Stofile seems to be a name one needs to win political favour within sporting circles in South Africa these days. Not only have we had a Mike Stofile working as deputy vice president of the South African Rugby Union, we also have a Makhenkesi Stofile running sports as a whole in South Africa. To be a Stofile is to be a sporting wunderkind it seems. One would also be forgiven for thinking that the title “Minister of Sports and Recreation” would automatically suggest a person Read the rest of this entry »

So the Brumbies and the Waratahs have had to cut their squads due to the global financial crisis. Who would have thought the recession so severe that rugby franchises would have taken a hit this bad, and this quickly. After reading this press release, one cant help but think that the global financial crisis is being used as a scapegoat for the financial pressure the Australian franchises are feeling, regardless of the economy. Are they in survival mode? Negotiating with desperate men is rarely productive. What I find ironic however is that this has come at a time when the Australian Rugby Union in particular, under the supreme leadership of its overlord John O’Neill , has decided that South Africa needs to marginilise its provincial rugby competition. The ARU has been pushing SANZAR, and in the process South Africa and New Zealand, towards a revised Super competition calender and structure. Not only do they want weekday Tri Nation test matches during the Super competition, they want to move the competition start date to April effectively reducing the South African Currie Cup to a sideshow.

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Is that even a word? Im not quite sure, but it certainly is fitting. Without a doubt one of the fastest bowlers the game has ever produced, Lee managed to set the world alight when he first hit the scene. Averaging in excess of 150km an hour his express pace unsettled even the best batsmen who were unfortunate enough to be scheduled to play Australia that summer. The only man to have ever bowled faster  has been Pakistan’s Shoaib Akthar (recorded, many still regard Jeff Thompson as the fastest that ever played). Lee’s first year of test cricket produced some incredible results too. In his first 8 matches he averaged less then 20 with the ball at a strike rate of 32. He looked like the real deal and he was set to conquer the world.

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The natural urge to cheat comes because they are  a nation of people who were once criminals. I can understand this. Its why an Australian cricketer will never walk and why George Smith has had his hands in every breakdown and ruck the game has ever seen. The natural urge to whinge and complain is ingrained by the influence Britain has had on its culture.

I can understand this. They are after all former prisoners of mother England and they were a colony up until last week. What that has created is a nation of cheating, whinging crybabies who are almost impossible to please. Again I can understand this. What I cant understand is why they cant keep it to themselves and why they constantly insist on trying to fuck up my rugby.

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…and its been one hell of a summer. I do not think that many expected to see the results the ODI and Test series produced. Where does this leave South Africa and Australia though?

Firm favourites leading into the series in Australia, few imagined that South Africa would be able to deliver on their own pre series hype. A massive victory over England in England had the South African side confident. It was not the first time a South African side was going into a series against Australia confident and most could be forgiven for having been a little skeptical of their chances. After all, if a pace attack with Allan Donald and Shaun Pollock could not do the damage upfront, why would Steyn, Morkel and Ntini fare any better?

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Wayne was teeing off from the men’s tee. On his downswing, he realized that his wife, Chardonnay, was teeing up on the woman’s tee directly in front of him…

Unable to stop his swing, he nailed it, and hit her directly in the head, killing her instantly.

A few days later, Wayne got a call from the coroner regarding her autopsy.

Coroner:” Wayne, your wife seemed to have died from blunt force trauma to the head. You said you hit a golf ball and hit her in the head, is that correct?”

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