Sports News 12:30

BULLETIN SPORTS NEWS 23 July12:30 pm

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

# We start with rugby: Springbok coach Rassie Erasmus named a strong 33-man squad led by double World Cup-winning captain Siya Kolisi for the Rugby Championship, which kicks off against the Wallabies in Brisbane on the tenth of next month. Twenty-two of the players are World Cup winners, while five players who made their debuts this year are included – Jan-Hendrik Wessels, Johan Grobbelaar, Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu, Ben-Jason Dixon and Morné van den Berg. There is also a return for lock Ruan Nortjé, who made his Springbok debut against Wales in 2022.

Meanwhile, the Springbok Sevens will start their Olympic campaign against Ireland in Paris tomorrow. South Africa qualified at the last possible moment and now their focus is on winning a medal. The Blitzboks are playing in Pool A which also includes New Zealand and Japan. Coach Philip Snyman believes they have turned around a disappointing season and can win a medal for Team SA: 

Tour de France cycling champion Tadej Pogačar has been ruled out of the Games. The Slovenian Olympic Committee says he has not been selected because of fatigue after winning his third Tour de France on Sunday. Pogačar was one of the favourites, alongside Dutchman Mathieu van der Poel, for the Olympic road race on the third of next month. Pogačar will be replaced by his national team colleague Domen Novak. Meanwhile, defending Olympic champion Richard Carapaz was not selected by Ecuador.

Meanwhile, Israel’s participants in the Games will be given 24-hour protection amid the tensions in the Gaza Strip. This follows after far-left lawmaker Thomas Portes said the Middle Eastern country’s athletes were not welcome in France, and called for protests against their participation. The Games take place 52 years after 11 Israeli’s were killed in a terrorist attack during the Munich Games in Germany in 1972. A memorial ceremony for the victims had been moved from Paris’ City Hall to the Israeli embassy.

# And finally, USA Cricket and Cricket Chile have 12 months to rectify their non-complicance with the International Cricket Council’s membership rules. The world body put them on notice for not having a fit-for-purpose detailed governance and administrative structure and systems.  The ICC warns it reserves the right to suspend or expel a member for continued non-compliance. The decision was taken during the ICC’s annual conference in Colombo, where it discussed capitalising on the Olympic opportunity when T20 cricket becomes an Olympic sport in 2028.

Stay tuned for more news………….