Sports News 12:30

BULLETIN SPORTS NEWS 13 September 12:30 pm

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

# We start with rugby: Morné van den Berg has been called up as an injury replacement for Grant Williams for the Springboks’ penultimate Rugby Championship match against Argentina in Santiago next Saturday. Williams, who started at scrumhalf for the Boks against the All Blacks in Cape Town last weekend, was ruled out of the touring squad due to a knock to the arm. Van den Berg made his debut against Portugal in Bloemfontein and earned his first start in the green and gold against Australia in Perth last month.

More news about the sport is that the Sharks will face the Bulls with four Springboks in Saturday’s Currie Cup semifinal at Loftus. André Esterhuizen and Francois Venter are the centres, Jordan Hendrikse starts at fullback and Phepsi Buthelezi is number eighth. Former South Africa A player, Lionel Cronjé, is on the bench. Coach John Plumtree made six changes and a rotational switch to the group that beat the Bulls in last week’s final group match in Durban. Captain Vincent Tshituka expects a huge encounter, saying being the underdog just motivates them.

# Tennis: Bulgaria’s Grigor Dimitrov has been called up to represent Team Europe in the Laver Cup in Berlin, as a replacement for Rafael Nadal. The 38-year-old Spaniard withdrew from the competition saying he believes other players can help Team Europe deliver the win. Dimitrov, often referred to as “Baby Fed” for his playing style reminiscent of Roger Federer, brings a wealth of experience and flair to the team, which already boasts stars like Carlos Alcaraz and Daniil Medvedev.

# Motorsport: McLaren’s Lando Norris says he wants to try to earn the F1 world title on merit. As team boss Andrea Stella revealed ahead of this weekend’s Azerbaijan Grand Prix, they would prioritise Norris. The British driver is 62 points behind Red Bull’s Max Verstappen in the drivers’ championship. Norris says McLaren’s decision to prioritise him in the title race does not mean his teammate Oscar Piastri will give up race wins:

# And finally, soccer: The English Premier League’s hearing into Manchester City’s 115 alleged charges will begin on Monday. City, who have won the Premier League for a record-breaking four consecutive seasons, has been charged with breaking financial fair play rules over a nine-year period, which started in 2009 and went on until 2018. City has denied all the charges. If found guilty the reigning champions could face a points deduction serious enough to condemn them to relegation, or even expulsion from the Premier League.

Stay tuned for more news………….