Sports News 12:30

BULLETIN SPORTS NEWS 8 May 12:30 pm

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

# First up, we look at rugby: Junior Springbok head coach Kevin Foote chose continuity for tomorrow’s Under-20 Rugby Championship decider against two-time champion New Zealand at the Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium in Gqeberha. The only adjustment to the team that defeated Australia last weekend is on the bench, where loose forward Risima Khosa returns in place of Gert Kemp. South Africa, currently on top of the standings on 10 points, requires just a single log point to clinch the title for the first time. Kick-off is at 2pm.

Other rugby news, the Stormers, the Lions and the Bulls need crucial victories in the penultimate pool round of the United Rugby Championship this weekend. All three South African teams are still in the running to host quarter-finals when the playoffs start. This evening, the Stormers as log leaders take on Ulster in Belfast, the seventh-placed Bulls face Zebre in Pretoria tomorrow, and the third-placed Lions are up against fourth-placed Leinster in Dublin. The Sharks, now tenth on the log, take on 13th-placed Benetton in Durban.

# Tennis: World number one Jannik Sinner says players are not getting the respect they deserve from the organisers of the four Grand Slam events. The women’s world number one, Aryna Sabalenka of Belarus, recently stated players will at some point boycott one of the majors if they aren’t given a higher percentage of the revenue generated by the slams. The Italian says players give much more than what they get back:

# Golf: The first female captain in the centuries-old history of the Royal and Ancient Club at St Andrews in Scotland will take over the reigns in September. Claire Dowling will serve as captain for a one-year term after being nominated by previous captains. She was one of the first women to join the club when it opened membership for women 12-years ago after being men-only for 260-years. Dowling has served on the rules committee and the general committee after earlier playing for Great Britain and Ireland.

# And, Olympics: The International Olympic Committee has lifted all restrictions on Belarusian athletes. Belarusian and Russian athletes were suspended from Olympic competition after Moscow invaded Ukraine in 2022. Belarusian athletes ⁠can now compete freely under their own flag and anthem. They can also ‌take part in all qualifying events beginning later this year for the Los Angeles 2028 Games. IOC president Kirsty Coventry says restrictions on Russia remain in place following recent sanctions by the World Anti-Doping Agency:

Stay tuned for more news………….