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EVEN MORE ACTION THAN THE OLYMPICS
The curtain may have fallen on yet another brilliant edition of sport’s greatest spectacle, the Summer Olympics, which concluded in Paris on 11 August, but for many, the ultimate entertainment has only now begun. League football is nally back after a two-month hiatus and we zoom in on the likely title challengers in both the domestic Premier Soccer League – now under a new title sponsor – and the English Premiership. With football being centre stage right now, we have moved The Outtake upfront to give it prominence.
Team SA’s journey in Paris brought a handsome six medals back home, but do we know the sweat and tears it takes to produce these? Trevor Crighton lets us in on how school sport helps unearth future national heroes. He also delves into how women’s sport continues to attract backing from corporate South Africa. Still on the women in sport theme,
Contents
see what Udo Carelse thinks about the progress made by our Springbok women team as they head into next year’s World Cup. He also picks the woman stars to watch on the track and eld.
Our world champion men Springboks embark on a year-end tour and that grudge match against England in November stands out after the “kant” controversy of last year’s epic World Cup semi- nal that SA edged 16–15. Elsewhere we look forward to the Sanlam Cape Town Marathon, which again will aim to be of cially included among the exclusive World Abbott Marathon Majors. With such an action-packed edition of Inside Sport, you would forget the Olympics were just week ago!
Nkareng Matshe
Sports editor, Sowetan
4 THE OUTTAKE
Winds of change blew across domestic football as the season kicked off with a new title sponsor for the Premier Soccer League, but that was preceded by a period of panic and uncertainty.
5 SOCCER
A new football season typically brings high expectations. For Kaizer Chiefs fans, all hopes of a miraculous turnaround are pinned on a new coach; In EPL soccer, we look at title favourites.
6 SANLAM CAPE TOWN MARATHON
After a reduced elevation and marginally tweaked route last year, more alterations in the Sanlam Cape Town Marathon are expected this year.
7 VIRGIN ACTIVE 947 RIDE JOBURG
It’s all systems go for this year’s cycle race –the world’s second-largest timed cycling event – on 17 November.
8
SPRINGBOK YEAR-END RUGBY TOUR
Not quite what the Bok fans may have ordered; we look at what may happen at 2024’s year-end tour.
9
WOMEN’S RUGBY
England 2025 may be the best chance to turn the dial in the right direction and get our Bok women beyond the pool phase.
10 WOMEN IN SPORT
Eye on her … we share some of the women to watch out for on the eld and the track.
11 EMPOWERING THE PLAYERS AND THE GAME
South Africa isn’t short of corporates supporting women’s sports development and sponsoring leagues and teams.
12 SCHOOL SPORT
South Africa’s rich sporting talent has shone through at various World Cups, international tournaments and the 2024 Paris Olympics – school-level sport plays a pivotal role in that success.
Before PSL chairman Dr Irvin Khoza called a press conference to con rm Betway had taken over from DStv as the league’s main sponsor, there had been no communication –just wild speculation – about the looming change. There were no xtures either, prompting some team of cials to volunteer information to the media on an anonymous basis about the impending chaos brought about by DStv’s abrupt decision to terminate its sponsorship of the Premiership.
To palpable relief, Dr Khoza emerged bearing some good news, announcing a R900-million three-year deal for the local championship to be known as the Betway Premiership.
The unexpected departure of DStv is worrisome. The MultiChoice-owned entity pulled the plug a year before its ve-year contract was to expire. It was too sudden, but not surprising given the travails the holding company reportedly experienced over the past year with a dwindling subscriber base and losses amounting to billions of rand.
Given this concerning situation, I asked Dr Khoza at the 24 July press conference if the PSL wasn’t worried about its two other properties that are nancially backed by MultiChoice – the broadcast rights for which SuperSport pays over R600-million per year
TIME TO GROW
Winds of change blew across domestic football as the season kicked off with a new title sponsor for the Premier Soccer League, but that was preceded by a period of panic and uncertainty writes NKARENG MATSHE
and the DStv Diski Challenge (DDC) reserve league. Dr Khoza’s response was rm. “MultiChoice is here to stay,” he said. “We have just concluded a ve-year contract on the DDC so they are not going anywhere.”
Some observers may not necessarily agree with Dr Khoza’s boisterous stance given the uncertainty prevailing at the international broadcaster’s headquarters. Adding to the confusion is a reported takeover bid for MultiChoice by French company Canal+.
But by looking the way of Betway for the rst time, Dr Khoza could well be ahead of the game. Initially, the PSL had shunned collaborating with betting companies, famously engaging in a standoff with Cape Town City after it concluded a shirt sponsorship deal with SportPesa. Not too long ago the PSL also had a tiff with the national lottery over the usage of its xtures in Sportstake, a betting game where users predict match results.
But betting companies are now seemingly welcome, thank you. Dr Khoza’s own team, Orlando Pirates, concluded a deal with SuperSport Bet, jointly with Kaizer Chiefs,
last year. That followed a shirt sponsorship agreement for Golden Arrows – owned by long-standing PSL acting CEO Mato Madlala – concluded with 10Bet earlier in the past season.
The PSL has woken to the fact that it has to diversify and not shut doors on the fast-exploding, money-spinning bookmakers industry. It is the only way to grow after the league breached the R1-billion mark in sponsorship income for the rst time in 2019, only to regress a year later after Absa pulled out in the aftermath of the COVID-19 turmoil.
Now that the pandemic dust has settled, there are other markets to explore and, as Dr Khoza conceded in a recent interview, putting all eggs in one MultiChoice basket was just too risky. The Betway deal should help fasten the PSL’s transition from a very traditional, mid-90s-like relic to one that embraces technology, innovation and new ideas. Why on earth, for instance, does the PSL still not have its own app in 2024? Betway should help awaken the PSL to new realities.
THE PSL HAS WOKEN TO THE FACT THAT IT HAS TO DIVERSIFY AND NOT SHUT DOORS ON THE FAST-EXPLODING, MONEY-SPINNING BOOKMAKERS INDUSTRY.
CEO of Betway Laurence Michel and Dr Irvin Khoza during the Premier Soccer League chairman press conference at PSL headquarters in Johannesburg on 24 July 2024.
A NEW HIGH, A NEW COACH
NKARENG MATSHE shares that a new football season typically brings with it high expectations and, for Kaizer Chiefs fans, all hopes of a miraculous turnaround are pinned on a new coach
Tunisian Nasreddine Nabi has taken charge at Amakhosi, the club hoping he would put them back into competitive mode after a decade of decline. Such has been Chiefs’ freefall that as the new season kicked off, nobody mentioned the club among championship contenders – only Orlando Pirates was tipped to end Mamelodi Sundowns’ hegemony.
It speaks of the huge task Nabi must perform to pull Chiefs out of their rut – they last won a trophy in 2015.
Following a 0–4 trouncing by his former club, Yanga of Tanzania, in a pre-season friendly, Nabi conceded the task ahead was huge. “The result of the friendly game (against Yanga) isn’t that important. I don’t want a losing mentality because I am a winner and I have a winning character. I don’t accept losing, but imagine if we won and people get crazy, saying ‘Chiefs are back Nabi, Nabi’ and when the league starts boom! [we start losing],” Nabi said in the post-match press conference in Bloemfontein.
At the time of writing, he was still trying to gure out his squad, which puts Chiefs at a disadvantage because perennial champions Sundowns and Pirates do not have such problems. Sundowns may have lost coach Rulani Mokwena – who left for Morocco’s Wydad Casablanca – but their reputation as a team with the best squad in the land remains. Mokwena’s departure is unlikely to be felt as coach Manqoba Mngqithi is rejoined by Steve Komphela in the dugout – a familiar pairing among the playing squad. For this reason, Sundowns have again entered this season as overwhelming favourites.
FOR KAIZER CHIEFS FANS, ALL HOPES OF A MIRACULOUS TURNAROUND ARE PINNED ON A NEW COACH.
After nishing as runners-up for the past two seasons, Pirates, under Jose Riveiro, are poised to mount a serious challenge against Sundowns, but will need to have the lasting power to stand a chance. The Buccaneers have won four domestic cups under Spaniard Riveiro, but nishing more than 20 points behind the champions means they are nowhere near bridging the championship gap.
EPL TITLE FAVOURITES
Two seasons ago, the target was a first Champions League for Manchester City. Last season, the challenge was for Pep Guardiola’s team to become the first to win four Premier League titles in a row. And this season’s motivation?
Even Guardiola would struggle to pinpoint his main goal this time, having effortlessly achieved so much in his eight-year stay at the City of Manchester. Rivals such as Arsenal are hoping to cash in on City’s seeming lack of new drive, not least after missing out so painfully in the past two seasons. The Gunners took City to the last day in the last campaign, losing out by just two points, and that agonising experience should push Mikel Arteta’s team to do more. Arteta has retained 90 per cent of the squad from the failed past two campaigns, a positive point to help end Arsenal’s 20-year wait for the league title.
Liverpool should be among the contenders again, but the familiarly competitive face of Jurgen Klopp has left Anfield, replaced by Arne Slot. Their challenge will depend on how quickly the Dutchman adapts to the rigours of the Premiership.
Manchester United have retained another Dutchman, Erik ten Hag, after a poor past season saved only by a shock victory over Man City in the FA Cup final. But ten Hag can expect murmurs about his future with just one or two bad results.
Chelsea, Aston Villa and Tottenham should all be fighting for Champions League spots and it would be a miracle if any of them smell the top three this season.
Nasreddine Nabi, head coach for Kaizer Chiefs, during the Toyota Cup 2024 match between Kaizer Chiefs FC and Young Africans on 28 July 2024 at the Toyota Stadium in Bloemfontein.
RUNNING AFTER A MAJORS TITLE
After a reduced elevation and marginally tweaked route last year, expect even more alterations in the Sanlam Cape Town Marathon this time as it once again attempts to become Africa’s first major, writes NKARENG MATSHE
Two years ago, the Sanlam Cape Town Marathon was officially put under probation in its bid to be counted among the World Abott Marathon Majors. The trial run ends this year, after which a decision will be made.
This means the 20 October event must run almost seamlessly after some gremlins in the past two editions. Only six marathons around the globe – Tokyo, Boston, Chicago, New York, London and Berlin – have been afforded the Abbott Major status – and we should know sometime in 2025 if Cape Town has successfully persuaded jurors to join the exclusive list.
Organisers are convinced they have put their best foot forward in the past two editions. In an interview with The Sowetan in the aftermath of last year’s event, Clark Gardner, the chief executive of the Sanlam Cape Town Marathon, related how visits to some of the majors had helped enhance Cape Town’s resolve in attaining the status.
Changes included a move away from sachets at water points to paper cups to comply with the environmental conditions. “The sachets, especially with our high winds, are not environmentally friendly and do not therefore align with our values and visions for the marathon. With water tables every three kilometres, well-stocked with water, Powerade, Coca-Cola and no sugar Coca-Cola, we will continue to improve on the hydration setup and are considering water tables on both sides of the road for the 2024 event,” Gardner said.
CHANGES AND PROGRESS
A huge fillip for last year’s event was that, for the first time, it sold out. Dawn Stone, the chief executive of the Abbott World Marathon Majors, was among spectators as part of an inspection delegation sent to assess progress and compliance.
Stone was impressed, saying: “Cape Town has something special, and the race took huge strides towards the standards we want them to meet. It is a challenge for any race
“CAPE TOWN HAS SOMETHING SPECIAL, AND THE RACE TOOK HUGE STRIDES TOWARDS THE STANDARDS WE WANT THEM TO MEET.” – DAWN STONE
to get to that level, and we know the team has learned from their 2023 assessment and is making the appropriate improvements to help ensure they pass the criteria going forward. I am excited to see them strive for that pass mark in 2024.”
That pass mark is surely within reach, but there are more goals set for this year, hence changes are inevitable. While acknowledging “we missed our mark” in the last edition, organisers say they will now make tweaks, such as deploying “bigger kilometre markers, better race village signage, barriers instead of cones separating runners and traffic and clocks every five kilometres”.
They will also invite more elite runners. “We have allocated even more budget to attaining a higher quality elite field and are working closely with our sponsors and running networks to do our utmost to get gold and platinum-level elites to our start line,” they said.
The general public has also been urged to play a part by not parking their cars on the route and to cheer on the runners to create a festive atmosphere.
Once again apparel sponsor Adidas will reward all finishers wearing Adidas shoes with a R2 000 voucher for online shopping.
“One crucial requirement for attaining world marathon status is having 15 000 participants in the marathon event. This year, Adidas will reward all participants who start, run and finish the 42.2km marathon in Adidas footwear with a R2 000 online shopping voucher,” Adidas confirmed in a statement.
GET ON YOUR BIKE AND RIDE
DID YOU KNOW?
Seeding: the best race results you obtained between 1 November 2019 and 29 September 2024 will be used to calculate your index.
HERMAN GIBBS writes that it is all systems go for this year’s Virgin Active 947 Ride Joburg cycle race, the world’s second-largest timed cycling event, on 17 November
Since 1997, the Virgin Active 947 Ride Joburg event has been held annually on Cycle Challenge Sunday, the third Sunday of November. Between 20 000 and 30 000 participants complete the challenging 97-km course every year. Participants start and nish the race at the iconic FNB Stadium in Nasrec.
The route will take cyclists on many major roads in Johannesburg, including parts of Soweto, Sandton, Midrand and Braamfontein. Roads in Johannesburg – the country’s largest city – will be closed to traf c. The event allows cycling enthusiasts from around the world to savour the vibrant City of Johannesburg, the host of the event, which has played a pivotal role in showcasing the city’s dynamism and electric atmosphere.
The Virgin Active 947 Ride Joburg has become South Africa’s ultimate celebration of cycling. On the days leading up to the race, the Virgin Active Ride Joburg Lifestyle Expo, which lies at the heart of the celebration, will be held at the FNB Stadium. It will showcase the latest and greatest in cycling, tness, wellness and health trends.
The Expo takes place from 14 to 16 November and riders will collect their race packs and make last-minute purchases here.
AGE IS BUT A NUMBER
1. The rules state that individual participants must be older than 12 years on 31 December. Tandem participants riding with an adult must be older than 9 years on 31 December.
2. Special dispensation may be applied in writing to the Race Office for younger entrants.
3. No participant may sell their number or allow anyone else to ride under that number.
*Source:https://ride.joburg
TIPS TO HELP CYCLISTS SUCCEED
Tour de France sports and exercise medicine doctor Dr Adrian Rotunno, who has worked with Tour de France cyclists in the past, shares some tips and tricks to help you make the most of your Virgin Active 947 Ride Joburg experience:
1. Plan a solid training schedule by creating a structured training plan. This should include a mix of long rides, recovery days and shorter, high-intensity workouts.
THE VIRGIN ACTIVE 947 RIDE JOBURG HAS BECOME SOUTH AFRICA’S ULTIMATE CELEBRATION OF CYCLING.
Timing device: it is compulsory for every participating cyclist to use a Faces Timing Board with a chip. These are available for purchase online for R60 (board only) and R80 (including chip). Any participant not wearing their race number or timing chip will not be allowed into the start pen on race day.
Timing the race: Peak Timing is the official timing company of the Virgin Active 947 Ride Joburg cycle race.
The CSA licence: You can race without a Cycling South Africa (CSA) licence. However, if you race competitively and want to qualify for seeding in one of the racing category batches, you will need to hold a valid, up-to-date CSA licence. Having a valid CSA licence does not mean automatic seeding into the racing batch, you still need to qualify for seeding based on past results.
*Source:https://ride.joburg
Aim for consistency in training to develop the necessary endurance for a 100km race.
2. A solid tness base is necessary. Focus on building a strong foundation of tness through consistent training rides. Gradually increase your training load (intensity x volume) to incorporate endurance/interval training and mileage to improve your endurance, power output and speed.
3. Adequate fuelling and hydration. Proper levels of energy and hydration are crucial for endurance events. Plan your nutrition strategy, including pre-race meals and on-bike snacks, and hydration. Hydrate with not only water, but also different forms of liquid carbohydrates and electrolytes.
Not quite what the Bok fans ordered
UDO CARELSE takes a look at what may happen at 2024’s year-end tour
Home food deliveries have the ability to make you salivate and feast in your imagination … until the plastic bags holding Styrofoam “bakkies” arrive and you realise it is not quite what you had in mind. There is a genuine risk for Bok fans with impeccably high standards to feel that way about their team’s end-of-year tour to the United Kingdom.
Why? Well, whatever happens versus Scotland, England and, yes, Wales once again – will not be the score-settling xture vs Ireland that even peace-loving Gandhi would crave. That being said, it’s hardly a two-for-one garage sushi special either. Some mind-blowing clashes are set to round out a brilliant year for the Boks.
BOK TEAM IN ACTION
Scotland vs South Africa, Murrayfield 10 November 2024, 6:10pm
Hearing the name Scotland triggers memories of Marseille circa 2023, complaints about a Bok kit resembling a plastic shopping bag and the Manie Libbok no-look crosskick that set off South Africa’s triumphant World Cup campaign with an 18–3 victory. Since then, Scotland have nished fourth in the Six Nations, extended coach Gregor Townsend’s contract until 2026 and have looked like a million bucks against
SOME MIND-BLOWING CLASHES ARE SET TO ROUND OUT A BRILLIANT YEAR FOR THE BOKS.
10-dollar opposition with resounding wins over Chile, the USA and Canada. They play Fiji a week before meeting the Boks, who by then will have been primed by opponents, such as New Zealand, Australia and Argentina, in the Rugby Championship. The two sides have met 29 times since their rst test in 1906. South Africa have won 24 with most of those victories (15 out of 18 tests) at Murray eld.
England vs South Africa, Twickenham 16 November 2024, 7:40 pm
The 16–15 scoreline and the nature of New Zealand’s dramatic win over England in Dunedin at the beginning of July had coach Steve Borthwick reliving the nightmare of St Denis. The exact losing scoreline in last year’s one-point loss to the Boks in the World Cup semi- nals. The two square off for the rst time since then at Twickenham. Their last six matches at this venue yielded three wins a piece. That sequence of matches coincidentally was kicked off by a 16–15 win by South Africa in November 2012. World Rugby concluded last year that there was insuf cient evidence to
charge Bongi Mbonambi with racism stemming from the Tom Curry “white c**t” claims. There is suf cient evidence to suggest there will be no love lost as the Boks go in search of win number 29 out of 47 clashes in the 118-year test history between the two sides.
Wales vs South Africa, Cardiff 23 November 2024, 5:40pm
South Africa opened their 2024 account with a clash against Wales at Twickenham, a game that fell outside of World Rugby’s window for internationals. Coach Warren Gatland bemoaned not having access to his tried and tested. South Africa sparked a new dawn thanks to exciting debuts by y half Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu, wing Edwill van der Merwe and loosie Ben Jason Dixon. Van der Merwe remains injured while the other two have shifted into another gear in their edgling Bok careers. The scoreline of 44–13 was in favour of a Bok side showing more freedom to run the ball under attack guru Tony Brown. Wales followed that with a winless trip to Australia and will once again be considered underdogs as South Africa look to extend their record to 35 wins in 43 tests played.
Ireland vs South Africa, Dublin? 30 November 2024
Oh, what a match this could have been.
MISSION POSSIBLE FOR WOMEN’S BOK TEAM?
UDO CARELSE thinks England 2025 may be the best chance to turn the dial in the right direction and get our Bok women beyond the pool phase
to say that South Africa’s women’s Springboks were emphatic on route to qualifying for next year’s World Cup in England would be an understatement. They needed to nish top of their group at the Africa Women’s Cup against hosts Madagascar, Kenya and Cameroon. They completed the task in daily gale-force conditions at the Stade Makis in Antananarivo, scoring 27 tries, running in 164 points and conceding only 22.
It also quali ed captain Nolusindiso Booi and her squad for World Rugby’s booster pill for the women’s game, the WXV – a three-tiered competition restructuring test rugby between nations that qualify through regional competitions. Between 27 September and 12 October, South Africa has the chance to pit their World Cup preparation against teams from Scotland, Italy, Japan, the USA and Samoa. The home of Rugby Sevens in SA, Cape Town Stadium and the infamous and aptly nicknamed wind tunnel at Athlone Stadium will host this pre-summer feast.
South Africa played their rst test match on 29 May 2004, going down 5–8 to Wales.
DID YOU KNOW?
SA women’s biggest winning margin: SA 128–3 Namibia, 23 June 2022 at City Park, Cape Town.
*Source:www.rugby365.com
SA women’s biggest losing margin: England 101–0 SA, 14 May 2005, East Molesey, England.
*Source:www.springboks.rugby
They would play in the next three World Cups (2006, 2010, 2014), but poor showings resulted in no team being entered to qualify for the 2017 edition in Ireland. SA Rugby returned to the drawing board to eld a more competitive national team. While they quali ed for the 2021 New Zealand edition, played in 2022 due to COVID-19, their fortunes have remained the same – South Africa are yet to reach the knockout stages of the tournament.
In 2021, France beat them 40–5, Fiji stole a late victory (21–17) and the ultimate reminder of the work left undone, a 75-point shutout against nalists England sent the women packing early. The side has never been ranked higher than 10th
BETWEEN 27 SEPTEMBER AND 12 OCTOBER, SOUTH AFRICA HAS THE CHANCE TO PIT THEIR WORLD CUP PREPARATION AGAINST TEAMS FROM SCOTLAND, ITALY, JAPAN, THE USA AND SAMOA.
WXV2 FIXTURES
South Africa vs Japan
27 September, 4pm at DHL Stadium
Cape Town
South Africa vs Australia
5 October, 5pm at Athlone Stadium
South Africa vs Italy
12 October, 5pm at Athlone Stadium
in the world. Currently, they occupy 12th spot. In a tournament expanded from 12 to 16 teams, England 2025 may be the best chance to get our women’s team beyond the pool phase.
PLAYERS TO WATCH
We asked South Africa’s most decorated international referee, Aimee Barret-Theron, for her pick of women’s Bok players to look out for in the year to come. Here are her insights …
Aseza Hele
Netball’s loss is rugby’s gain. This former provincial netballer switched codes while studying at Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University and hasn’t looked back since. She debuted for the Boks in 2018, was SA Rugby women’s achiever in 2019 and was the brute force in the pack of the South African team at the last World Cup. She joined Harlequins In England for last year’s women’s premiership and has fast become a xture whose tough tackling has mesmerised fans at Twickenham.
Babalwa Latsha
Babalwa Latsha may be 30 years old, but Africa’s rst woman to turn pro is rearing to go in England next year. She inked a new contract extension with Harlequins in June this year, a testament to her longevity and on- eld impact. The experience of this rose of Khayelitsha could be just what the Boks need to bloom their way into the knockouts.
Libbie Janse van Rensburg
Libbie Janse van Rensburg is SA Rugby’s women’s player of the year. The pivot scored the try that secured South Africa’s path to the Sevens World Series. She played a massive role in securing their berth at the Olympic games in Paris and drove the Bulls daisies to a lossless winning campaign in the domestic premier division. She was also the top try and points scorer as South Africa ran out runners-up in last year’s WXV2 campaign.
EYE ON HER
UDO CARELSE shares his list of women to look out for on the field and the track
It was our women who delivered South Africa’s rst Olympic medal post-isolation, its rst gold medal, its rst medal in a eld event, its rst double gold winner at an Olympic Games, its rst gold medal defence, the country’s only medals at the Tokyo Games and, post-Paris, the most decorated South African Olympic athlete of all time. If you blink you may miss another lioness from Mzansi roar on our behalf. While you put names to those plaudits, here’s our list of women in sport to watch over the next year.
1
1 LAURA WOLVAARDT
The owner of the most devastating cover drive in world cricket led the tournament runs tally in 2023 when South Africa hosted the T20 World Cup (WC) for the first time and made history by becoming Mzansi’s first senior team to reach an ICC final. From 3 October in Bangladesh, Wolvaardt will add the mantle of World Cup captain to her CV. She goes into the tournament as the only South African to make the ICC’s T20 team of the year and remains the backbone of the Proteas Women’s batting exploits.
fast fact
Laura Wolvaardt was the leading run scorer at the last T20 WC for women with 230 runs at an average of 46, including three back-to-back 50s, which extends to a score of 61 runs in the final versus Australia.
3
2 THEMBI KGATLANA
If Portia Modise is the greatest South African footballer of all time, then Thembi “Pikinini” Kgatlana is the best of her generation. She was our top goal scorer at the Women’s World Cup 2023. Her stoppage time strike versus Italy in their final group game rendered a 3–2 scoreline for Banyana, delivering South Africa’s first-ever knockout advance at a FIFA World Cup. Her professional move from the United States of America to Tigres Feminil in Mexico is also the second-highest transfer fee in the history of the National Women’s Soccer League.
4 ONTHATILE ZULU
“Thati” is the destroyer of stubborn defences in the Protea women’s hockey team. South Africa remained winless in Paris, but when they came close against rankings superiors such as Australia, Spain and Team GB, it was the fleet-footed winger whose lung-busting runs provided South Africa with their best scoring opportunities. She made her debut at the Tokyo Games and, at age 23, has two Olympics under her belt.
2
3 PRUDENCE SEKGODISO
Seven times 800m national champion
Prudence Sekgodiso has had a stellar 2024. She reached her first-ever two-lap Olympic final in Paris at age 22. She ran the third fastest time in the semi-finals and put the world on notice of her podium potential. Only a lack of experience and pacing at the highest level led to her falling into last place in that final. Athletics parlance speaks of finding your own race. It is scary to think that the reigning South African queen of the 800m is only just beginning to find hers.
fast fact
4
Playing for one of the Cinderella codes in South Africa, her potential saw her being picked as an ambassador by the brand that gives you wings, alongside sporting luminaries such as Kagiso Rabada and Siya Kolisi. Keep an eye on Zulu as she takes flight.
fast fact
Onthatile Zulu is the first and still only woman to be invited to be part of Team Red Bull, an alliance of athletes from around the world supported financially for excelling in their respective codes.
5 CASTER SEMENYA
It has been seven years since World Athletics’ rule change on permissible testosterone levels for women rendered Caster Semenya ineligible to race. The former world champion was absent from the Paris games for refusing to inject herself to lower testosterone levels to compete. She has been fighting the regulation in the highest courts in Europe since and a final ruling on whether it is a violation of her basic human rights is due early next year. Even off the track, Semenya is not only one of the world’s most important women in sport, but also one of the most important sportspeople of all time. Mokgadi Caster Semenya is literally challenging the way the world of sport defines womanhood.
Prudence Sekgodiso ran a world-leading time of 1:57:26 in Morocco in January – it remains the eighth fastest time over an 800m run in 2024.
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Laura Wolvaardt
Prudence Sekgodiso
Thembi Kgatlana
Caster Semenya
Onthatile Zulu
EMPOWERING THE PLAYERS AND THE GAME
South Africa isn’t short of corporates supporting women’s sports development and sponsoring leagues and teams, writes TREVOR CRIGHTON
Sports stars will say that fans are the lifeblood of any sport – but sponsors certainly play a major role in development and support. South African corporates have increasingly been dedicating funding to supporting women’s sports – and the results are plain to see.
GAINING MOMENTUM
Momentum has been contributing to the professional advancement of women cricketers since it became the Momentum Proteas’ rst signi cant sponsor in 2013.
Qhawekazi Mdikane, executive head: Momentum brand marketing, says the partnership with the Proteas Women has empowered both the players and technical teams to equip themselves with the resources, skills and access that was required to take them from an amateur team to the formidable team, ranked fourth in the world, they are today.
“When this partnership began, the Proteas Women had no contracted players, but today the team has scaled heights with a fully resourced and contracted team
that has competed at the very top of the sport in the ICC Women’s T20 championships,” she says.
“The Momentum Proteas today are a stronger, ercer and more inspirational team, which is exactly what this partnership sought to achieve, being completely unapologetic about enabling women to succeed.”
The sponsorship goes beyond support for the “First XI”, with Momentum extending its investment into the under-19 team. “With this sponsorship, we are investing in the development of young sportswomen because we recognise the positive domino effect supporting the younger players will have on the readiness and strength of the national team over time,” says Mdikane.
CALLING FUTURE SUPERSTARS
The Telkom Netball League (TNL) is South Africa’s premier netball tournament, showcasing the best of South Africa’s netball talent. The most recent edition took place at the Ellis Park Arena in May this year.
Telkom has been the headline sponsor of the event for the last ve years and renewed its sponsorship for a further three years in April 2023. “Through TNL, we want to continue showcasing the best netball talent in the country
while growing the sport and encouraging South African youth to stand tall through life’s adversities,” said Gugu Mthembu, Telkom’s chief marketing of cer at the launch of the 2024 TNL.
POWERING PERFORMANCE
Sasol partnered with the South African Football Association (SAFA) in 2009 to launch its sponsorship of the national team, becoming one of the rst companies to energise the women’s game in the country.
That sponsorship continues today, with Banyana Banyana currently the country’s most successful national football team of recent times. The team has shown massive growth each year, including claiming the COSAFA Championship for four consecutive years between 2017 and 2020 and being crowned 2022 CAF African Women’s Champions.
Many of the players currently representing Banyana Banyana were developed in the semi-professional Sasol League, which was also established in 2009. The league aims to grow and develop women’s football in all of South Africa’s nine provinces. Each year, the Sasol League concludes with the Sasol League National Championship, which pits each province’s winning team against each other with the winner being crowned the Sasol League National Champion.
“THE MOMENTUM PROTEAS TODAY ARE A STRONGER, FIERCER AND MORE INSPIRATIONAL TEAM, WHICH IS EXACTLY WHAT THIS PARTNERSHIP SOUGHT TO ACHIEVE, BEING COMPLETELY UNAPOLOGETIC ABOUT ENABLING WOMEN TO SUCCEED.” – QHAWEKAZI MDIKANE
Qhawekazi Mdikane
Where it all begins
South Africa’s rich sporting talent has shone through at various world cups, international tournaments and the 2024 Paris Olympics – and school-level sport plays a pivotal role in that success, writes TREVOR CRIGHTON
South Africa’s sporting heroes start their rise to prominence, more often than not, on dusty school sports elds, relying on supportive families and dedicated coaches to hone their talents and help them realise their potential. With a diverse range of activities, including rugby, cricket, soccer and athletics, these programmes bridge cultural and socioeconomic gaps, bringing students from different backgrounds together. Despite the challenges around limited resources in some areas, the passion for sport remains strong, re ecting its deep-rooted signi cance in South African culture. The race to identify and nurture talent – locally and internationally – is on with major upsides for school sports in South Africa, which plays a vital role in fostering teamwork, discipline and a sense of community among students.
THE BALANCE
Die Hoërskool Menlopark in Pretoria sees itself as a school balanced across academics, cultural and sporting activity –and in the latter category, it’s among the top schools in the country. “We’re trying to develop ‘the complete child’, and our sporting facilities and coaching are an extension of the classroom. In preparing them for life after school – in sport and in general – we believe that how a child acts, how they treat other people and their attitude on courts and elds is part of the process,” says Kobus Hartman, the school principal.
ONE MILLION MILESTONE
SuperSport Schools is excited to announce its most significant milestone to date, solidifying its position as a leading platform for school and youth sports coverage. SuperSport Schools has reached an astounding one million registered app users (and counting).
This accomplishment highlights the increasing demand for accessible, top-notch school and youth sports content that celebrates the future stars of the sporting world. SuperSport Schools remains committed to bringing you the sports you love most, and reaching this milestone affirms that it is on the right path.
SuperSport Schools extends its deepest gratitude to teachers, coaches, federations and players, and recognises its suppliers and partners for their invaluable contributions to achieving this milestone.
For more info, log onto: https://supersportschools.com/
The school has 10–15 athletes on full scholarships in the United States of America at any given time, largely for sports such as eld hockey, tennis, cross country, athletics, golf and swimming, while South African universities approach top athletes in cricket,
DESPITE THE CHALLENGES AROUND LIMITED RESOURCES IN SOME AREAS, THE PASSION FOR SPORT REMAINS STRONG, REFLECTING ITS DEEP-ROOTED SIGNIFICANCE IN SOUTH AFRICAN CULTURE.
netball and rugby. Die Hoërskool Menlopark competes in inter-high tournaments and xtures alongside single-gender schools and more than holds its own, winning 22 inter-high athletics competitions and currently ranking among the top 5 cricket and netball schools countrywide.
HUMILITY IN VICTORY, DIGNITY IN DEFEAT
For more than 125 years, St John’s College has cultivated young men rightly trained in body, mind and character through a steadfast commitment to education, cultural activities and sport. At the College, sport is played with passion and pride, with an emphasis on humility in victory and dignity in defeat. “We value good sportsmanship, fair play and the friendships formed through healthy rivalry,”’ says Jacqui Deeks, head of marketing and communications at the school.
“Sport at St John’s teaches vital life lessons – passion, commitment, teamwork and resilience – while fostering discipline, enjoyment and a healthy lifestyle,” she adds. Every student participates in summer and winter sports, including athletics, basketball, cricket, football, golf, hockey, rowing, rugby, squash, swimming, tennis and water polo. “We strive for excellence, nurture pride and uphold the values of true sportsmanship, guided by our dedicated and experienced coaching staff, aiming for top-level performance in national competitions.”
