Sports News 12:30

BULLETIN SPORTS NEWS 6 March 12:30 pm

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

# We kick off with rugby: Springbok head coach Rassie Eramus is very satisfied with his coaching team’s two-day strategic meeting in Cape Town. He was joined by new defence coach Jerry Flannery, new attacking coach Tony Brown and retired international referee Jaco Peyper, now the national laws advisor. Forty-three players are attending an alignment camp today, where the coaching team’s planning and discussions are continued. The Boks start their international season against Wales at Twickenham in London on the 22nd of June.

Meanwhile, double World Cup-winning Springbok wing Cheslin Kolbe could be out of action for his Japanese team for up to six weeks. He sustained a hand injury while playing for Suntory Sungoliath, and is currently wearing a brace. Suntory is currently third in the Japan League One. Kolbe should be fit well in time for the start of the Boks’ international season, but wasn’t included in this week’s alignment camp in Cape Town.

# South African Doping Control Laboratory in Bloemfontein is confident that it will get its World Anti-Doping Agency accreditation back. The facility, Africa’s only accredited drug-testing laboratory, has been suspended for six months. This is due to the facility’s multiple non-conformities with the International Standard for Laboratories. The University of the Free State, which houses the lab, says the facility will effectively address the corrective actions required by WADA within the suspension period.

Meanwhile, the Court of Arbitration for Sport has reduced Romanian tennis player Simona Halep’s doping ban from four years to nine months. The two-time Grand Slam champion was banned by the International Tennis Integrity Agency until October 2026, after testing positive for roxadustat at the US Open in August 2022. The court ruled Halep had, on the balance of probabilities, not taken roxadustat intentionally. Having already served a provisional suspension since October 2022, she can return to competitive tennis immediately as the nine-month ban expired on the sixth of July last year.

# And finally, cricket: Struggling England batter Jonny Bairstow looks to be fighting to save his Test career when the fifth and final match against India begins in Dharamsala tomorrow. He will win his 100th cap as England, who have already lost the series 3-1, try to salvage some pride. Bairstow has scored just 170 runs at an average of 21 during the series. Indian spinner Ravichandran Ashwin is also in line to play his 100th Test. Bairstow is looking forward to reaching the milestone:

Stay tuned for more news………….