Look, we know how you feel. So many sporting activities have been put on hold thanks to the whole COVID-19 pandemic and lockdown situation – and as a sports fan, you just want to know what’s going on.
Not to worry – we’ve got you covered. Every week we take a look around and round up some of the most interesting sports writings out there – just for you.
Here’s what we uncovered this week…
Rugby Roundup:
World Rugby has announced a seven-week Test window from October to December, meaning that clubs will have to release players outside of the normal three-week November window under Regulation 9. This raises, as Craig Ray points out, Questions over World Rugby’s 2020 Covid-19 Test calendar. That’s to say nothing of the difficulties faced in South Africa – as SA Rugby Mag notes while discussing SA rugby prospects: All you need to know. But for the University of the Western Cape – the only historically disadvantaged higher education institution to have made it to the prestigious FNB Varsity Cup championship, and who tragically lost their Head Coach for Rugby, the legendary Chester Williams, last year, there’s some good news: UWC has appointed UWC alum (and former Head Coach of the Springbok Sevens) Paul Treu as its Head Coach: Rugby.
Local Is Lekker – Good News From The Mother City:
More Mother City news – the Western Province Cricket Association confirmed that cricket season will only start next year The season traditionally starts in late September or early October, but will be delayed amid the coronavirus pandemic. The 2019-20 season ended early for the same reason. And on some good news for Cape Town sport, Olympic medalist Wayde van Niekerk is reported to have overcome COVID-19. The star athlete tested positive to the virus and that put his return to international athletics on hold. Van Niekerk, who has recovered from a long-term knee injury, was scheduled for both the 400m and 100m race at the Triest Meet in Italy. And Babalwa Latsha, captain of the Springbok Women’s Rugby team, and Cape At 6 Sport columnist, made the final cut as a triple finalist for the esteemed 2020 Momentum gsport Awards. Ms Latsha, who became the first women’s rugby 15s player in South Africa to sign as a professional in Europe, was named in three categories – Momentum Athlete of the Year, Woman of the Year and Global Woman in Sport. Lets get behind our own and vote Bee Beast!
Football Powers HIV Testing:
Football is fun, but it can also help save lives – as science writer Munyaradzi Makona reminds us over at SciDev. Net when he takes a look at the Liverpool School of Medicine’s Health Goals Malawi Impact Report. Malawi has one million people living with HIV out of 17.6 million people in the country, so HIV/AIDS testing is a big deal – and the Health Goals Malawi project has used football to attract the youth and educate them on HIV/AIDS, increasing testing for HIV by about 30 per cent. The project, which started in May 2018 and was administered by the Liverpool Football Club Foundation, the Malawi Liverpool Wellcome Trust and Population Services International , trained two soccer coaches from Chikwawa district who further trained 25 football coaches including four women in early 2020 when it ended.
Women Welcomed To Tour de France – Virtually:
For cyclists (and fans), the massive multi-day international Tour de France is one of the highlights of the sporting calendar. But with most cycling events having been cancelled and travel, support and supplies a bit difficult to manage (for obvious reasons), Zwift and Amaury Sport Organisation decided to do something useful together and create the very first virtual Tour de France. Not only was the event a massive win for e-sports globally, with teams taking part of their bikes indoors plugged into the Zwift virtual cycling system – but it was also the first time that women competed in a multistage Tour. In a piece at The Conversation, Andy Miah, Chair in Science Communication & Future Media at the University of Salford, and Board Member of the British Esports Association, explores what this means for the alignment of elite sports industries with esports.
Did we miss anything? Are there interesting developments you think we should be talking about? Why not let us know at myolisi.gophe@gmail.com? Or if you want to know more about what’s been happening in sport during lockdown, why not check out the latest issue of the Cape At 6 magazine?
