Springboks: Hometown talent to sing SA anthem
It's now been confirmed by TheSouthAfrican that the anthem this Saturday will be sung by popular SA artist, Belinda Davids, who is best known for her tribute show, 'The Greatest Love of All,' which pays homage to Whitney Houston.
She has a four-octave vocal range and has performed alongside artists like Keri Hilson, Keyshia Cole, and Monica.
Born in Port Elizabeth, Davids' musical journey began in her childhood, surrounded by gospel music in her large family. Despite not having formal vocal training, she developed a remarkable vocal range and the ability to sing in various genres.
She gained international recognition for her Whitney Houston tribute show, 'The Greatest Love of All,' which features her singing Houston's hits with a live band and backing vocalists. The show incorporates state-of-the-art sound, lighting, and theatrical effects. Belinda has toured extensively with this show in the US, Europe, UK, Ireland, Russia, Dubai, and South Africa.
In addition to her tribute show, Belinda has also appeared on television shows like Fox TV's 'Showtime at the Apollo' and BBC1 TV's 'Even Better Than the Real Thing'. She has also charted on the RiSA charts in South Africa.
Saturday's Test against Italy kicks off at 17:10 and will be broadcast live on SuperSport and SABC.
Let us know by leaving a comment below, or send a WhatsApp to 060 011 0211.
Subscribe to The South African website's newsletters and follow us on WhatsApp, Facebook, X and Bluesky for the latest news.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The Citizen
5 hours ago
- The Citizen
Blue Bulls enter Currie Cup tournament with good mix of youth and experience
The Bulls showed that they are serious about winning the Currie Cup this year, when Coach Phiwe Nomlomo named his squad for this tournament, which kicks off this coming weekend. No fewer than six of the players who starred for the Junior Springboks in winning the u.20 World Championship and four Springboks are among those named in Nomlomo's squad for the tournament. The robust health of the union's junior pathways is further reflected in another 10 players being u.21, which signals both ambition and confidence on the part of Nomlomo and his coaching team. Thus, more than 50 percent of the squad (excluding the injured list) is comprised of club and u.21 players. Former SA u.20 player Nama Xaba, a flanker, will captain the side this season. Ahead of this weekend's start against Western Province in Cape Town, Nomlomo hailed South African rugby's oldest competition as a 'great opportunity for the players to go out and do their best for themselves and the jersey'. He said he was excited that incoming Bulls URC coach, Johan Ackermann, would be able to see the Currie Cup squad first hand, and to run the rule over the depth at Loftus Versfeld. 'They've put in the work,' said Nomlomo, who is under no illusions as to the strength of the competition. – Loose head prop Lizo Gqoboka, who is back at Loftus Versfeld after his stint in Cape Town, lock Marvin Orie, wing Aphiwe Dyantyi and veteran flank, Nizaam Carr, are the four Springboks in the group, while Stedman Gans is a sevens Bok. – The 31-year-old flyhalf, Jaco van der Walt, played four tests for Scotland in 2020 and 2021. – The world champion Junior Boks who will wear Blue Bulls colours are Esethu Mnebelele, Jacobus Grobbelaar, Jean Erasmus, JJ Theron, Cheswill Jooste and Demitre Erasmus. The full squad for the Currie Cup season is: Forwards: Abri van der Westhuysen; Cassie Badenhorst; Dylan de Leeuw; Dylan Smith; Esethu Mnebelele; Francois Klopper; Jacobus Grobbelaar; Jean Erasmus; Jeandré Rudolph; JJ Theron; Joe van Zyl; Junior Pokomela; Lizo Gqoboka; Marco Ferreira; Marvin Orie; Nama Xaba (captain); Ruan Swart; Shaun Schurmann and Sintu Manjezi. Backs: Boeta Chamberlain; Brooklyn Newmann; Cheswill Jooste; Chris Barend Smit; Daimon O'Connell; Demitre Erasmus; Henry Immelman; Jaco van der Walt; Katlego Letebele; Liam Koen; PA van Niekerk; Riyaad Bam; Stedman Gans; Steven Nel; Stravino Jacobs and Zak Burger. Injured players: Aphiwe Dyantyi; Celimpilo Gumede; Corné Beets; Cornel Smit; Heinrich Theron; Juann Else; Khutha Mchunu; Nizaam Carr and Simphiwe Matanzima. Do you have more information about the story? Please send us an email to [email protected] or phone us on 083 625 4114. For free breaking and community news, visit Rekord's websites: Rekord East For more news and interesting articles, like Rekord on Facebook, follow us on Twitter or Instagram At Caxton, we employ humans to generate daily fresh news, not AI intervention. Happy reading!
The Citizen
7 hours ago
- The Citizen
Van Schalkwyk's century leads SA to victory
Opener Jorich van Schalkwyk scored an unbeaten 164 to secure SA victory in the final game of the three-match Youth ODI (YODI) against Bangladesh at Willowmoore Park on July 22. The right-handed Titans batsman scored his ton off 156 balls, which included 14 boundaries and four maximums, to anchor the hosts to a 14-run consolation victory on the Duckworth-Lewis System (DLS) method after bad light stopped play in the 45th over. The record-breaking Van Schalkwyk also smashed the highest-ever individual score by an SA U19 player, breaking Jacques Rudolph's unbeaten 156 off 140 deliveries against Nepal in the Youth World Cup in 2000. With the ball, seamer Ntando Soni took a man-of-the-match six-wicket haul. However, Bangladesh still managed to register 320/9, the highest score of the series, anchored by half-centuries from their top order batsmen Zawad Abrar, Rifat Beg and Kalam Aleen. Chasing 321 for victory, SA lost Adnaan Lagadien (10) to Shahria Al-Amin early but Van Schalkwyk and Muhammed Bulbulia rebuilt excellently, stitching 181 for the second wicket, with Bulbulia contributing 62 off 67 for his second half-century of the match before being caught and bowled by Al-Amin. Co-captain Jason Rowles' (five) cameo ended when he was caught by Beg off Azizul Tamim. Vihan Pretorius (18) joined schoolmate Van Schalkwyk at the crease before the game was called off with SA at 277/3, ahead on DLS. Earlier, Bangladesh, which had already won the series after winning the first two matches, won the toss and chose to bat. The Asians made a positive start as Abrar and Beg shared 97 for the first wicket. But Soni ended the partnership with Abrar's wicket. However, Beg and Aleen anchored the visitors to 222, sharing 123 for the second, with Beg top scoring with 86 of 107. Aleen contributed a brilliant 85 off 78, studded with 12 fours and a single maximum. Abrar fell to Soni, while Bandile Mbatha dismissed Aleen. Soni wrestled back control on the backend of the innings with the wickets of Abrar, Tamim (29 off 19), Rizan Hossan, Md Abdullah and Md Rafi Uzzaman to end on 6/65. Frontline seamer, JJ Basson, got the wicket of Al-Amin, and Bayanda Majola had Farjan Alif caught by Van Schalkwyk as Bangladesh's innings ended on 320/9. Ntando Soni took six wickets. SA spinner Enathi Kitshini. Jorich van Schalkwyk. Bangladesh's Md Alif. The Bangladesh bench congratulates Rifat Beg after reaching his half-century. At Caxton, we employ humans to generate daily fresh news, not AI intervention. Happy reading!
Daily Maverick
8 hours ago
- Daily Maverick
Faf and Mapimpi among the casualties of Rassie's Bok squad cull for Wallaby Tests
Several big names have been omitted from the 37-man Springbok squad for the Rugby Championship while three victorious world-champion Junior Boks have been invited to train with the senior team. Coach Rassie Erasmus culled his large group of players used in the recent Tests against Italy and Georgia to streamline the squad for the Rugby Championship. He wants a smaller party to allow for 'maximum outputs' at training. Despite cutting many quality players, Erasmus was able to name a strong squad for the first two Rugby Championship clashes against Australia at Ellis Park on 16 August and at Cape Town Stadium a week later. Five of the seven players who made their Test debuts against either Italy or Georgia – Ethan Hooker (utility back), Asenathi Ntlabakanye, Boan Venter (both props), Marnus van der Merwe (hooker) and Cobus Wiese (utility forward) – have been retained. Only flank Vincent Tshituka and tighthead Neethling Fouche, of the newly capped players in 2025, have missed out – for now. No 8 Jasper Wiese's name is obviously not there because he still has a three-match suspension to serve after receiving a four-match ban for a headbutt during the Boks' 42-24 first Test win over Italy. Bath prop Thomas du Toit, who was used as loosehead in the second Test against Italy and against Georgia, is also absent from the group. Officially, the reason for his omission is given as an 'agreed' two-week rest period with his English club Bath. Du Toit struggled at loosehead in those two Tests, having spent the entire English domestic season at tighthead for Bath. Du Toit remains on standby, but 'has been granted a compulsory two-week rest as agreed with the Gallagher Premiership, although he is eligible to be called up at any stage should the need arise'. His rest period will be over before the first Wallaby Test though. Expect to see Du Toit in the squad at some stage against Australia. Goodbye? Others who featured in June and July and who have been released include scrumhalf Faf de Klerk and wing Makazole Mapimpi. De Klerk gave a wonderful cameo from the bench against Georgia, but it appears Erasmus is looking to the future, with Morne van den Berg retained and Junior Bok star Haashim Pead invited to train with the squad. Pead was superb during the recent World Rugby U20 Championships in Italy where he scored six tries in five matches and was the axis on which the team's dynamic attack turned. De Klerk, though, reminded people what made him such a good player for five years with some fine work against Georgia during the Boks' 55-10 win in Nelspruit. Yet it seems that Erasmus is looking to the future at halfback. Grant Williams's return to Test rugby in July was a triumph. He was magnificent against Italy and Georgia, where he used his searing pace to open up defences on top of his dynamic and lightning-quick service. When Williams plays the Boks' attack looks sharper because his zip gives everyone outside him an extra metre or so to work in. Van den Berg is emerging as Erasmus's second-in-command for the No 9 jersey. In some ways he's similar to Williams, with good pace and quick service, although he can be prone to the odd error. Cobus Reinach provides the experienced cover at scrumhalf. As for Mapimpi, it does feel like this is the end of the road for a player who embodies the best of South Africa through his rise from such humble beginnings to the pinnacle of the sport. Mapimpi turns 35 on 26 July and with the arrival of Edwill van der Merwe, Hooker and Canan Moodie who also play wing, his Test future looks to be nearing the end. With the next World Cup 26 months away, Erasmus must look to the future in all positions and, unfortunately, it's hard to see Mapimpi in line for selection in 2027. Erasmus, though, does have some sentimentality, and he might like to get Mapimpi to 50 Test caps over the next 12 months. The great wing currently sits on 47 appearances with 33 tries. The other three players who have been cut from the squad but remain on standby (the Boks never use the word 'dropped') are Lukhanyo Am (centre), who missed the July Tests due to a knee niggle, Salmaan Moerat (lock) and Evan Roos (No 8). 'It's always challenging to reduce the squad, especially given how the expanded group of players put up their hands during the incoming series (against Italy and Georgia), but we always said we would select a smaller, more manageable squad during the Rugby Championship,' said Erasmus. 'This group includes several experienced players and a few younger guys, who grabbed their chances in the last few Tests, so we are pleased with this squad for the first two matches. 'We have also informed the players on standby what our plans are and what we expect from them, so that all of them are ready to step up if needed.' Depth Erasmus elaborated on the composition of the squad, saying: 'We probably have three players who can cover each position, which is important in this competition, so it was a thorough process to narrow down the group to 36 players. 'One of our key pillars as a team is to build squad depth, and there is no better way to see what some of the younger players are capable of than to expose them to some of the top teams in the world.' Of the Junior Boks invited to train with the squad for the next two weeks, which includes wing Cheswill Jooste and flank Bathobele Hlekani, Erasmus said: 'We are tremendously proud of the Junior Springboks for winning the World Rugby U20 Championship and we were thrilled to see the talent coming through the junior ranks. 'We opted to invite three of them to join us to expose them to our structures and the standards required at top international level. 'We believe this camp will benefit them significantly, and we are excited to see how they slot in and train with us. 'Unfortunately, we had to limit the size of the squad to ensure maximum outputs and more individual attention at our training sessions, so although more players could have been invited, we could only select three.' DM Springbok squad: Forwards: Lood de Jager (Wild Knights), Pieter-Steph du Toit (Verblitz), Jean-Luc du Preez (Bordeaux Begles), Eben Etzebeth (Sharks), Vincent Koch (Sharks), Siya Kolisi (Sharks), Wilco Louw (Bulls), Malcolm Marx (Spears), Bongi Mbonambi (Sharks), Franco Mostert (Heat), Ox Nche (Sharks), Ruan Nortje (Bulls), Asenathi Ntlabakanye (Lions), Kwagga Smith (Blue Revs), RG Snyman (Leinster), Marnus van der Merwe (Scarlets), Marco van Staden (Bulls), Boan Venter (Edinburgh), Jan-Hendrik Wessels (Bulls), Cobus Wiese (Bulls). Backs: Kurt-Lee Arendse (Bulls), Damian de Allende (Wild Knights), Andre Esterhuizen (Sharks), Aphelele Fassi (Sharks), Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu (Stormers), Ethan Hooker (Sharks), Jesse Kriel (Canon Eagles), Cheslin Kolbe (Sungoliath), Willie le Roux (Bulls), Manie Libbok (Stormers), Canan Moodie (Bulls), Handre Pollard (Bulls), Cobus Reinach (Stormers), Edwill van der Merwe (Sharks), Morné van den Berg (Lions), Grant Williams (Sharks), Damian Willemse (Stormers).
