Sports News 12:30

BULLETIN SPORTS NEWS 30 April 12:30 pm

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

# We start with Cricket: Head coach Rob Walter announced a 15-man Proteas squad for the T20 World Cup to be played in the USA and West Indies in June. Aiden Markram will lead a squad that includes two uncapped T20 players – batter Ryan Rickelton and fast bowler Ottniel Baartman. The Proteas will benefit from the experience of batters Quinton de Kock, Reeza Hendricks, Heinrich Klaasen and David Miller. Kagiso Rabada and Anrich Nortjé will lead the pace attack, while the squad includes three front-line spinners – Bjorn Fortuin, Keshav Maharaj and Tabraiz Shamsi. 

# Rugby: France, England and Ireland are reportedly opposed to World Rugby and Sanzaar’s plans to formally introduce the 20-minute red card to Test rugby. SA Rugby has backed the move. It has been a regular feature in Super Rugby since 2020, allowing a team to replace a red-carded player after 20 minutes. For Sanzaar to introduce the rule, it would need a 75-percent majority of the council vote. The law will be part of this year’s Rugby Championship.

# Roadrunning: London Marathon organisers have received 840-thousand-318 applications for the 2025 race. This breaks the world record of 578-thousand-374 set in last year’s public ballot. More than 53-thousand runners completed the 44th edition of the marathon last week, a record for the event. Olympic champion Peres Jepchirchir set a women-only world record. There were an estimated 17-thousand ballot spaces available for this year’s race. The 2025 London Marathon is scheduled for 27 April.

# Soccer: The United States and Mexico have withdrawn their joint bid to host the 2027 Women’s World Cup, and will instead focus on securing the 2031 tournament. This leaves Brazil and a joint bid from Belgium, Germany, and the Netherlands as the remaining candidates. US Soccer president, Cindy Parlow Cone, says hosting a World Cup tournament is a huge undertaking, and having additional time to prepare allows them to maximise its impact across the globe. The Fifa Congress will pick the tournament hosts next month.

# And finally, Boxing: Minister of Sport, Arts, and Culture, Zizi Kodwa, has paid tribute to South African boxing legend Dingaan Thobela, saying he inspired the nation and future boxers. He died in his Johannesburg home at the age of 57. Popularly known as the Rose of Soweto, he boxed professionally for 16 years and claimed three world titles in two weight divisions. Kodwa’s spokesperson, Litha Mpondwana, says Thobela did so much to elevate South African sport through his success in boxing.

Stay tuned for more news………….