Author: Shaun Goosen

The Southern Kings will get their 2018/19 Guinness Pro14 campaign underway on the road when they take on Zebre in Italy on 1 September and the Dragons in Wales on 8 September, before heading back to the Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium to tackle Ulster on 16 September. This much was confirmed yesterday by the tournament organisers, who also announced that the 14 competing sides would engage in 21 pool rounds in 152 matches of the regular season, before culminating in the playoffs with the final set for 25 May 2019. In what will be the Port Elizabeth-based outfit’s second season…

Jason Meaton, one of Grahamstown’s (Makhanda’s) premier mountain bikers and road cyclists, recently added a fourth Grahamstown2Sea (G2C) Mountain Bike title to his trophy cabinet. This also continues his unbeaten trend at the event. “It’s a natural drug. I never stop wanting more,” said Meaton on the thrill that Mountain biking gives him. “I’ve only missed two of them,” Meaton said. “I took part this year because I thought it would be a good time to see if I could crack the record. I thought I had the ability to do it this year, but unfortunately Mother Nature decided to…

Fiddler’s Green Sports Field recently played host to the inaugural Festival Shield boxing tournament from 5 to 7 July. The Festival Shield pitted boxers from four local clubs – Masibambane, Phakamisa, Mfuzo and Dabhan – against each other over the National Arts Festival period, with 16 bouts scheduled per day. Each bout consisted of three rounds, with individuals categorized depending on their age groups. Fighters between the ages of 12 and 14 formed the Schoolboy/ Schoolgirl bracket, with 15 to 16-year-olds making up the Juniors, 17 to 18-year-olds considered Youths and those 19 and above deemed to be in the…

When all is said and done at this year’s FIFA World Cup, not many will remember the significance of what transpired on Saturday June 20. As it so happens, this date may well go on to mark the final time that sport lovers were privileged enough to venerate the great Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo on the grandest stage of them all. While their inability to win football’s most coveted prize may have alluded them throughout their storied careers, there is no doubting that their sustained period of excellence will forever be etched in the annals of footballing history. In…

Despite the national side’s struggles of late, there is no doubting South Africa’s ability to produce some of the best rugby players in the world. Amongst all the excitement over the FIFA World Cup currently taking place in Russia, Shaun Goosen considers next year’s Rugby World Cup in Japan and selects five locally-based players who may opt to continue their careers overseas at its conclusion. Malcolm Marx (Lions) Despite missing the June Test series against England through injury, Marx remains arguably the Boks’ most valuable player alongside Eben Etzebeth. Considering the number of Lions players that have made a move away…

St Andrew’s College First Rugby Team outscored Kingswood College four tries to one to claim a hard-fought 24-5 K-Day victory at St Andrew’s Lower Field on Saturday 16 June, while there were further wins for SAC’s Second Team, U16 A and U14 A sides. With thousands in attendance, the hosts managed to capitalize on key moments in the contest to come out triumphant for the third K-Day derby in six years against the boys in red. The result also marks St Andrew’s second win in succession following last year’s 72-5 thumping. In spite of the final result, it was Kingswood…

The Rassie Erasmus era may have gotten off to a bit of a wobbly start on the weekend, but a healthy dose of realism would serve disillusioned Springbok fans well. The Washington Test against Wales was a misstep from the start, and the Bok’s second-stringers were always going to struggle with so few tried and tested combinations. Dreadful weather conditions also contributed to what was a very trying afternoon for both sides. Lessons, though, should be learned from Saturday. Several Bok heads need to roll in anticipation of next year’s World Cup and, with that in mind, here’s how Shaun…

A commanding physical effort powered Selborne College’s First XV to a 36-17 win over St Andrew’s College at St Andrew’s Lower Field in Grahamstown on the afternoon of Saturday 26 May. The loss is the hosts’ first since April last year and puts an end to a 21-game winning run. The result also marks Selborne’s fourth win over their opponents in six previous meetings. In spite of the final result, it was St Andrew’s who dominated the opening exchanges; shooting out to an early 12-0 lead courtesy of tries to winger Matt Royle and lock Brayden Barratt. Royle showed enough gas…

With the playoffs of this season’s Pro14 fast approaching, Shaun Goosen takes a look at the South African players playing in the European tournament, and selects his form XV: Ox Nche. (Cheetahs). The Cheetah dynamo just pips Southern Kings’ skipper Schalk Ferreira to a place in the XV. Nche has been lighting up the South African scene for a while now and it almost beggar’s belief that he has yet to be capped at national level. He also possesses a sensational turn of pace for a tight forward. Torsten Van Jaarsveld. (Cheetahs). The 30-year-old Namibian international has been around the…

Kingswood College entertained Springbok legend John Smit on Friday afternoon, when the Test centurion arrived in Grahamstown to present the 2018 First XV players with their jerseys ahead of the new season. The school’s First XV squad, who got the new season underway at Muir College on the weekend, were patently delighted to be in the presence of the 50th Springbok captain. The Wyvern pavilion at Kingswood College was the venue for the presentation, and the 39-year-old fielded questions from the pupils about his playing days, before handing over their jerseys for the rugby season ahead. Friday marked the second…