Tuesday, 6 June 2023
Simnikiwe Xabanisa has been a sports writer for almost 20 years, covering rugby, cricket and athletics at the Olympics, the Rugby World Cup, the Cricket World Cup and two athletics world championships. He won the Vodacom Sports Writer of the Year Award and Sasol Springbok Writers’ Award in 2008, and Columnist of the Year at the SAB Sports Media Awards in 2017.
South Africa’s cricketers are back in the country where they were first labelled chokers. They unwittingly went on to own that tag, but plan to rid themselves of the C-word once and for all in England.
The Court of Arbitration for Sport further muddied the waters in the Caster Semenya vs IAAF case instead of bringing some sort of finality to the matter. Sport’s Trial of the Century is far from over.
The Lions flyhalf joined an exclusive club with legends in its ranks like Dan Carter and Morne Steyn, yet he still has to ‘prove’ his worth in the eyes of his detractors.
Those who have known Sinethemba Qeshile from a young age were not surprised when he made his Proteas debut at 20. They saw it coming a long time ago.
Athletics needs a new poster boy after the charismatic Usain Bolt’s retirement, but the man with all the credentials to fill the post seems reluctant to pick up the baton.
The two-time Olympic champion is in familiar territory – backed into a corner and fighting a gigantic institution. With no competition on track, this will be her biggest challenge.
The versatile young player is looking for the superhero within in his debut Super Rugby season with the Lions.
When two South African teams moved north, it was deemed a step into the future. A year on, we ask if the experiment is working.
He dreamt of being an Olympic medallist like his brother Hezekiél, but the running world had other plans for Samuel Sepeng.
What was once the Proteas’ strength has been their weakness in recent matches, with some quality bowling saving the team’s blushes.
If the Currie Cup final was a movie, the likeable John Dobson would be the hero and the fiery Robert du Preez would be the villain.
Can the Springboks repeat their Herculean performance against the All Blacks in front of a home crowd disillusioned by the side’s inconsistency?
The cut-throat elite cricket coaching scene is a picnic compared to what Enoch Nkwe had to overcome before being appointed coach of the Highveld Lions.
The Springboks showed good and bad elements in their historic win over the All Blacks in New Zealand on Saturday. The victory boosted the side’s belief, but there’s still a lot of work to be done to pull off consistent results.
What was once the premier domestic rugby competition in the world is now barely a blip on the country’s sporting calendar.
Kevin Anderson’s recent success has galvanised fans. At the same time Tennis South Africa has won significant sponsorship, and is investing in transformation. Things are looking up for tennis.
Caster Semenya seems set for even more spectacular success now that the research that some wanted to use to remove her from the track has been found to be seriously flawed.
South Africa Rugby seems set to flourish under Johan “Rassie” Erasmus, and his openness to new ideas and hands on approach to coaching.
The pay gap between male and female professional athletes in South Africa is so wide, it seems they’re playing vastly different sports.
Sokwakhana Zazini has had a stellar year. He has the rare gift of being able to get ‘into the zone’, and his potential is extraordinary.
Unlike some of his predecessors, Kolisi is not hindered by a diplomat’s tongue. But he is guided by a moral compass that seems to always point due north.