 18, 2010 -- Proteas pull one back against England (0)
• December 7, 2009 -- World Cup 2010: Groups (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)

The ICC Champions Trophy is a One Day International cricket tournament, second in importance only to the Cricket World Cup. The tournament was inaugurated as the ICC Knock Out tournament in 1998. Since then it has been played every 2 years. The tournament underwent a name change in 2002 and is known as the Champions Trophy since then. Previous ICC Champions Trophy competitions have been hosted by Bangladesh (in 1998), Kenya (in 2000), Sri Lanka (in 2002), England (in 2004), India (in 2006). Pakistan was supposed to be the host country for the competition in 2008. Security constraints led to the tournament being postponed to October 2009. Security concerns by some participating countries has led to the tournament venue being changed to South Africa. The ICC Champions Trophy will be held in South Africa from the 22nd of September until the 5th of October 2009. 2 venues will be used in the ICC Champions Trophy, the Wanderers Stadium in Johannesburg and Supersport Park in Centurion. The world’s top 8 nations in cricket will compete in the ICC Champions Trophy. The nations will be split up into 2 groups of 4 nations. Group A will be made up out of Australia, India, Pakistan and the West Indies. Group B will be made up out of South Africa, New Zealand, Sri Lanka and England.

Here’s a list of fixtures for the ICC Champions Trophy:

• 22 Sept 2009 – Centurion – South Africa vs Sri Lanka – 14h30 – Day / Night
• 23 Sept 2009 – The Wanderers - Pakistan vs West Indies – 14h30 – Day / Night
• 24 Sept 2009 – Centurion – South Africa vs New Zealand – 09h30 – Day
• 25 Sept 2009 – The Wanderers – England vs Sri Lanka – 14h30 – Day / Night
• 26 Sept 2009 – The Wanderers – West Indies vs Australia – 09h30 – Day
• 26 Sept 2009 – Centurion - India vs Pakistan – 14h30 – Day / Night
• 27 Sept 2009 – The Wanderers – New Zealand vs Sri Lanka – 09h30 – Day
• 27 Sept 2009 – Centurion – South Africa v England – 14h30 – Day / Night
• 28 Sept 2009 – Centurion - Australia vs India – 14h30 – Day / Night
• 29 Sept 2009 – The Wanderers – England vs New Zealand – 14h30 – Day / Night
• 30 Sept 2009 – The Wanderers – India vs West Indies – 14h30 – Day / Night
• 30 Sept 2009 – Centurion – Australia vs Pakistan – 09h30 – Day
• 2 Oct 2009 – The Wanderers – A1 vs B2 – 14h30 – Day / Night
• 3 Oct 2009 – Centurion – B1 v A2 – 14h30 – Day / Night
• 5 Oct 2009 – Centurion – Final – Day / Night

South Africa have only won the ICC Champions Trophy once, in 1998 in Bangladesh. The Proteas are very determined to add this year’s trophy to their collection. The South African Cricket Team have failed to be victorious in the last 5 Cricket World Cups and the last 2 T20 World Cups. Hopefully this year the Proteas can add the ICC Champions Trophy (nicknamed the mini World Cup) to their collection. Guess I’ll have to look for some tickets for sale and go check out the ICC Champions Trophy. Let’s hope the Proteas make South Africa proud.

Related Links:
Mickey: Proteas Want The Trophy – Sport24
Arthur: We’re the best – Sky Sports
The new team to beat – Mail & Guardian
SA Cricket – Official Website
Cricket – Supersport

Related Posts

• September 2, 2009 -- Springboks make history in Tri-Nations (0)
• January 21, 2010 -- Super 14 Fixtures for 2010 (1)
• November 16, 2009 -- Proteas have mixed results against England (0)
• October 6, 2009 -- Australia win 2009 ICC Champions Trophy (0)
• September 25, 2009 -- South Africa bounce back in ICC Champions Trophy (0)
• September 23, 2009 -- Sri Lanka crush Proteas in ICC Champions Trophy (0)
• September 14, 2009 -- Springboks clinch 3rd Tri-Nations victory (0)
• September 7, 2009 -- Wallabies bring Springboks down to earth in Brisbane (0)
• January 18, 2010 -- Proteas pull one back against England (0)
• November 17, 2009 -- France teach Springboks a lesson (0)

South Africa is demonstrating why they are the current Rugby World Champions in this years Tri-Nations Rugby Competition. The Springboks are well on the way to win their 3rd Tri-Nations title. On the 29th of August, South Africa faced Australia at the Subiaco Oval in Perth. This encounter was the 2nd one between the two rugby rivals in this year’s competition. The Springboks followed up their victory in the 1st encounter against the Wallabies in this year’s competition with a convincing and record breaking victory away from home. The Springboks amassed the biggest score against the Wallabies on Australian soil in history. The expert boot of flyhalf Morne Steyn, 2 tries by wing Bryan Habana, 1 try by scrumhalf Fourie Du Preez and another try by centre Jacque Fourie sealed their victory. After leading by 22 points to 6 at half time and standing up to the challenge by the Wallabies, the Springboks won the game by 32 points to 25. Australia scored 3 tries in the 2nd half, 2 were credited to flyhalf, Matt Giteau and 1 was credited to Lachie Turner.

Only 3 games remain in this year’s Tri-Nations Rugby Tournament. South Africa are currently on top of the table with 17 points. New Zealand is in 2nd place with 8 points. Australia is in last place with only 3 points. The Springboks have played 4 games and won all 4 of them, picking up 1 bonus point along the way. Australia have lost all 4 their matches. All 3 of Australia’s points are bonus points achieved for losing by less than 7 points against another team. South Africa will win the Tri-Nations unless they lose their last 2 matches without getting a bonus point and New Zealand has 2 bonus-point victories in their last 2 matches.

It’s quite pricey to travel, even the tickets will be expensive in the classifieds. I guess I’ll have to wait until next year’s competition if I wanna go watch a Tri-Nations match in a stadium. Luckily there is more than bar with a big screen in my home city, Pretoria. I will not have a problem finding a place to watch 3 remaining matches in the Tri-Nations this year

Related Links:
Trust key to Bok Success – IOL
Major Milestone for Fourie – News24
SA Rugby – Official Website

Related Posts

• September 7, 2009 -- Wallabies bring Springboks down to earth in Brisbane (0)
• September 2, 2009 -- ICC Champions Trophy 2009 around the corner (0)
• January 21, 2010 -- Super 14 Fixtures for 2010 (1)
• October 6, 2009 -- Australia win 2009 ICC Champions Trophy (0)
• September 25, 2009 -- South Africa bounce back in ICC Champions Trophy (0)
• September 14, 2009 -- Springboks clinch 3rd Tri-Nations victory (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)
• September 23, 2009 -- Sri Lanka crush Proteas in ICC Champions Trophy (0)