This actor wore a 24-carat golden dress

Sport

Three wins in a row for UP-Tuks

Boitumelo Makaepea

The Stripe Generation has kept a record of being undefeated in this year’s Varsity Cup campaign so far. After securing their win against NWU in the first round of the Varsity Cup, UP-Tuks kept the momentum going as they beat CUT in the second round and UJ in the third round.

UP-Tuks vs NWU

UP-Tuks had their first encounter with NWU at the Tuks Stadium on 3 March in a sold out crowd. Even though UP-Tuks were the first team to register points of the match, NWU came back into the game as captain Edmund Rheeder scored the first try in the game. In what seemed to be a tough match for the visiting side, NWU consistently kept their lead until Theo Boshoff, who was later awarded FNB Player that Rocks, scored the first try for UP-Tuks. Things went into halftime with NWU leading UP-Tuks by 26-22. In the second half encounter, Werner Fourie scored a seven point try that got UP-Tuks back in the lead with 31- 26. As both teams continued to pressure each other, in the end it was Boshoff who scored a penalty, post full-time whistle. The final score was 42-40 for UP-Tuks.

UP-Tuks vs CUT 20-16. The second half was quite tough as both teams put pressure on each other. However, UP-Tuks managed to fight back and, in the end, walked away with a win of 40-23 to CUT.

UP-Tuks vs UJ

In the third round of the varsity cup on 17 February, UP-Tuks hosted UJ at the Tuks Stadium. UJ dominated UP-Tuks from the onset, as their very own Shaun Williams scored the ‘point of origin’ try earning them 7 points. Twenty minutes into the game, UP-Tuks struggled to score points as UJ kept on breaking through their defence. In what seemed to be a tough battle for UP-Tuks, Theo Boshoff scored the first try of the game, awarding 7 points. As halftime came around, UJ led the UP-Tuks with 19-7. Coming back into the second half, it was hard for both sides to break through each other’s defence. The crowd’s presence was also felt as they kept the energy alive by cheering on their home side, UP-Tuks. UP-Tuks also received some strong words from the coach in the second half. As UP-Tuks continued to attack The Orange Army, their very own Hanru Sirgel dotted over the line, making the score 21-24 with UJ still in the lead. In the dying moments of the game, Lionel April scored a try that put the match to bed as UPTuks won with 26-24.

In the second round of the Varsity Cup, UP-Tuks clashed against CUT in Bloemfontein. When the whistle blew for halftime, CUT was in the lead with

Dangers

Triathlons with Photos: Reg Caldecott

Look out for the upcoming UP-Tuks match against the Shimlas at the Tuks Stadium on 24 February at 19:00.

of Sports

Dylan Nortjé

Gambling

Caitlyn Walsh

Spot-fixing, in sport, is the act of deciding dishonestly and conducting illegal activity. This ultimately means cheating when gambling in any type of sport. One of the biggest dangers in sports gambling is the possible incidents that may come with it, and the obsession that may lead to cheating. An example of this would be the incident that occurred last year towards the end of 2019. According to SuperSport, former Proteas cricketer ,Gulam Bodi, was found guilty of spot-fixing in the 2015 Ram Slam T20 tournament. He pleaded guilty to the corruption and was sentenced to five years in prison at the end of 2019. He was charged with eight counts of corruption for his illegal betting.

Not only is this a concern when considering sports gambling, but obsession and the ability to easily lose money becomes a worrying factor as well. Sundial confirmed that a shocking 71 billion rand was spent on gambling alone in the Super Bowl 51. Most of the time players [ gamblers] do not make this money back. According to Sundial, sports betting is just as addictive as normal gambling and chances of winning can often be lower. The money loss can cripple people, families, and businesses.

When considering normal betting, there are statistics that can help some to understand gambling. According to The Gambling Site, a person only has a 30% chance of walking out of a casino a winner. The Gambling Site also confirmed that below 0,5% of people are professional gamblers and in the USA alone, around 20 million people have a gambling addiction. The statistics are said to be similar to sports gamblers.

Ultimately, sports gambling may not be worth the risk unless limits and boundaries are set in place. Winners know when to stop.

Caitlyn Walsh

PDBY spoke to Dylan Nortjé, a successful Tuks-Triathlete,w about his upcoming goals, achievements, and the sport in general.

For those who don’t know, what does a triathlon entail, in detail?

So a triathlon is a multisport consisting of swimming, biking and running. The swimming section is normally done in either the sea, a dam or a harbour. Directly after, we jump [onto] our bikes and do what is called criterium, which are like short fast technical laps, usually through the streets of the city. Lastly, the run consists of laps similar to the biking laps.

How much do you train a week for your triathlons? I train between 20 to 30 hours a week, depending on where we are in the season.

What is your biggest achievement in terms of competing?

I completed 2x U/23 South African Championships in 2017 and in 2019.

What made you begin triathlons in the first place? I was doing all three of the sports individually at school, then I partook in a race in Cape Town and I haven’t stopped since then.

What is your biggest goal in terms of this sport? The Olympic Champions would be pretty cool to compete in! Who is your biggest role model and why? Javier Gomez, an Olympic silver medallist, and a five-time world champion. He is the most genuine guy, super humble and not boastful about his success. Photo: Provided

When is your next race set to begin and what would you like to achieve?

The next race is the SA Championships in Durban on 22 March. I would like an overall podium, and to win the u/23 championship for the last time.

What advice would you give to other triathletes? I would say have patience, trust your coach, and listen to your body because more is not always better.

What is one thing you wish you had known when beginning this sport?

How much you need to pack onto your bike, and everything needed in terms of clothing.