South African sporting weekend: Time to line-up some chores as we scrape the barrel
South Africa's Brad Binder will be hoping for a better for performance at the Italian MotoGP Grand Prix.
Image: Lluis Gene / AFP
This weekend could be the ideal opportunity to catch up on those chores that you have been ignoring since the start of the year.
A bit of gardening, a bit of DIY around the house. Spend some time with the in-laws. It's the weekend to get your tax return in order and the ideal dust off that old gym card and do a bit of cardio.
This is not the weekend you're going to spend on the couch and channel hop while watching your favourite sports teams in action. It's rather slim pickings, I'm afraid.
Friday night is decent, with our first glimpse of the British and Irish Lions ahead of their tour of Australia, while the Proteas Women start their T20 series against West Indies.
But Saturday and Sunday is looking rather dire, with only Brad Binder in the MotoGP, Mamelodi Sundowns in the Club World Cup and the second T20 between the Proteas and the Windies of national importance for - as sports minister Gayton McKenzie puts it - 'the best sports nation in the world'.
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There's not a lot of rugby on Saturday and Sunday, as the Springboks' international season only kicks off next Saturday with a clash against the Barbarians in Cape Town. Rassie Erasmus' men will then play a two-Test series against Italy before concluding the winter window with a match against Georgia.
The only Test match this weekend is the British and Irish Lions' match against Argentina on Friday night (9pm). That match is essentially a warm-up for their tour Down Under, which starts next Saturday with a game against the Western Force.
The Super Rugby final between the Crusaders and the Chiefs could be a good watch to see how New Zealand rugby is going ahead of their Test series against France and Rugby Championship, which will see them host the Springboks in Auckland and Wellington later this year.
After last week's gripping World Test Championship final, the Proteas men will enjoy a two-week break before getting back into action in a two-Test series against Zimbabwe away.
England vs India should make for some good viewing for lovers of Test cricket, but it's not going to conjure up the same emotions we experienced last weekend.
However, the Proteas Women are in action on Friday night and Sunday afternoon in the shortest format after they beat the Windies in the ODI series. The team will be involved in the Women's ODI World Cup in October and will definitely be worth the watch to see the next generation of Proteas greats.
Sundowns' match against German giants Borussia Dortmund is probably the highlight of the weekend. It will be a fascinating watch to see how the Betway Premiership giants go against one of the best club sides in the world.
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