Sports News 12:30

BULLETIN SPORTS NEWS 8 April 12:30 pm

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

# We start with cricket: Cricket South Africa has awarded 18 national contracts and two hybrid contracts for the 2025/’26 season. Fast bowlers Kwena Maphaka and Lizaad Williams, and all-rounder Senuran Muthusamy have been awarded national contracts for the first time. David Miller and Rassie van der Dussen are on hybrid contracts and will participate in specific agreed-upon bilateral tours and International Cricket Council. CSA dds that discussions are ongoing regarding the future of Heinrich Klaasen, who was on a white-ball-only contract in the previous cycle.

More cricket news: New Zealand’s head coach in all three formats, Gary Stead, will step down as white-ball coach when his contract expires in June. He says he will decide in the next few weeks if he will reapply to coach the Test team. The 53-year-old steered the Black Caps to the inaugural World Test Championship title in 2021, and an unprecedented three-nil Test series sweep of India on the sub-continent last year. Rob Walter, who resigned as the Proteas’ white-ball coach recently, has been heavily linked to take over from Stead.

# Rugby: University of Stellenbosch’s Maties will face arch-rivals University of Cape Town’s Ikeys in the Varsity Cup final in Stellenbosch on Monday. Log leaders Maties earned a hard-fought 19-7 victory over defending champions University of the Free State’s Shimlas in their semifinal at the Danie Craven Stadium in Stellenbosch. Ikeys are through to their fourth consecutive final after outscoring University of Pretoria’s Tuks by five tries to four on their way to a 48-35 victory in Pretoria.

# Golf: Fifteen-time major champion Tiger Woods has partnered with the Augusta National Golf Club in Georgia to design a new nine-hole short course. Woods’ architecture firm, TGR Design, will create the new course as part of the renovation of the Augusta Municipal Golf Course. Additionally, Woods’ TGR Foundation will open its fourth Learning Lab in Augusta, providing access to science, technology, engineering, arts and maths. Woods, who won five Masters, says he is excited to see both projects become a reality:

# And finally: The Nigerian Olympic Committee announced it has met the 28 March deadline for expression of interest to bid for the 2030 Commonwealth Games. Nigeria can only commence a formal bid with the backing of the country’s government. The country lost a bid to host the 2014 Games to Glasgow. The committee says Nigeria’s bid for the 2030 Games in the capital of Abuja will present a unique opportunity to showcase its development, enhance its global standing, and invigorate its sports culture.

Stay tuned for more news………….