Sports News 12:30

BULLETIN SPORTS NEWS 21 July 12:30 pm

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

# We start off with rugby: SA Rugby president Mark Alexander says recent victories of the Springboks, Blitzboks and the Junior Boks reflect the depth of structures, coaching excellence and players’ resilience. The Springboks won consecutive World Cups, the Blitzboks won this season’s Sevens Championship, and the Junior Boks have secured back‑to‑back Junior World Championship titles. SA Rugby’s general manager of High Performance, Dave Wessels, says the Junior Boks are benefiting from proper school structures:

# Soccer: Spain has reclaimed the top spot in the world rankings after beating Argentina 1-0 to win the World Cup. Argentina slipped to second place while France, beaten by England in the third-place play-off, is third. England and Brazil round up the top five. Morocco is the highest-ranked African nation in sixth place, while South Africa has moved up six places to 54th. The biggest climber in the rankings is Norway, moving 12 places to 19th after reaching the quarterfinals for the first time.

FIFA has meanwhile launched an investigation into the on-pitch altercation between Argentinian and Spanish players after Sunday’s final. Leandro Paredes received a red card for violent conduct after he grabbed and pushed Spanish players, including Eric Garcia. Nahuel Molina appeared to strike Spain’s captain Rodri in the stomach as he celebrated their victory. Argentinian assistant coach Roberto Ayala also tried to punch Dani Olmo. FIFA says a disciplinary and ethics prosecutor will investigate potential breaches of the disciplinary code.

# Tennis: The Women’s Tennis Association says players will have to undergo a one-time test for the SRY gene, which is part of the Y chromosome and causes male characteristics to develop. Previous WTA rules allowed the participation of transgender women provided their declared gender was female, and they maintained a lower testosterone level for two years before competing. Players who refuse the test will face disciplinary action. WTA says the women’s eligibility policy is designed to maintain fair competition for all players participating in tournaments.

# And cycling: Participants in the gruelling Tour de France are furious with anti-doping testers for waking them in the middle of the night. Defending champion Tadej Pogacar of Slovenia describes the situation as inhumane. This follows after former champion Jonas Vingegaard of Denmark confirmed he was woken at two am, and Pogacar at five. Vingegaard retired from the tour following a crash during the 15th stage on Sunday. Other riders describe the testing as a complete lack of respect for the participants.

Stay tuned for more news………….