Sports News 12:30

BULLETIN SPORTS NEWS 29 April 12:30 pm

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

# We kick off with rugby: The Lions face an uphill battle in their final two United Rugby Championship matches after winning their six previous games. The Johannesburg team is currently third on the log, their best position ever, but faces defending champion Leinster and Munster in Ireland next. The Lions could finish in the top-four, or even fail to qualify for the quarterfinals if certain results go against them. Coach Ivan van Rooyen says they are focusing only on Leinster at the moment and will then start planning for Munster.

More rugby news: Springbok Women coach Swys de Bruin has invited the experienced Sizophila Solontsi and Nomawethu Mabenge to join a group of 36 players at a training camp in Stellenbosch next month. Lerato Makua has also been invited. Solontsi missed the previous camp due to a head knock, while Mabenge has been undergoing rehabilitation from a knee injury. De Bruin says the three players will add an extra layer of intensity to the squad. The training camp is in preparation for next month’s Rugby Africa Women’s Cup in Kenya.

# Soccer: Mamelodi Sundowns’ coach, Miguel Cardoso, is worried his team’s busy schedule could result in key Bafana Bafana players being injured before the World Cup. He previously asked the Premier League to postpone domestic games so Sundowns would get more time to prepare for next month’s African Champions League final matches against Morocco’s Royal Armed Forces. The team plays four PSL matches before that. About 11 Sundowns players are regarded as possibilities for the World Cup.

# Athletics: South Africa won the 4-by-100-metre men’s and women’s relays at the inaugural Simbine Classic meeting in Tshwane. Cameroonian Emmanuel Eseme crossed the finish line in 10.03-seconds to win the men’s 100-metres ahead of the USA’s Pjai Austin. Akani Simbine pulled up injured midway through the race and finished last. South Africa’s Prudence Sekgodiso won the women’s 1,500-metres while Tshepo Tshite took the men’s 3,000-metres. Simbine says the event was a success:

# And, tennis: American Hailey Baptiste produced a career-defining moment at the Madrid Open, defeating world number one Aryna Sabalenka to reach the semifinals for the first time. Baptiste will face ninth-seeded Mirra Andreeva of Russia, who defeated Canadian Leylah Fernandez to reach her first Madrid semifinal. In the men’s draw, Germany’s Alexander Zverev battled past Czech Jakub Mensik to reach the quarterfinals, while Italian Flavio Cobolli knocked out Russia’s Daniil Medvedev.

Stay tuned for more news………….