Latest news with #GrantPitcher
News24
3 days ago
- General
- News24
Ellis Park not sold out for Boks v Wallabies, but SA Rugby boss satisfied
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The Citizen
17-07-2025
- Sport
- The Citizen
Junior Boks name unchanged side for U20 Champs final
The Junior Boks have backed a settled and unchanged match 23 for their final outing against the Junior All Blacks in Italy. Junior Springbok head coach Kevin Foote has named an unchanged match 23 for their World Rugby U20 Champs final against the Junior All Blacks in Rovigo, Italy on Saturday night. Picture: Grant Pitcher/Gallo Images The Junior Springboks have named an unchanged match-23 for their massive World Rugby U20 Championship final meeting with fierce rivals the Junior All Blacks at the Stadio Mario Battaglini in Rovigo, Italy on Saturday night (kick-off 8:30pm). Lock Riley Norton will once again lead a familiar-looking side that has featured in most of the pool matches, as well as Monday's semi-final victory over Argentina. The unchanged line-up means the bench will again feature a split of six forwards and two backs in what promises to be an epic battle between the two southern hemisphere rugby rivals. Junior Bok head coach Kevin Foote said the SA U20s have done well to reach the final and they are excited to face their greatest rivals with a settled side. 'This has been our settled combination for most of the year, and the team play with great synergy,' said Foote. 'Given how well everyone has played, it was such a difficult task to leave anyone out. We are grateful for the absolute selflessness of the players not selected for Saturday's final, and for how hard they are training to ensure the team is well prepared for New Zealand. 'We decided to pick six forwards on the bench yet again, as they made a difference in the semi-final against Argentina, and we also learned some valuable lessons when we faced New Zealand in the U20 Rugby Championship in South Africa a few months ago.' First final since 2014 Saturday's decider marks the Junior Boks' first appearance in the final since 2014, and it's a repeat of the 2012 final in which South Africa beat New Zealand at Newlands in Cape Town. The SA U20s have been in rampant form throughout the Championship in Italy, posting comprehensive wins over Australia, defending champions England, and Scotland in the group stage, followed by a hard-earned victory over a gritty Argentina. South Africa's dynamic pack of forwards has laid an excellent platform for their electric backline to score some eye-catching tries. The Junior Bok halfback pairing of Haashim Pead (scrumhalf) and Vusi Moyo (flyhalf) are amongst the tournament's leading points scorers. Pead has scored six tries in four games – the most by any player so far this year – while also providing numerous assists for teammates. Moyo has racked up 50 points across his four appearances, placing him at the top of the overall points' scoring chart. New Zealand, like South Africa, are unbeaten in the tournament, having topped Pool B before dispatching a dangerous French side in the semi-finals to set up an exciting final showdown with the Junior Boks. Junior Springbok XV Gilermo Mentoe, Cheswill Jooste, Demitre Erasmus, Albie Bester, Jaco Williams, Vusi Moyo, Haashim Pead, Wandile Mlaba, Bathobele Hlekani, Xola Nyali, JJ Theron, Riley Norton (c), Herman Lubbe, Siphosethu Mnebelele, Simphiwe Ngobese Bench: Jaundré Schoeman, Oliver Reid, Jean Erasmus, Jaco Grobbelaar, Matt Romao, Stephanus Linde, Ceano Everson, Dominic Malgas
The Citizen
12-05-2025
- Sport
- The Citizen
Look who's back in the Currie Cup Premier Division — Boland
The top eight teams have now been confirmed for this year's main Currie Cup competition. Boland will play in the Premier Division of the Currie Cup this season. Picture: Grant Pitcher/Gallo Images The Boland Kavaliers are back in top-flight Currie Cup rugby! The men from the Western Cape finished fourth on the SA Cup points table at the weekend to take their place in this season's Premier Division of the Currie Cup. The top four teams qualify, and they are log leaders the Pumas, second-placed Griquas, the third-placed Cheetahs and Boland. They'll join the four United Rugby Championship franchises – the Bulls, Lions, Sharks and Stormers (Western Province) – in the eight-team Premier Division later this year. Semi-finals In this weekend's SA Cup semi-finals, the Pumas will host Boland and the Griquas will host the Cheetahs. Jimmy Stonehouse's Pumas finished top of the log with a perfect 45 points after their nine matches, Griquas accumulated 42 points from eight wins from their nine games, the Cheetahs finished with 34 points from six wins, while Boland had five wins and 32 points. Valke (30), Griffons (26), Eastern Province (21), Leopards (10), SWD Eagles (eight) and Border Bulldogs (three) finished in positions five down to 10. The SA Cup semi-finals will be staged this coming weekend, with the final the following week, on 24 May. The Premier Division of the Currie Cup will kick off on Friday 26 July, with the final on Saturday 20 September. The last time Boland featured in the top-flight of South Africa's Currie Cup was in 2016.
The Citizen
24-04-2025
- Sport
- The Citizen
OPINION: Athletics SA needs to be reasonable with its selection criteria
Many athletes ignored ASA's requirement to compete at two Grand Prix meetings on the domestic circuit this year, in order to be selected for national teams. Middle-distance runners in action at the Cape Milers Club meeting in Cape Town, one of three ASA Grand Prix events held this year. Picture: Grant Pitcher/Gallo Images Criteria is obviously important when selecting a team in any sport, but that criteria also needs to be reasonable. In track and field, it's standard for the national federation to require athletes to compete at the SA Championships, which makes sense. Athletics South Africa (ASA) do offer exemptions for individuals who are ill, injured or not based in South Africa, so it's not an unreasonable request. In some ways this season, ASA has offered athletes more leeway than usual. In other ways, however, the federation has been too pushy. Though they are not injured or ill, and they're all based in South Africa, four of the country's best athletes – sprinters Akani Simbine and Lythe Pillay, hurdler Marione Fourie and javelin thrower Jo-Ane du Plessis – have seemingly been given exemptions from competing at the SA Championships in Potchefstroom this week, in order to participate at the opening leg of the Diamond League series in China. And this is a good move. Any professional athletes who are invited to Diamond League meetings should be allowed to go, in order to represent South Africa in a series that is considered the pinnacle of the sport outside major global championships, and to make some decent money in the process. Grand Prix meetings However, the ASA criteria this year also requires athletes to compete at two local Grand Prix meetings. This is unreasonable. South African athletes are not contracted to ASA, and it's unfair to force them to compete at domestic meetings outside the SA Championships, especially when they can't earn much in terms of prize money. In response, most of the country's top athletes ignored that clause, opting not to abide by it, which has left ASA in a sticky situation. If the federation enforces the rule, it will have to select a very small, under-strength team for the World Championships in Tokyo later this year. So by ignoring an unreasonable demand, the athletes have forced the federation into a corner Refusing not to be bullied, the athletes made the right decision, and ASA must now scratch that clause in its criteria, which shouldn't have been included in the first place.
