Latest news with #SydneySeshibedi
The Citizen
2 days ago
- Sport
- The Citizen
U20 champions of the rugby world, Junior Boks are back in SA
The under-20 team beat New Zealand in the final in Italy at the weekend, to win their first title in 13 years. Junior Boks captain Riley Norton shows off the U20 Championship trophy to fans at OR Tambo International airport on Monday. Picture: Sydney Seshibedi/Gallo Images The all-conquering Junior Springboks have returned home from Italy where they won the World Rugby U20 Championship on Saturday, by beating their New Zealand counterparts 23-15 in the final. Kevin Foote's team went unbeaten in the tournament. They recorded good wins against Australia, England and Scotland in pool play and then triumphed against Argentina in the semi-finals. It was South Africa's first win at under-20 level in 13 years. A small group of cheering fans welcomed the players and coaches back to South Africa on Monday morning. 'This is a very proud day for rugby in South Africa, and I would like to congratulate Kevin and the team on an outstanding performance in the tournament,' said Mark Alexander, the president of the SA Rugby Union. 'The group have been welded into a formidable unit over the course of this year and many of them have the potential to go on to higher honours, I am sure. 'Their victory is a tribute to all the hard work done at high school level by educators and coaches, and at our provincial unions from whom these players are drawn. 'Appointing a head coach in Kevin, who has franchise experience, was also an important part of the progress this group have shown, and I would like to commend him, his backroom team, and the High Performance Department at SA Rugby for what they have achieved in such a short space of time.' Fans interact with Junior Boks players at their arrival in the country on Monday morning. Picture: Sydney Seshibedi/Gallo Images Play at a higher level Junior Boks flyhalf Vusi Moyo finished the tournament as the top points' scorer with 63, while Haashim Pead scored six tries, placing him second for the most five-pointers behind Georgia's Mikheili Shioshvili (7). Foote said after the final in Rovigo on Saturday, a number of the under-20 players should now be considered for senior duty in the Currie Cup and possibly even the United Rugby Championship next season. 'I actually think quite a lot of them could make the step up. Once you put these guys in the right environment they will flourish,' said Foote. 'This is such a talented group and in the right environment they will kick on. I think you are going to see a lot of these names going forward for South African rugby and in the URC.'
The Citizen
7 days ago
- Business
- The Citizen
Take your greedy hands off Joburg parks and sports facilities
Instead of fixing billing failures and recovering billions in unpaid utilities, Joburg officials are targeting public recreation spaces for financial gain. Wanderers Stadium is one of the properties earmarked for review, as the municipality begins the process of redefining cherished community spaces. Picture: Sydney Seshibedi / Gallo Images Joburg Property Company (JPC) spokesperson Lucky Sindane reckons the city needs to 'move with the times' and that it wants to redefine what is meant by parks and recreation facilities, including some of the city's most well-known sports clubs and leisure locations. JPC's general manager for commercial and city-focused interventions, Sizeka Tshabalala, says the process will review how the city is compensated for the land use as current agreements are 'not talking to our current business model as the city'. The current agreements covering sports club facilities and even golf courses 'don't make business sense'. And so, there you have it. In a desperate attempt to gouge money out of ratepayers, our municipal mandarins plan to turn land into cash. All the while, they continue to turn a blind eye to the billions of rands in spiralling debt owed by consumers in places like Soweto. ALSO READ: Joburg's residents fuming as city aims to cash in on public parks and sports clubs We would suggest that taking time and applying your collective municipal management brainpower to recovering that which is being stolen from the city – which is what nonpayment for electricity is – you would come up with something which would talk to your current business model. That, of course, isn't going to happen. JPC says the reassessment process will entail reclassifying portions of land, but only after an 'extensive public participation process'. Something like what was done with the Gauteng Freeway Improvement Project, then? It is deeply offensive that the city continues to hike property rates on the basis that homeowners must pay for the facilities allegedly provided to them. Given that we don't get much in the way of good roads, our refuse removal service is patchy and our street and traffic lights are often out of order, we deserve at least some value for our money. That we get in our recreation facilities, such as they are. Take your greedy hands off them. NOW READ: No budget, no bridge, no answers from JRA
The Citizen
10-07-2025
- Sport
- The Citizen
U18 Craven Week day four results: WP too good for Sharks
The Valke, Griquas and EP also recorded wins on Thursday. Jordan Jooste of WP hangs on to the ball in his team's match against the Sharks. Picture: Sydney Seshibedi/Gallo Images Western Province and Eastern Province claimed derby wins on the fourth day of the U18 Craven Week at Hoërskool Middelburg on Thursday. WP maintained their perfect record at this week's tournament after downing the Sharks 45-13, while EP proved too strong for Border in the Eastern Cape derby, running out 30-12 winners. Earlier on Thursday, the Valke and Griquas secured their first wins of the competition when they beat Boland and the Leopards respectively. The first quarter of the match between WP and the Sharks was fiercely contested, with the Sharks stretching the WP defence and wing Jadrian Afrikaner touching down for a hard-earned try. WP hit back with tries by centre Markus Muller and prop Matthew van der Merwe, while flyhalf Ethan van Biljon slotted a penalty goal on the stroke of half-time to boost his team's lead to 11 points. Province continued to dominate after the break, and went on to finish with six tries in an emphatic 45-13 win, with the impressive Muller bagging a brace. The last round of matches will be played on Saturday, with WP taking on South Western Districts in the final match of the tournament. Free State will play the curtain-raiser to the 'final' when they go up against the Sharks. In all, eight matches will be played, on the A and B fields. Craven Week day four results Boland 19 (14) Valke 35 (20) Griquas 46 (19) Leopards 34 (24) Border 12 (5) Eastern Province 30 (27) Western Province 45 (24) Sharks 13 (13) Craven Week day five fixtures (Saturday) A-field: 9am: EP vs Bulls 10.15am: Lions vs WP XV 11.30am: Sharks vs Free State 12.45pm: WP vs SWD B-field: 9am: Boland vs Griffons 10.15am: Limpopo vs Leopards 11.30am: Griquas vs Valke 12.45pm: Border vs Pumas
The Citizen
09-07-2025
- Sport
- The Citizen
U18 Craven Week day three results: Wins for SWD, Free State
There were also wins for the Limpopo Blue Bulls and Western Province XV. Free State centre Ethan Adams dives over the line for a try in his team's match against the Blue Bulls. Picture: Sydney Seshibedi/Gallo Images South Western Districts continued their impressive run at this year's Craven Week for U18 teams in Middelburg, while the Western Province XV also extended their winning record on the third day of the tournament. Free State, after falling to SWD by a point on day one, bounced back with a fine win on Wednesday against the Blue Bulls. After edging Free State 35-34 in their first fixture of the tournament, SWD dominated the clash against the Golden Lions on Wednesday, scoring eight tries in a resounding 54-22 victory. Christiaan Vorster and Jacobus de Villiers scored two tries apiece for the Eagles. Earlier in the day, Limpopo completed an incredible comeback against the Griffons, after trailing 19-0 in the first quarter. Hooker Ziahn Lombaard scored a hat-trick while fullback Ryno Mienie slotted seven conversions to steer their team to an unlikely 49-44 victory. Fresh off their 52-6 win over the Griffons, the WP XV racked up a further 45 points and seven tries against the Pumas, with lock Gershom Pieters and replacement forward Caleb Koeberg grabbing a brace apiece. Free State scored seven tries in a 52-33 victory against the Blue Bulls. Fullback Lamla Mgedezi and No 13 Ethan Adams starred for the winners, scoring three and two tries respectively, while centre Thabiso Simelane claimed a hat-trick for the losing side. On Thursday, the main match will be played between Western Province and the Sharks. Craven Week day three results: Limpopo Blue Bulls 49 (21) Griffons 44 (31) Western Province XV 45 (33) Pumas 14 (7) Free State 52 (27) Blue Bulls 33 (19) Golden Lions 22 (7) SWD 54 (26) Craven Week day four fixtures: 10am: Boland v Valke 11.30pm: Griquas v Leopards 1pm: Border v Eastern Province 2.30pm: Western Province v Sharks
The Citizen
08-07-2025
- Sport
- The Citizen
U18 Craven Week day two results: WP thrash Boland
There were good wins for Western Province and the Sharks on day two of this year's Craven Week being held in Middelburg. Albert Lourens of WP runs with the ball against Boland on Tuesday. Picture: Sydney Seshibedi/Gallo Images Western Province beat neighbours Boland while the Sharks got the better of Eastern Province on day two of this year's Craven Week tournament, being played in Middelburg, on Tuesday. A total of 39 tries were scored over the course of the four matches on day two, with 14 of those coming in the Western Cape derby. In the two other matches on the day, the Leopards and Valke drew 29-all while Border got the better of Griquas. In the main game of the day, Western Province were way too good for Boland, beating them handsomely 80-18. No 8 Quintin Potgieter scored a hat-trick for Province, while flyhalf Ethan van Biljon contributed 15 points. The action will continue at Hoërskool Middelburg on Wednesday, with the Limpopo Blue Bulls taking on the Griffons in the first fixture. The Golden Lions and South Western Districts, who claimed impressive wins against the Blue Bulls and Free State respectively on day one, will meet in the final clash of the day. Craven Week day two results (Tuesday, 8 July): Leopards 29 (12) v Valke 29 (19) Border 36 (17) v Griquas 17 (10) Sharks (13) Eastern Province 10 (3) Western Province 80 (40) Boland 18 (6) Craven Week day three fixtures (Wednesday, 9 July): 10am: Limpopo Blue Bulls v Griffons 11.30am: Western Province XV v Pumas 1pm: Free State v Blue Bulls 2.30pm: Golden Lions v SWD
