Sports News 12:30

BULLETIN SPORTS NEWS 16 April 12:30 pm

Good day, let’s look at the latest sports news and scores:

# We kick off with rugby: The Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium in Gqeberha in the Eastern Cape will next month play host to this year’s edition of the Under 20 Rugby Championship. The second edition of the Southern Hemisphere tournament will bring together the best young stars from South Africa, New Zealand, Argentina, and Australia. In last year’s inaugural tournament in Australia, New Zealand edged South Africa for the title. Junior Springbok coach, Kevin Foote, says this tournament is crucial for their preparations for the World Rugby Under20 Championship in Italy in July.

More rugby news: Ireland has announced the union’s four provinces will have to contribute 40-percent to national players’ contracts from August next year in comparison to 30-percent at the moment. This will have the biggest effect on Leinster, which has the most nationally contracted players. The Irish Rugby Football Union says the funds generated by the increase will be invested in provincial player pathways. It says the change will ensure the model remains equitable and financially sustainable for all involved.

# Olympic Games: The International Olympic Committee has released more information on the addition of a mixed-team golf event which will debut at the 2028 Games in Los Angeles. There will be a maximum of one team per country, with teams comprised of one man and one woman who have already qualified for the men’s and women’s individual Olympic golf competitions. The event will be contested as a 36-hole competition. The addition of the mixed-team event marks the first Olympic golf team competition since the 1904 Games in St Louis, Missouri.

# Soccer: Several governing bodies disagree with South American federation Conmebol over extending the 2030 men’s World Cup to 64 teams. North and Central America and Caribbean governing body Concacaf, Europe’s UEFA and Asia’s AFC are against the proposal. They say they haven’t even kicked off next year’s tournament in Northern America, which will be expanded from 32 to 48 teams. World body Fifa will discuss Conmebol’s proposal next month. The 2030 tournament will be co-hosted by Spain, Portugal and Morocco, with some matches being played in South America.

# And finally, boxing: Promotor Bob Arum doesn’t believe Tyson Fury will make a U-turn over his retirement this time. The 36-year-old British heavyweight fighter surprised in January by calling it quits shortly after losing to Ukrainian Oleksandr Usyk in a world title fight again. Fury retired more than once previously, but Arum doesn’t think he wants to get up in the morning and do road work or train when he doesn’t need the money. He earned an estimated 942-million-rand from winning 34 professional fights, losing two and drawing another.

Stay tuned for more news………….