Sports News 12:30

BULLETIN SPORTS NEWS 17 September 12:30 pm

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

# We begin with rugby: Former England flyhalf Stuart Barnes says overcoming the Springboks in the 2027 World Cup will require a team led by a player as talented as New Zealand’s Ardie Savea or France’s Antoine Dupont. South Africa will be chasing an unprecedented third successive world title in Australia next year. Writing for the UK Sunday Times, Barnes believes the Boks’ organisation is their greatest strength heading towards the global showpiece. He lauded players like Kurt-Lee Arendse, Damian Willemse, and Cheslin Kolbe for their agility, while noting Damian de Allende’s consistency.

More rugby: The Springbok Women’s team who will face Wales in their opening W-15 Global Series match on Cardiff Arms Park tomorrow evening will see a rejigged backline and one change to the forwards. Logan Welman will start at number eight, swopping places with Aseza Hele, who will play off the bench. Amongst the backs, Felicia Jacobs earns a starting position at scrumhalf, paired with vice-captain Libbie Janse van Rensburg at flyhalf. Maceala Samboya comes off the bench as outside centre and Maria Tshiremba at wing. Kick-off is at 8.15 pm.

# Cricket: South Africa and Zimbabwe’s women play the penultimate of five T20s in Bulawayo today. The visitors already clinched the series by winning the first three encounters. They beat the neighbours by six wickets in the first game and by 64 runs in the second before captain Laura Wolvaardt produced a masterclass in the third, scoring an unbeaten 126 and leading South Africa to an 80-run victory. The final match will be played on Sunday before the Proteas head home for a Test and white-ball series against India.

# Swimming: South Africa’s most decorated Olympian, Tatjana Smith, has come out of retirement and will participate in the South African short course championships in Pietermaritzburg, KwaZulu-Natal, next week. The 29-year-old retired from all competition after winning gold and silver at the Paris Olympics in 2024. Smith will make her comeback by competing in the 50-, 100- and 200-metre breaststroke events, as well as some relays. Other top names who are set to compete include Michael Houlie, Hannah Pearse, Georgia Nel, Guy Brooks and Chris Smith.

# And motorsport: Monaco will next year also host a Formula One sprint race, taking the number to ten. Governing body F-I-A confirmed the 2027 calender, also consisting of 24 Grand Prix races in 22 countries. The European leg includes the return of the Portuguese race in June, while Turkey rejoins the calendar in October and the Dutch Grand Prix drops from the list. The season starts in Bahrain on the 12th of March, and concludes in Abu Dhabi on the tenth of December.

Stay tuned for more news………….