A legal team is preparing to submit an official complaint to the International Rugby Board (IRB), against SA Rugby Union’s proposed quota system, civil rights organisation AfriForum said on Monday. AfriForum chief executive Kallie Kriel said IRB rules prohibited racial discrimination and political interference in rugby. “Saru’s instruction to the Springbok coach is a crude … Read more
Portugal fans searching for explanations for their team’s disappointing World Cup performances are finding plenty of possible culprits. A last-gasp 2-2 draw against the United States on Sunday, following a 4-0 thrashing by Germany, has left the Portuguese on the verge of a first-round exit from the tournament in Brazil. Returning home after the group … Read more
BY ARNE RICHTER The football world has been amazed by the attacking spectacle that is the World Cup, with the heat and long distances to travel proving no hindrance to the goal fest. At the halfway point of the tournament, 94 goals have been scored in 32 games.If the average of 2.94 goals per game … Read more
By Maggie Fick CAIRO (Reuters) – Three Al Jazeera journalists were jailed for seven years in Egypt on Monday after a court convicted them of helping a “terrorist organisation” by spreading lies, in a case that has raised questions about the country’s respect for media freedoms. The three, who all deny the charge, include Australian … Read more
Funny how life works out. During his days as trade unionist, South Africa’s new Finance Minister Nhlanhla Nene reputedly organised the first ever strike in the country’s financial sector. Now he has to deal directly with consequences of a platinum mining strike whose knock-on effect hampers Treasury’s ability to meet commitments without increased borrowing or … Read more
A little known fact is that I was one of the original shareholders in boutique money manager Vestact. Its founder, Paul Theron, was a friend from the early days of the internet (when he launched the since departed Tradek.com) so when he decided to start again, the business I then controlled, Moneyweb, provided office space … Read more
By SAMUEL PETREQUIN The draw for Wimbledon was relatively kind to defending champion Andy Murray. It was a lot more daunting for top-ranked Rafael Nadal. Murray, who last year became the first British man to win Wimbledon since Fred Perry in 1936, was drawn Friday to open the defense of his title against 104th-ranked David … Read more
The Spanish Football Federation says it wants national coach Vicente del Bosque to remain in charge despite the titleholders’ stunning elimination from the World Cup after just two matches. Federation director Jorge Perez tells Cope Radio “if he wants to go, we’ll persuade him to stay. He is the ideal man to lead the transition … Read more
The Junior Springboks were beaten 21-20 by England in the final of the IRB Junior World Championship (JWC) at Eden Park, in Auckland, New Zealand, on Friday. Trailing by a point at half-time, the South African under-20 side fought back well but fell short in the end, as England won their second successive JWC … Read more
The economics of the World Cup have always been a little dubious for the host country. While FIFA reliably makes its billions, many host countries find that the fabled rewards for hosting fail to materialise. Tourism numbers are lower than hoped for, the demand for hotels fails to hit the expected peaks, and most commonly, … Read more