Sports News 12:30

BULLETIN SPORTS NEWS 18 March 12:30 pm

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

# We start with rugby: Ireland reportedly regards the Springboks as the next challenge they need. The Irish claimed their 16th Six Nations title on Saturday with a 17-13 win over Scotland. The back-to-back champions finished the campaign with their 19th consecutive win on home soil. Ireland’s next challenge is a tour to South Africa in July for the first time in eight years, to face the reigning World Cup champions in Pretoria and Durban. Ex-Irish international Andrew Trible told Virgin Media Sport the clashes will be enormous.

# Soccer: NotInMyName International says it remains resolute in its defence of former South African governing body Safa’s vice president, Ria Ledwaba. She has been banned from all activities in the sport over her decision to take the association to court and challenge the outcome of the presidential elections held in June 2022. NotInMyName’s Themba Masango says they will brief the media on Wednesday to defend Ledwaba’s legacy:

# Tennis: World number two Carlos Alcaraz has successfully defended his Indian Wells title. The 20-year-old Spaniard beat Russian world number four Daniil Medvedev, 7-6, 6-1, to claim his first title since Wimbledon last year. In the women’s draw, world number one Iga Swiatek of Poland claimed her second Indian Wells title, defeating Greece’s Maria Sakkari, 6-4, 6-love. Swiatek says she is proud of herself for how she fought throughout the tournament:

# Golf: World number one Scottie Scheffler has become the first player to defend the Players Championship. The American, who had been struggling with a neck injury, overcame a five-stroke deficit in the final round, hitting an eight-under 64 to win the 50th staging of the PGA Tour’s flagship tournament. He won by one shot on 20 under from fellow Americans Brian Harman, Xander Schauffele and Wyndham Clark. Scheffler says this win is special given he played with an injury:

# And finally, Olympics: International Olympic Committee vice-president, John Coates, says he is unsure how many Russian athletes will compete at the Paris Games this year. Russian and Belarusian athletes may only compete as neutrals in individual events due to Moscow’s invasion of Ukraine. Coates says there might be as little as 40 Russian athletes competing as neutrals. Moscow has called the restrictions illegitimate, unfair, and unacceptable.

Stay tuned for more news………….