Sports News 12:30

BULLETIN SPORTS NEWS 16 April 12:30 pm

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

# We start with swimming: Five South Africans have secured a place at the Olympic Games in Paris in July when the national championships concluded in Gqeberha in the Eastern Cape. Olympic gold medallist Tatjana Smith, formerly Schoenmaker, booked her place in Paris, along with 19-year-old Pieter Coetzé, who won five gold medals at the championships. There were also Olympic qualifying times for Aimee Canny, Kaylene Corbett and Erin Gallagher.

Rugby: The Shimlas of the University of the Free State will face the Ikey Tigers of Cape Town in the final of the Varsity Cup in Bloemfontein on Monday. The Shimlas beat the Maties at the Danie Craven Stadium in Stellenbosch last night, recording a shock 38-24 victory. The Ikey Tigers then beat the NWU Eagles in Potchefstroom 32-18.

More rugby news, the Irish outfit Leinster has signed New Zealand utility back Jordie Barrett on a short-term deal from December until the end of the 2024/25 season. The 27-year-old signed a new deal with New Zealand Rugby until 2028, allowing a season sabbatical in 2025. Barrett, who has won 57 caps for the All Blacks, says this move is going to be challenging but a great opportunity as well:

# Tennis: Twenty-two time Grand Slam champion Rafael Nadal says he wants to enjoy every moment of this year, which he expects to be his last. He plays Italian Flavio Cobolli in the first round of the Barcelona Open today. Nadal, who turns 38 in June, had over a year of struggles with his fitness and last played a match on clay when he won the French Open for the 14th time in 2022. He says he isn’t setting any deadline for his retirement yet:

# And finally, soccer: Everton has lodged an appeal against their two-point deduction for a second breach of the Premier League’s Profit and Sustainability Rules. The Toffees had a ten-point deduction reduced to six on appeal in February for breaching the rules. Last week, the club was handed another penalty after admitting it breached its allowed spending of a 3.4-billion-rand loss over three seasons by 390-million-rand. The league says the appeal case will be heard urgently and a decision made before the end of the season.

Stay tuned for more news………….