THE DURBAN JULY
ACTION AND EXCITEMENT LOADING
It has been an action-packed year on the sporting front, and that’s not about to let up. The world’s biggest sporting event –the Summer Olympics – returns this year with a semblance of normality after the pandemic-affected previous event in Tokyo – postponed from 2020 to 2021. Team SA will be hoping for a better return than the three medals we achieved in the Far East. In his article, Anthony Sharpe picks our medal hopefuls and reckons Tatjana Smith (formerly Schoenmaker) is someone we can bet on again.
In rugby, our world champion Springboks returned to action on 22 June when they took on Wales. They now y home to take on Ireland – yes, the only team who defeated the Boks in France last year – and Udo Carelse reckons this could well be a test for Rassie Erasmus’s reformed technical team as they begin life after Jacques Nienaber.
Like sports, wanna catch a live show? Then try our suggested sporting events to either watch live or on the telly!
The reigning Rugby World Cup champions are in for a busy year, and fans are in for an exciting season kicking off with a match against Wales in London.
11 HORSE RACING
Winchester Mansion, the six-year-old gelding that claimed the country’s most iconic race last year, will attempt to join the famous roll of honour of ve horses that have won the Durban July back-to-back.
TENNIS
Two doubles grand slam victories and a singles runner-up: Kgothatso Montjane’s return last year from the tennis court was so impressive that perhaps it feels like she’s not celebrated enough.
Tennis ace Kgothatso Montjane lets us in on her daily routine as an elite player. She also shares her ambition for Wimbledon –after bagging two Slams in the doubles last year.
The popular Hollywoodbets Durban July promises yet another winter thriller, but can Winchester Mansion, jockeyed by Kabelo Matsunyane, defend the title? Herman Gibbs looks ahead to South Africa’s famed horse-racing event. Talking about horses, did you know we are hosting the Ignition Group Polocrosse World Cup in July? Read all about it in this edition of Inside Sport. Enjoy the read!
Nkareng Matshe Sports editor, Sowetan
PUBLISHED BY
14 THE OLYMPICS
With the 2024 Summer Olympics almost upon us, we eye up some of South Africa’s prospects for bringing home the silverware.
17 POLOCROSSE
Eight teams from around the world come to South Africa this July to contest the 2024 Ignition Group Polocrosse World Cup – and our home team will be looking to reclaim the global title from Australia.
19 SOCCER
The DStv Premiership has once again concluded with several games to spare, Mamelodi Sundowns sauntering to a seventh championship in succession and rendering the opposition almost nonexistent.
20 THE OUTTAKE
Aided in the main by CAF’s rankings, Sundowns will join 31 other teams in the new-format, expanded club competition taking place in June 2025 in the United States.
Picasso Headline, A proud division of Arena Holdings (Pty) Ltd, Hill on Empire, 16 Empire Road (cnr Hillside Road), Parktown, Johannesburg, 2193 PO Box 12500, Mill Street, Cape Town, 8010 www.businessmediamags.co.za
EDITORIAL
Sports Editor, Sowetan: Nkareng Matshe
Content Manager: Raina Julies rainaj@picasso.co.za
Contributors: Udo Carelse, Trevor Crighton, Herman Gibbs, Anthony Sharpe
Copy Editor: Brenda Bryden
Content Co-ordinator: Natasha Maneveldt
Digital Editor: Stacey Visser vissers@businessmediamags.co.za
DESIGN
Head of Design: Jayne Macé-Ferguson
Senior Designer: Mfundo Archie Ndzo
Designer: Bulelwa Sotashe
Cover Images: Candiese Lenferna
SALES
Project Manager: Merryl Klein merrylk@picasso.co.za | +27 21 469 2446
PRODUCTION
Production Editor: Shamiela Brenner
Advertising Co-ordinator: Johan Labuschagne
Subscriptions and Distribution: Fatima Dramat fatimad@picasso.co.za
Printer: CTP Printers, Cape Town
MANAGEMENT
Management Accountant: Deidre Musha
Business Manager: Lodewyk van der Walt General Manager, Magazines: Jocelyne Bayer
RUBGY
International test matches
South Africa V Ireland
When? Saturday 6 July
Where? Loftus Versfeld Stadium, Pretoria, South Africa
When? Saturday 13 July
Where? Kings Park Stadium, Durban, South Africa
South Africa V Portugal
When? Saturday 20 July
Where? Free State Stadium, Bloemfontein, South Africa
Did you know?
Hollie Davidson will make history – again – when she becomes the rst woman to take charge of a rugby test match involving men’s world champions South Africa against Portugal in Bloemfontein, South Africa on 20 July.
*Source SA Rugby
The Rugby Championship
South Africa v Ireland
When? Saturday 31 August
Where? Ellis Park Stadium, Johannesburg, South Africa
OLYMPICS
When? Friday 26 July – Paris 2024 Opening Ceremony
Where? Paris, France
Did you know?
For the rst time in the history of the Olympic Summer Games, the opening ceremony will not take place in a stadium. Paris 2024 is breaking new ground by bringing sports into the city and the same will be true of the opening ceremony, set to be held in the heart of the city along its main artery, the Seine.
*Source Olympics.com
ROAD RUNNING
The Pretty in Pink Ladies 5km is more than just a race; it’s a movement dedicated to celebrating the strength, beauty and resilience of women. With a scenic route along the beachfront, this event offers an opportunity for women of all ages to come together, embrace wellness and support meaningful causes. When? Friday, 9 August (Women’s Day)
Where? Sun Park Amphitheatre, The Boardwalk Mall, Summerstrand, Port Elizabeth Distance? 5km Exclusive to? Women, young and old Start Time? 9am
ROWING
World Rowing Championship
When? 18–25 August
Where? Henley Island/Martindale Pond, St. Catharine’s, Ontario, Canada
RUNNING
ASA Cross-country Championships
When? Saturday 7 September
Where? Athletics Vaal Triangle, South Africa
CRICKET
T20 – Cricket World Cup Ireland and South Africa
When? 27 and 29 September
Where? Sheikh Zayed Stadium, Abu Dhabi
A RUGBY FEAST AWAITS
The reigning Rugby World Cup champions are in for a busy year, and fans are in for an exciting season, writes UDO CARELSE
Gordon Ramsay could not have cussed and cooked his way to a better main meal for the Springboks in 2024 than South Africa versus Ireland on Saturday 6 July at Loftus, followed by what presents itself, seven days later at Kings Park, as a meal t for rugby royalty. The victor’s spoils: silencing another monarchy laying claim to hegemonic status.
IT WILL BE A FIELD BATTLE OF TWO DISTINCTLY DIFFERENT RUGBY CULTURES, SUCCESS DETERMINED BY HOW WELL EACH ADAPTS TO THE OTHER’S MODE OF ATTACK.
Going into last year’s World Cup, Ireland laid claim to the number one spot in the world. A position they held for the 15 months prior. Coming out of the tournament, Rassie Erasmus was quite literally in their heads, as the old Cranberries hit goes, and South Africa usurped their ranking position as world champions. The once-fabled All Blacks may have reached the nal against the Springboks, but third place in the world appears to be about as entrenched for the men of the long white cloud as coalition politics is in the political discourse of the country hosting the upcoming rugby feast. The shade of the earthy tone may vary from encounter to encounter but green de nitely appears to be the new black.
CHANGING COURSES
New Zealand remains in a quandary as to how to protect their domestic game as their nest homegrown products go on sabbatical to Japan and the true stewing pot of the world’s best players, Europe. Australasian franchises, such as the also once-fabled Hurricanes, are reporting million-dollar losses since SA Rugby hedged its bets on a vertical integration away from SANZAAR from a franchise perspective. It is in this new sea South African sh have found new aquatic apex predators – the likes of Irish juggernauts Leinster, Munster and Connacht.
Of the nal four teams in this year’s United Rugby Championships (URC), two (Munster and Leinster) hail from the Emerald Isle. Scotland were represented by Glasgow Warriors, which also knocked out South Africa’s Stormers at the quarter- nal stage. The Bulls represented the pride of Mzansi in a place for the nals of the showpiece competition.
The unabated shift of the balance of power from rugby’s south to north continues with teams from the southern tip of Africa willingly suffering whiplash from this wild ride. The unintended consequence is that South African rugby fans have cast a beady eye all season on the wealth of players who’ve donned their franchise colours in the URC, and over two weekends in July will also be donning national team colours against
Fast fact
The highest attendance figure for an SA vs Ireland test is at a neutral venue. During the 2023 Rugby World Cup, 78 750 spectators packed the Stade de France for their pool match.
the reigning world champions. Get ready once again to watch, through tiny gaps between ngers covering terri ed eyes, the attacking exploits of the likes of Van de Flier, Furlong and Doris. Springbok inside centre and former Munster number 12 Damien de Allende has been widely quoted as suggesting the two-test series will be like a war. The battleground shifting from pseudo-regional to all-out nation versus nation.
THE MAIN COURSE
Friends and colleagues, who through their black cards at local banking institutions, hold their early-offer tickets to these test matches like a badge of honour. They know what is at stake, grinning at the prospect of their sophisticated bully settling the score against the brawny geek and their terrifying brand of rugby. It will be a eld battle of two distinctly different rugby cultures, success determined by how well each adapts to the other’s mode of attack.
As a unit, Ireland have already shown signs of picking up where they left off, post the World Cup. They were one win shy of a back-to-back grand slam in the Six Nations earlier this year. A last-ditch drop goal by England’s Marcus Smith killed that dream. Along the way, they beat France, Italy and Wales by 20 points or more.
In March of this year, you could not nd an Irish pundit, analyst or rugby fan who did not reignite the debate, “Are the Boks truly the best team in the world?” Ireland coach Andy Farrell shut those mouths with green tape of a darker hue, saying all he wants is a chance to pit himself against the best in the world, adding that Erasmus’ men are 100 per cent the best.
THERE IS PLENTY OF RUGBY TO BE PLAYED IN 2024 AGAINST A RANGE OF QUALITY OPPOSITION TEAMS. BUT HOW MANY OF THEM WILL STAY THERE TILL THE NEXT WORLD CUP?
Erasmus in his inimitable way used his rst press conference of 2024 to say he wants to use the home series to rectify recent history. By recent history we can only assume Erasmus means that for which he is personally responsible.
In 2022, two second-half tries in the space of two minutes swung the momentum irrevocably in favour of Ireland, and they warmed a cold winter evening for a capacity crowd at the Aviva stadium in Dublin with a 19–16 win. That match was the rst time the two sides met since South Africa were crowned world champs in Japan. This home series will be the rst time the two sides meet since “operation repeat” in France. Honest re ection will have South Africans remembering two things: Ireland beat the Boks 13–8 in the pool phase of the World Cup and, as a not-so-old Irish folk tale reminds us, also holds a winning streak over the Boks that dates back to November 2017. For the preceding eight years, the margin between the two sides has not been more than six points. This was also the margin of victory for Ireland in their only win on South African soil in 2016, a 26–20 scoreline at Newlands. Farrell then is the coach with a much deeper wound to heal.
be the Bok team’s fate. Duane Vermeulen has swopped the green jersey for the Bok bomber jacket on the coaching side of the fence. Bongi Mbonambi will be 37 by the time the 2027 World Cup kicks off and Eben Etsebeth will turn 36 shortly after the Australia instalment. Both men, right now, appear to be in the prime of their playing careers, but four years down the line is another matter. Don’t expect the world to change overnight, but surely a two-test series against the dog biting at your heels will give us a glimpse of the shifting senior leadership group in the Springbok setup.
NEW CUTS OF SPRINGBOK MEAT
Springbok captain SIya Kolisi is one of Time Magazine’s most in uential people on the planet over the past year. He has already acknowledged that he may not be the man to lead South Africa to an unprecedented third successive World Cup victory if that were to
Fast fact
Loftus has hosted only one test between the two nations on 20 June 1998, an encounter won 33–0 by the Boks.
When Erasmus named his training squad for the rst test of the year against Wales it was against the backdrop of injuries to the likes of Canan Moodie, Damian Willemse and Kurt Lee Arendse. Regulation 9 of World Rugby’s bible also excluded the European legion of Boks for consideration against the Dragons. It not only thrust 11 uncapped players into the rigours of battle preparation in Pretoria, but also gave us insight into the leanings of Erasmus’ think-tank at the onset of this current World Cup cycle.
These players had stellar seasons with their respective franchises and will undoubtedly hurry any Bok with blinkers to reinstall their side view mirrors for the foreseeable future. There is plenty of rugby to be played in 2024 against a range of quality opposition teams. But how many of them will stay there till the next World Cup?
NEW COOKS IN THE BOK KITCHEN
The Springbok coaching gallery has a slightly different look to it this year. Jacques Nienaber has departed, leaving Erasmus to re ll the immediate position as head coach. The main supporting actors in the cast of “Chasing the Sun 2” remain for the current cycle. They are boosted by former All Black Tony Brown and former Ireland hooker Jerry Flannery, while the man who gave credence to the 7–1 bench, Jaco Peyper, will advise on the best way to exploit the ever-changing rugby rule book, rst published in 1871.
The uncapped players are Jordan Hendrikse, Quan Horn, Edwill van der Merwe, Morné van den Berg (Emirates Lions), Phepsi Buthelezi, Siya Masuku, Ethan Hooker (Hollywoodbets Sharks), Ben-Jason Dixon, Sacha Feinberg-Mgomezulu, Neethling Fouché and Andre-Hugo Venter (DHL Stormers).
It’s a Michelin star in the making, but the restaurant known as the 2024 Springbok season can only be taste-tested once it is open for business. Early alignment camps have given very little away as to how this brains’ trust will handle 16 of the World Cup winning squad of 33 players passing the age of 35 come the Rugby World Cup in 2027, but that is a process the fans will relish with glee. What will also leave us scof ng heaps is watching the Boks navigate a young and eager Australia on the rebuild, an All Black team searching for its authentic self and an Argentinian side in need of an engine overhaul – all of this under new leadership taking the trio to the next World Cup.
When Erasmus resumed head coach duties in February this year, his single promise for the next four years was to be more hands-on. Rugby brains here and abroad are drooling to see what that Bok world looks like.
Rassie Erasmus
Tony Brown
Jerry Flannery
HOLLYWOODBETS DURBAN JULY
HERMAN GIBBS writes that Winchester Mansion, the five-year-old gelding that claimed the country’s most iconic race last year, will attempt to join the famous roll of honour of five horses that have won the Durban July back-to-back
The celebrated roll of honour belongs to Campanajo (1897/98), Corriecrian (1907/1908), Milesia Pride (1949/50), El Picha (1999/2000) and Do It Again (2018/19).
In keeping with the 2024 HollywoodBets Durban July theme of “Ride The Wave”, there was a wave of ante-post betting on the sponsor’s book for Winchester Mansion and See It Again, who placed first and second last year. The tenacious Kabelo Matsunyane guided the ever-majestic Winchester Mansion to victory over hometown favourite See It Again in one of the most memorable finishes the Durban July has seen.
Matsunyane feels Winchester Mansion is up for it again: “I think he is capable of defending the title.”
Five-time Durban July winning trainer has four runners in this year’s race, including the tenacious Future Swing, the WSB Cape Town Met winner Double Superlative, reserve winner Hluhluwe, and Without Question.
The significance with the latter is that Without Question will be partnered by female jockey Rachel Venniker. The former Champion Apprentice who has well held her own against the men, will become the first female rider to
have a ride in the 128-year history of the Durban July. Her mount is currently at a tempting 25/1, and will be sure to receive the lion’s share of the fairer sex betting support on the day.
At the time of writing, Hollywoodbets have priced up the Dean Kannemeyer-trained Green With Envy as the 4/1 favourite for the 128th running of the Durban July.
When the cream of the county’s middle-distance gallopers line up for a crack at the R5-million stakes purse, it is likely the 2024 crowd will be more than the 45 000 punters and fashionistas at last year’s event.
Last year, the eThekwini Metropolitan Municipality announced that the Durban July boosted the economic and tourism sector by about R65-million.
2024 DURBAN JULY ODDS
- FINAL FIELD BETTING
• Green With Envy 4/1
• See It Again 9/2
• Future Swing 6/1
• Oriental Charm 7/1
• Royal Victory 10/1
• Flag Man 12/1
• Winchester Mansion 16/1
THE 2024 DURBAN JULY –WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW
• The race is on Saturday 6 July at Hollywoodbets Greyville.
• It will be the 128th running of Africa’s premier horse-racing event.
• It is a Grade 1 event run over 2 200m for stakes of R5-million.
• Miraculously, the Durban July has run uninterrupted for over 127 years, surviving World Wars and pandemics.
• The final field of 18 runners (and two reserves) features three KZN-trained horses in See It Again, Royal Victory and Flag Man.
• The theme: Ride The Wave.
KABELO MATSUNYANE, FAST FACTS
• In a race of firsts, the Soweto-born jockey Kabelo Matsunyane recorded his first Hollywoodbets Durban July win in 2023 with Winchester Mansion. It was also his first Grade 1 victory. It was also the first for trainer Brett Crawford and owner Gaynor Rupert.
• Matsunyane became only the second black jockey to win the Durban July after S’manga Khumalo (2013 on Heavy Metal and 2022 on Sparkling Water).
• Post-race comment: “Today I am on cloud nine with my maiden Grade 1 success and my first Durban July trophy in my hand.”
• Winchester Mansion was Kabelo’s 101st winner of the 2022/23 season. Earlier in the day at Greyville, Kabelo booted Crimson King home for his 100th winner.
“I’m really excited to be partnering Winchester Mansion again in this year’s Hollywoodbets Durban July. Although there have been four back-to-back winners in the history of this race, none of those carried the same jockey, so there is an opportunity to make history. Winchester’s preparation has been planned to perfection going into this year’s big race, and he is well capable of defending the title.
“It was a neck separating us and See It Again last year, and with us meeting on the same weight terms in this year’s handicap, it’s bound to be a tight finish once again! I can’t wait for the big day!” THERE was A WAVE OF ANTE-POST BETTING ON THE SPONSOR’S BOOK FOR WINCHESTER MANSION AND SEE IT AGAIN, WHO PLACED FIRST AND SECOND LAST YEAR.
Kabelo Matsunyane (right) guides Winchester Mansion to victory.
UNWINDING WITH SOUTH AFRICA’S WIMBLEDON STAR
Two doubles grand slam victories and a singles runner-up: Kgothatso Montjane’s return last year from the tennis court was so impressive that perhaps it feels like she’s not celebrated enough, writes NKARENG MATSHE
Kgothatso Montjane, the wheelchair tennis ace, had a miraculous year that saw her become the rst African to emerge victorious at Roland Garros and Flushing Meadows, helped by her Japanese partner Yui Kamiji. They also reached the nal at Wimbledon, making 2023 what she says was one of her “most memorable years”.
“It was great, to be honest, one of my best,” Montjane said, shortly after she and Kamiji defended the Japanese Open in mid-April, a further testament to her aim to continue reaching for the stars at the pinnacle of her career.
DISCIPLINE AND DIET
Montjane, who turns 38 in June, has had to follow a disciplined training regime to remain at the top of her game. She has a “small gym” in her home, where her day starts after breakfast. “I’m usually in there just after 9am, then I head
fast fact
DID YOU KNOW?
David Samaai was the first black South African to play at Wimbledon in 1949. He was 21 years old. He did so before the Americans, Althea Gibson and Arthur Ashe.
*Source:africasacountry.com
to the high-performance centre in Pretoria for a session with my coach. We do more gym work and then tactical, on-court practice for two hours,” she says.
Montjane’s breakfast is usually a bowl of oatmeal. “But oats will give you energy for just one session, so you have to supplement. For lunch, I’ll have salad with chicken. After a training session, you need protein and carbohydrates – I’m not a fan of bread, so for supper, I add rice as my starch because it
The longest-ever Wimbledon match lasted over 11 hours. The match, between American player John Isner and French player Nicolas Mahut, took 11 hours and 5 minutes and was played over three days. Phew!
*Source: Funkids LiveTop10factsaboutWimbledon
“WHEN I DON’T HAVE AN EVENT LINED UP, I USE EVERY OPPORTUNITY TO TONE MY BODY AND BUILD MUSCLE.” –KGOTHATSO MONTJANE
means that in the morning, I don’t have to have anything heavy.”
Montjane says a lot of gym work is critical for any athlete, even off-season. “When I don’t have an event lined up, I use every opportunity to tone my body and build muscle.”
The athlete says for tennis players, an in-competition diet is vastly different from when you’re not on tour. “You get told that you’re playing the second match, but you don’t know how long the rst match will last, so if you eat at 8am and you’re only on court by midday, you’re hungry already. That’s why you see tennis players eating on the court. I remember Serena Williams requesting coffee in the middle of a match because she needed some caffeine to lift her. You can’t tell if you’ll be on court for an hour or four.”
Limpopo-born Montjane does nd time to unwind, visiting her family and friends when her schedule allows. “It’s very important not to forget where you come from. And I use my leisure time to catch up. Fortunately, my friends share the same hobbies, for example, reading, so we can sit around and talk about the latest books,” she explains. She also consults a psychologist twice a week. “I need that to help me with the mental side of things. As athletes, we have a lot of pressure and the sports psychologist helps me to cope with the demands.”
WIMBLEDON GOALS
Having come so close in 2023, Kgothatso Montjane has made winning her ultimate career goal. Tennis’ most glamorous tournament starts in July, and Montjane will be hoping for better luck after losing in the doubles final and singles final last year. “I have no doubt it will happen because I came close. It’s not often players excel in both singles and doubles, and I have managed to reach the final in both. Winning Wimbledon is the ultimate goal, I would have reached the pinnacle of my career. I would feel like a real superstar. I would feel truly accomplished as an athlete,” Montjane shares.
Kgothatso Montjane of South Africa in action during the semifinals of the 2024 Australian Open on 25 January at Melbourne Park in Melbourne, Australia.
FOR GOLD, FOR GLORY
With the 2024 Summer Olympics almost upon us, ANTHONY SHARPE eyes up some of South Africa’s prospects for bringing home the silverware
1 ANIYA HOLDER –SPEED CLIMBING
Forget climbing the corporate ladder; Aniya Holder is far more interested in climbing walls – extremely quickly. As Africa’s only female speed climbing contestant, the 22 year old will be feeling the pressure as she represents the continent’s 733 million women in the sport. Speed climbing was only introduced to the Summer Olympics in Tokyo 2020 and attracts the most skilled and experienced climbers. Holder secured her spot at the games at the International Federation of Sport Climbing African Qualifier in December 2023, completing the 15m route more than two seconds quicker than her closest rival. Here’s hoping she can repeat that sort of performance in Paris.
OLYMPIC NEED-TO-KNOWS
2 TATJANA SMITH – SWIMMING
3 4X100M RELAY TEAM –ATHLETICS
Relay team members Shaun Maswanganyi and Benjamin Richardson are individual Olympic hopefuls in their own rights – the former having just set a South African indoors 200m record in the United States and the latter having just beaten sprinting superstar Wayde van Niekerk in the 200m at the Athletics South Africa Senior Track and Field Championships. Add in Luxolo Adams, Sinesipho Dambile and Akani Simbine, and you’ve got a relay team to be reckoned with – one that is counted among the likeliest to reach the podium.
4 WAYDE VAN NIEKERK –ATHLETICS
It’s quite a thing being the first person in history to have run the 100m race in under 10 seconds, the 200m in under 20, the 300m in under 31 and the 400m in under 44. It’s quite a thing to be Wayde van Niekerk, who won gold at the 2016 Rio Olympics and holds the 400m Olympic and world records in the 400m. After an injury that threatened to cut short his career in 2017, he went through extensive rehabilitation to get back on top form and although he’s failed to secure silverware at the last two World Athletics Championships, he’s hungry for one last shot at Olympic glory. Incredibly, Wayde isn’t the only member of his family competing in the games; his sister Kayla Swarts will be playing for the Proteas women’s hockey team.
You may know her better as Tatjana Schoenmaker, but South Africa’s swimming sensation tied the knot last year and will compete in Paris under a new surname. Regardless, a Tatjana by any other name would swim as sweetly. After smashing the world record (and taking gold, nogal) in the 200-metre breaststroke and silver in the 100-metre breaststroke in Japan three years ago, Smith had a bit of a bumpy ride. Nevertheless, she still won gold in the 2022 Commonwealth Games in the same discipline and has found her mojo ahead of this year’s Olympics, making her one of our brightest hopes for bringing home medals.
The Summer Olympics will be held from 26 July to 11 August in Paris, including iconic venues such as the Eiffel Tower, Château de Versailles, Place de la Concorde and the Champs de Mars. For 19 days, 10 500 athletes from 206 countries will compete in 329 events spanning 32 sports. New to the games are the sports of breaking and sport climbing, while skateboarding and surfing are on the roster once again, having debuted at the Japan Olympics. *Sources: Olympics.com, BBC
Aniya Holder
Tatjana Smith
From left: Shaun Maswanganyi, Benjamin Richardson, Clarence Munyai and Akani Simbine.
Wayde van Niekerk
PLAYING THE HOME ADVANTAGE ON HORSEBACK
What do you get when you cross polo, lacrosse and netball, asks TREVOR CRIGHTON
Eight teams from around the world come to South Africa this July to contest the 2024 Ignition Group Polocrosse World Cup – and our home team will be looking to reclaim the global title from Australia.
Having defended the world title on home soil in 2015 after claiming it for the rst time in 2011, South Africa travelled to Australia for the next event in 2019 but lost to the hosts –and, if the home advantage trend is to continue, we should reclaim it in July!
Dr Manfred Rohwer, president of The Polocrosse Association of South Africa, says that the sport’s image is growing in South Africa on the back of our team’s success and thanks to hosting a second World Cup in the space of a decade. “Since hosting the 2015 World Cup, the Durban Shongweni Club has hosted the annual Polocrosse High Goal, which has grown an international following and given the sport huge local exposure. This is largely thanks to event sponsors who make this possible,” he says.
POLO + LACROSSE = POLOCROSSE
Polocrosse is a mix of the ancient Persian game of polo and the Native American game of lacrosse and is played on horseback.
TITLE
SPONSOR OF POLOCROSSE WORLD CUP
Leading technology company Ignition Group has announced its title sponsorship of the 2024 Ignition Group Polocrosse World Cup, held at the renowned Durban Shongweni Club.
“Our title sponsorship of this year’s event is much more than just a sponsorship,” says Tim Lombard, chief marketing officer of Ignition Group. “It’s a way of showcasing our province and communities to a global audience. While the Ignition Group operates globally, we are proudly KZN-based, and our commitment to the development of people, technology and the economy remains at the heart of everything we do.”
Polocrosse is played between two teams of six players each, and each team is divided into two “sections” of three. Each section comprises an “attack” player whose responsibility it is to score goals, a “centre” who plays both offensive and defensive roles and a “defence” player whose role is to attempt to stop the opposition from scoring.
“AS TWO-TIME WINNERS OF THE POLOCROSSE WORLD CUP, SOUTH AFRICA IS A TOP CONTENDER FOR THIS YEAR’S TROPHY.” – DR MANFRED ROHWER
Players hit the soft, thick-skinned sponge rubber ball with a 90cm-long racquet, comprising a cane shaft with a thickened handle and a round head tted with a loose string net in which the ball is carried.
The game is played on a 146.5m x 55m eld divided into three areas, with 2.5m-wide goals at each end. The rst section from each team plays against each other for a six to eight-minute period of play, called a chukka. The second section plays a second chukka while the rst section’s players and horses rest. The game continues for eight chukkas in international games.
Dr Rohwer says as two-time winners of the Polocrosse World Cup, South Africa is a top contender for this year’s trophy. “However, one cannot ignore the experience and talent of the Zambian side. Alongside South Africa and Australia, they will be the ones to watch.”
FAMILY SPORT
Lucy De Jong, founder and CEO of Lucy Polo, was a competitive show jumper, whose husband Nick introduced her to polocrosse eight years ago. “The day I tried polocrosse, I realised it gave the rider so much freedom –it’s all about the ball and scoring goals, not so much about your riding position,” she says. “It wasn’t long before I represented Gauteng at the SA champs, and the rest is history.”
De Jong started Lucy Polo after spotting the need for more comfortable polocrosse jeans, which evolved into a range of sun shirts, hoodies and jackets. Lucy Polo is the of cial supplier of 2024 Polocrosse World Cup merchandise.
De Jong says polocrosse is a family sport. “I have had the privilege of playing alongside each of our children in different teams over the years, as well as my husband. It’s essential to look after your horse’s welfare – we put them under so much pressure to play three full games during a tournament.”
Lucy De Jong
The 2024 Ignition Group Polocrosse World Cup will be livestreamed on SuperSport from 15–28 July 2024. For more information, visit Polocrosse World Cup South Africa on Facebook, X@PolocrosseSA. Tickets can be purchased online with Ticketpro. For merchandise, visit www.lucypolo.co.za.
NEW STARS ARE BORN
The DStv Premiership has once again concluded with several games to spare, Mamelodi Sundowns sauntering to a seventh championship in succession and rendering the opposition almost nonexistent. By NKARENG MATSHE
Sundowns’ crowning moment couldn’t have come in a more relevant fi xture – their match against supposed giants Kaizer Chiefs on 2 May at FNB Stadium. Needing just three points to clinch the title, the Brazilians hammered Amakhosi 5-1, illustrating the gulf in class between sides that just four years ago were fi ghting for the title right up to the fi nal day of the season.
Rulani Mokwena’s Downs have now opened a huge chasm, not only against freefalling Chiefs, but also the rest of the opposition. Surprisingly, however, a semblance of resistance and consistency was seen from an unlikely source: Stellenbosch. The Cape Winelands side offered a challenge of some sort, albeit belatedly, embarking on an impressive winning streak that, in the end, delayed Sundowns’ crowning.
Steve Barker’s men were, at the time of writing, set for a historic second-place fi nish that comes with qualifi cation for the CAF Champions League. Their effort is notable in that it comes after the team sold some of its prominent players in the last two years: Junior Mendieta departed to join Sundowns, while Sibongiseni Mthethwa followed Ashley du Preez to Chiefs.
New stars were born at Stellies, as Devin Titus, Ismael Toure and Jayden Adams formed the fulcrum of the team alongside red-hot
striker Iqraam Rayners. Stellies already clinched the Carling Knockout – their fi rst piece of silverware – and were rather unfortunate to lose to Sundowns in the semi-fi nals of the Nedbank Cup. Two cup fi nals and a second-place fi nish on the log would have made this a great season for them, but it was still a good return nonetheless.
Pretenders to Sundowns’ throne included Orlando Pirates who, like Stellies, also mounted a belated challenge, but in truth, lost the title the moment Sundowns beat them inside Orlando Stadium last year. SuperSport United just couldn’t fi nd form in 2024, and Gavin Hunt’s team weren’t in the race in the fi rst place after losing half their top players to Sundowns in the last two years.
EPL TITLE RACE
While Sundowns’ triumph was an inevitability, Manchester City didn’t have it as easy over in the English Premiership after Arsenal pushed them all the way, helped by Liverpool before Juergen Klopp’s team flopped towards the final straight.
Arsenal seemed to have heeded the lessons of last year when it stumbled with about five games to go after leading the EPL standings for most of the season. This time, Arsenal has thrown everything back at Pep Guardiola’s City. But ultimately, City triumphed on the last day after making the most of their game in hand to pip the Gunners by two points. That made City the first side to win four Premier League championships in a row. However, as he celebrated, Guardiola must have been relieved to have finally seen his protege Mikel Arteta, his former assistant at City and now the purveyor of Arsenal’s renaissance, as a credible championship challenger.
Klopp has departed the scene, citing a need for a break after nine years at Anfield, and whether his replacement will hit the ground running is unknown. the
STELLIES ALREADY CLINCHED THE CARLING KNOCKOUT –THEIR FIRST PIECE OF SILVERWARE – AND WERE RATHER UNFORTUNATE TO LOSE TO SUNDOWNS IN THE SEMI-FINALS OF THE NEDBANK CUP.
Mikel Arteta
Iqraam Rayners of Stellenbosch FC and Khuliso Mudau of Sundowns during the Nedbank Cup semi-final match between Stellenbosch FC and Mamelodi Sundowns at Danie Craven Stadium on 5 May 2024 in Stellenbosch, South Africa.
Another attempt at continental glory may have ended in tears for Mamelodi Sundowns when they lost to Tunisia’s Esperance in the CAF Champions League semi- nal, but there’s a silver lining in the South African side qualifying for next year’s Fifa Club World Cup.
An air of disappointment enclosed the Sundowns ranks and, to a certain extent, well-wishers who had hoped they would make a rst Champions League nal since 2016 after losing to Esperance, who conquered the two-legged semi- nal 2–0.
What followed was an angry barrage and howls of derision directed at Sundowns coach Rulani Mokwena, with some – incredibly – going to the extent of questioning his competence as a coach. But Mokwena’s critics couldn’t have been more mistaken. The shrewd trainer has proven beyond doubt that he’s the man for the job after being elevated to sole head coach in September 2022. At the time of writing, he had yet to lose a PSL match. Those who deride Mokwena argue that “any coach” can achieve what he has, such is the powerful arsenal Sundowns possess, but again, that is farfetched. Sundowns had a
REASONS TO CELEBRATE
Aided in the main by CAF’s rankings, Sundowns will join 31 other teams in the new-format, expanded club competition taking place in June 2025 in the United States, writes NKARENG MATSHE
long history of hiring and ring high-pro le coaches before Pitso Mosimane arrived at the club in December 2012.
It was Mosimane who identi ed Mokwena’s potential, promoting him from the Colts to be his right-hand man. It was also Mosimane who predicted a bright future for Mokwena, famously stating, “he’s so good he’ll be better than me one day”. Mokwena, now 37, has easily clinched two PSL championships as a solo head coach and helped Sundowns win the inaugural African Football League.
CHASING THE PRIZE
The CAF Champions League remains the “big sh” many Sundowns fans yearn for, but it is also the most dif cult prize to catch. Record winners Al-Ahly had a seven-year lull before Mosimane arrived to rescue their ship in 2020. Esperance have reached another nal for the rst time since winning it in 2019, while last year’s runners-up, Wydad
of Morocco, did not even make it out of the group this time round.
The Champions League remains the most gruelling of club competitions everywhere, and this is illustrated by Pep Guardiola’s all-conquering Manchester City failing to defend the European version this season.
As Mokwena has said, Sundowns will have to give it another go, and gain invaluable experience that can help them close the gap that Egyptian giants Ahly – who reached their fth successive nal this year – have opened among the rest.
Two semi- nal appearances in successive years is not too shabby for Mokwena, and there’s no reason to be disheartened, considering the demanding schedule with which Sundowns had to contend.
They are now off to the USA to rub shoulders with the best teams in world football in a historic second appearance in the Club World Cup, guaranteed a 50-million Euro appearance fee. Surely, that’s reason to celebrate?
THE CAF CHAMPIONS LEAGUE REMAINS THE “BIG FISH” MANY SUNDOWNS
FANS YEARN FOR, BUT IT IS ALSO THE MOST DIFFICULT PRIZE TO CATCH.
Mamelodi Sundowns coach Rulani Mokwena during the CAF Champions League semi-final at Loftus Versfeld Stadium on 26 April 2024 in Pretoria, South Africa.
