Latest news with #Os
The Star
3 days ago
- Entertainment
- The Star
Rugby World Cup 1995: How Os Du Randt went from unknown to cornerstone of the Springboks' triumph
A year out from the 1995 Rugby World Cup, Os du Randt was a 21-year-old diesel mechanic. He did not have the faintest clue that months later he would be wearing a World Cup-winners medal. How did he go from rugby unknown to anchor of the Springboks' World Cup-winning scrum? Let's look at the making of a Bok legend. Pieter du Randt was a farm boy from remote Elliot in the Eastern Cape, the same rural town that produced Mark Andrews, Du Randt's tight-five teammate in the '95 team. Natural strength ran in the Du Randt family. It was developed by tough, physical labour on the land the family has farmed for generations. Handling livestock and hauling bags of mealies around was part of a day's work. That was the young Os' 'gym' workout. He has said that his family didn't have a television until he was 13 and PlayStation-type games were banned by parents who preferred a more old-fashioned way of life. Instead, Os amused himself outdoors with his brothers— fishing, hunting, and climbing trees was their life. In his autobiography Os, he tells of taking apart electrical appliances to see what they looked like inside and trying to successfully put them together again. He once created his own motorbike from the scraps of broken ones. The steering didn't work too well and he sometimes crashed into the ditches of farm roads. The absence of a TV in his younger days meant he didn't get to watch much sport and while he enjoyed rugby at school, he didn't have a burning passion to become a rugby star. He says he had no sporting heroes. Os recalls that rugby grew on him as he continued to grow into, well, an ox. He hadn't been overly big at primary school, but at high school, he had a growth spurt that earned him his nickname. The story goes that a bunch of senior bullies tried to initiate him and that would include pinning him down and shaving his nether regions. They discovered that it was easier said than done because Du Randt did an impersonation of Bruce Banner and transformed into The Hulk. 'They could not pin me down,' Du Randt smiled. 'They called me an 'Os' and that has been my name ever since.' Os was at school at Adelaide Gimnasium and in 1990 played SA Schools but, curiously, fell off the rugby radar when he was called up for army national service in Bloemfontein. Du Randt's love of things mechanical was fostered at the School of Armour and after national service, he remained in Bloem and worked as an apprentice at Barlows Caterpillar, a company specialising in earth-moving equipment. It was when he was playing for the Free State under-20s that his career suddenly took off like a runaway train. He was called up to the senior Free State side when Ollie le Roux was picked for the Boks in June 1994. Os had played just nine Currie Cup games before he himself was picked for the Boks later that year when Argentina toured. He then also played on the Boks' end-of-year tour to the UK. In the space of a season, he went from the Free State Under-20s to the Cheetahs and the Boks, leapfrogging Le Roux in the latter two teams. Almost overnight, Os became a fixture in the Bok front row under Kitch Christie, who had taken over as coach in 1994 from Ian McIntosh. Kitch had listened wisely when the influential Transvaal and Bok hooker Uli Schmidt told him that he had played against this kid called Os and wanted him alongside him in the Bok front row. Schmidt didn't make it to the '95 World Cup but he was right about Os. He was just 22 when he came of age in the semi-final against France when the front row of Os, Chris Rossouw and Balie Swart held out against the fearsome French during a frantic finale of set scrums. The Bok front row did not budge, the French were kept at bay, and passage to the final against New Zealand was secured. Likewise, in the final, the unsung heroes against the All Blacks were the front row, who denied the Kiwis the solid platform that would have given the likes of Jonah Lomu dangerous front-foot ball. It is apt that Andrews, the lock who pushed behind Os in so many scrums, best sums up one of the greats of the game: 'The fact that he is larger than most other props is not the extraordinary thing about Os. At six foot three and 128kgs he was able to tackle like Henry Honiball on steroids and run and pass like a loose forward. That gave him an almost unfair advantage over his opponents. 'What makes any Test player special is his ability to do what his position requires of him, yet is consistently able to do what is not expected of him with the same ease. For me, that sums up Os.' Mike Greenaway is the author of best-selling books The Fireside Springbok and Bok to Bok.
IOL News
3 days ago
- Sport
- IOL News
Rugby World Cup 1995: How Os Du Randt went from unknown to cornerstone of the Springboks' triumph
South Africa scrum coach Os du Randt has insisted the world champions can bounce back from their shock 21-17 loss to Scotland. South Africa scrum legend Os du Randt has a special place in Springbok history. | Archives A year out from the 1995 Rugby World Cup, Os du Randt was a 21-year-old diesel mechanic. He did not have the faintest clue that months later he would be wearing a World Cup-winners medal. How did he go from rugby unknown to anchor of the Springboks' World Cup-winning scrum? Let's look at the making of a Bok legend. Pieter du Randt was a farm boy from remote Elliot in the Eastern Cape, the same rural town that produced Mark Andrews, Du Randt's tight-five teammate in the '95 team. Natural strength ran in the Du Randt family. It was developed by tough, physical labour on the land the family has farmed for generations. Handling livestock and hauling bags of mealies around was part of a day's work. That was the young Os' 'gym' workout. He has said that his family didn't have a television until he was 13 and PlayStation-type games were banned by parents who preferred a more old-fashioned way of life. Instead, Os amused himself outdoors with his brothers— fishing, hunting, and climbing trees was their life. In his autobiography Os, he tells of taking apart electrical appliances to see what they looked like inside and trying to successfully put them together again. He once created his own motorbike from the scraps of broken ones. The steering didn't work too well and he sometimes crashed into the ditches of farm roads. The absence of a TV in his younger days meant he didn't get to watch much sport and while he enjoyed rugby at school, he didn't have a burning passion to become a rugby star. He says he had no sporting heroes. Os recalls that rugby grew on him as he continued to grow into, well, an ox. He hadn't been overly big at primary school, but at high school, he had a growth spurt that earned him his nickname. The story goes that a bunch of senior bullies tried to initiate him and that would include pinning him down and shaving his nether regions. They discovered that it was easier said than done because Du Randt did an impersonation of Bruce Banner and transformed into The Hulk. 'They could not pin me down,' Du Randt smiled. 'They called me an 'Os' and that has been my name ever since.' Os was at school at Adelaide Gimnasium and in 1990 played SA Schools but, curiously, fell off the rugby radar when he was called up for army national service in Bloemfontein. Du Randt's love of things mechanical was fostered at the School of Armour and after national service, he remained in Bloem and worked as an apprentice at Barlows Caterpillar, a company specialising in earth-moving equipment. It was when he was playing for the Free State under-20s that his career suddenly took off like a runaway train. He was called up to the senior Free State side when Ollie le Roux was picked for the Boks in June 1994. Os had played just nine Currie Cup games before he himself was picked for the Boks later that year when Argentina toured. He then also played on the Boks' end-of-year tour to the UK. In the space of a season, he went from the Free State Under-20s to the Cheetahs and the Boks, leapfrogging Le Roux in the latter two teams. Almost overnight, Os became a fixture in the Bok front row under Kitch Christie, who had taken over as coach in 1994 from Ian McIntosh. Kitch had listened wisely when the influential Transvaal and Bok hooker Uli Schmidt told him that he had played against this kid called Os and wanted him alongside him in the Bok front row. Schmidt didn't make it to the '95 World Cup but he was right about Os. He was just 22 when he came of age in the semi-final against France when the front row of Os, Chris Rossouw and Balie Swart held out against the fearsome French during a frantic finale of set scrums. The Bok front row did not budge, the French were kept at bay, and passage to the final against New Zealand was secured. Likewise, in the final, the unsung heroes against the All Blacks were the front row, who denied the Kiwis the solid platform that would have given the likes of Jonah Lomu dangerous front-foot ball. It is apt that Andrews, the lock who pushed behind Os in so many scrums, best sums up one of the greats of the game: 'The fact that he is larger than most other props is not the extraordinary thing about Os. At six foot three and 128kgs he was able to tackle like Henry Honiball on steroids and run and pass like a loose forward. That gave him an almost unfair advantage over his opponents. 'What makes any Test player special is his ability to do what his position requires of him, yet is consistently able to do what is not expected of him with the same ease. For me, that sums up Os.' Mike Greenaway is the author of best-selling books The Fireside Springbok and Bok to Bok.
Yahoo
7 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
LeBron James' Podcast Trolls Brian Windhorst's Failed Prediction After Recent Success
LeBron James' Podcast Trolls Brian Windhorst's Failed Prediction After Recent Success originally appeared on Athlon Sports. On March 27, ESPN's Brian Windhorst said on "First Take" that LeBron James' podcast, "Mind the Game," wouldn't attract a huge audience. Advertisement The ESPN insider opined that fans like "drama" and don't care about X's and O's. "They want to talk the Xs and Os," Windhorst said. "But I'm telling you, if you do a full show that's all Xs and Os, that's not gonna be any good either. I mean, you'll have basketball coaches who want to do it. But if he sits down with Steve Nash and all he does is Xs and Os for an hour, people aren't gonna like that either. "Mind the Game" has over 71,000 followers on X and over 760,000 subscribers on YouTube. The first episode with JJ Redick, who now coaches James on the Los Angeles Lakers, had 4.3 million views. On Tuesday, the "Mind the Game" X account posted a video of Windhorst's comments from March 27, followed by fans commenting how much they love the podcast. When James was on "The Pat McAfee Show" in March, the NBA legend took a shot at Windhorst by saying, "This guy who says he's like my (expletive) best friend. These guys are just weird.' Advertisement James told McAfee that he wasn't a fan of how the NBA was being covered, which is why he and Redick started the "Mind the Game" podcast last year. Nash, a two-time MVP and Hall of Famer, took over for Redick this year. The 40-year-old James went after Windhorst and Stephen A. Smith this year. He's clearly not afraid to call out pundits anymore. Los Angeles Lakers star LeBron James© Soobum Im-Imagn Images James has a player option to return to the Lakers next season. He's expected to pick it up and play in his 23rd NBA season. James made the All-NBA Second Team this year. He's the oldest player in NBA history to make an All-NBA team. A four-time MVP, James averaged 24.4 points, 7.8 rebounds and 8.2 assists in 70 games this season while shooting 51.3% from the field, 37.6% from 3 and 78.2% from the foul line. Advertisement Related: Former LeBron James Teammate Delivers Verdict on GOAT Debate With Michael Jordan, Kobe Bryant This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jun 3, 2025, where it first appeared.
CBS News
28-05-2025
- Climate
- CBS News
Alert Day across Maryland for windswept and chilly rain today
Steady to heavy rain will continue across the Baltimore metro area through early this afternoon. Widespread 1 inch to 1.5 inch rainfall totals are likely by evening with locally higher totals possible in some areas. We've endured a stormy, chilly, raw, and breezy morning across most of Maryland. Light to steady rain has been gradually ramping up in intensity over the past few hours. This has allowed the current batch of rain to reach moderate to heavy intensity at times. The WJZ First Alert Weather Team continues our First Alert Weather Day through early to mid afternoon for periods of heavy rain and slow travel. Please give yourself extra travel time if you need to be out on the roads. There also may be pockets of street and urban flooding in poor drainage areas. In addition to the windswept rain, the air is chilly and raw. Temperatures will stay mainly in the 50s today with winds out of the east-northeast at 10 to 20 mph with gusts occasionally reaching 25 to 30 mph. These winds will drive the rain sideways, so you'll need a rain jacket in addition to a good quality umbrella. Stay warm and stay dry today. Rain tapers to showers this evening, but there may be enough wet weather that the Os game may encounter a postponement or rain delay. Stay tuned to WJZ and CBS News Baltimore on any possible game delays or rescheduling. Currently, the Os are scheduled to play the Cardinals at Camden Yards with a 6:35 pm first pitch. Once showers leave tonight, skies may partially clear and areas of patchy dense fog will form. This has the potential to impact the Thursday morning commute with reduced visibility and tough driving conditions. Low temperatures tonight will stay in the 50s. After early patchy fog Thursday, we're looking at a warm and muggy day. Low clouds will give way to partial sunshine with highs near 80°. A stray shower or thunderstorm is possible late in the day or at night, but most of the day is rain-free. A one two punch of showers and thunderstorms is coming to Maryland later Friday into Saturday. Friday looks warm and muggy ahead of any storms with clouds and limited sunshine. A batch of strong to isolated severe storms is possible late in the afternoon or in the evening. Some of the strongest storms could have damaging winds and hail. In addition to an isolated severe weather threat, heavy downpours and localized flooding would be possible with any Friday evening storms. Saturday will be our final chance of gusty showers and thunderstorms. The morning will likely start quiet, but showers and thunderstorms will quickly form during the heating of the day. These showers and storms should become numerous by early afternoon and continue through early evening. The strongest storms will have small hail, gusty winds, brief downpours, and lightning. Highs Saturday will reach the middle 70s. Behind Saturday's powerful cold front, Sunday looks fantastic with a gusty and refreshing breeze, low humidity, and a partly sunny sky. Highs will top out in the middle 70s. Monday looks similar with a little less wind and highs in the upper 70s. A big dome of high pressure will slide east into our area next week. This means sunny and dry weather with warming temperatures. Highs on Tuesday will top out in the lower to middle 80s. By mid to late next week, we may experience our first 90s of the season. Stay tuned!
Vancouver Sun
19-05-2025
- Sport
- Vancouver Sun
Canucks: Adam Foote not to blame for 'tough spot' as WHL head coach
Adam Foote was in the coaching-criticism crosshairs with the Kelowna Rockets as a first-time bench boss, but team owner, president and general manager Bruce Hamilton is taking the bullet of blame. Foote, 53, was named head coach of the Vancouver Canucks on Wednesday to replace Rick Tocchet . Foote had a pair of heavily scrutinized WHL seasons in the Okanagan after serving as player development and defensive assistant coach with the Colorado Avalanche. The Toronto native was hired Oct. 23, 2018, to take over a struggling WHL team in transition, and revamping a roster on the fly as host for the 2020 Memorial Cup. But everything that could go wrong did. The Rockets went 29-28-3-3 that sorry season, scored the fewest goals, and went through 42 players. Start your day with a roundup of B.C.-focused news and opinion. By signing up you consent to receive the above newsletter from Postmedia Network Inc. A welcome email is on its way. If you don't see it, please check your junk folder. The next issue of Sunrise will soon be in your inbox. Please try again Interested in more newsletters? Browse here. Foote was fired Feb. 19, 2020, with 14 games remaining and the Rockets in a nose dive. They won just five of 19 games after Christmas and, if that wasn't bad enough, the COVID-19 pandemic cancelled the Memorial Cup. Add in that Foote was coaching his son Nolan and Hamilton knows it was a recipe for ridicule. 'It was a terrible year, to be honest,' Hamilton said Monday. 'Some of the guys we acquired were not great character people. We had a really good culture going here prior to that, and when you bring in a bunch of rentals, we didn't do enough research. It's starting to change but it took a long time. 'Adam got along with the players well because he had two boys that age and had an idea how to communicate and got help with the Xs and Os. But the number of (roster) changes we made didn't help and the team camaraderie wasn't there. And it's on me. 'I put somebody in who didn't have a lot of experience and I didn't do him any favours. There are some interesting things he's going to have to go through as a head coach there (Vancouver). My hope, and I don't know what his assistants are like, but he's going to need somebody to help him out.' That comes with the territory. Foote was well liked as an assistant and the Canucks will hire offensive and defensive coaches to ease the transition. Foote turned the defence into a more cohesive and diligent group, but now he's wearing a different hat. 'The head coach is controlling who's going to play,' said Hamilton. 'As an assistant, it's never your fault, it's the head coach's fault.' Hamilton didn't have to do much research about Foote, a hockey dad who often hung around the rink, even before accepting the Rockets job. However, coaching in the WHL is a different animal than coaching in the NHL. 'It was a huge adjustment,' admitted Hamilton. 'From him being a hockey dad with one son (Cal) playing for Tampa Bay's affiliate, and the other (Nolan) on our team, he was pretty hands on with his boys. And once Cal was here, Adam was around a lot. He would come to every practice and sit up in the restaurant, so nobody knew he was there. 'Lots of time on his hands. Then he purchased a home and moved here. And with us, Adam was following Cal's (AHL) games all the time and also coaching your own son is something I would never do again. 'It was really unfair to both sides. It was a tough situation for him and I put Adam in a tough spot. He probably needed more time as an assistant to learn how to to deal with these guys. This particular generation never really went to school because of COVID and missed two years of social networking and learning to get along. 'Now, the majority of them are self-schooled, or schooled virtually, and I want my guys in school. Even if they're taking online courses, there's a classroom there. You learn how to deal with adversity. Now, when you step on somebody (with criticism), the world has ended and you're dealing with agents and parents.' Kelowna is host for the 2026 Memorial Cup, and even though the Rockets struggled this season with an 18-44-4-2 record and allowed the most goals, Hamilton is getting a leg up for his club to be a contender. 'I've already acquired one of the guys I wanted to get and we'll acquire three or four more,' he predicted. 'It won't be like it was for 2020. Our hands were tied so much and now we've got assets to use. I haven't hidden the fact I'm in it to win it and not just participate. It's the last one I'll ever host.' OVERTIME — Cal Foote is one of five former members of Canada's 2018 world junior hockey team currently on trial for sexual assault in London, Ont. Adam Foote addressed the issue upon accepting his new Canucks post. 'You know I can't comment on the trial, and I won't. I'm there for my family, as we all would be. We'll get through this.' bkuzma@
