SA Rocks

RUGBY

CRICKET

What a fantastic achievement. South Africa is currently the number one country in Test Cricket Ranking and the Rugby Union Rankings. What a sight! What an achievement and what a time to do it.

Coupled with Caster Semenya’s victory and the 2010 World Cup coming to SA, the Gautrain and tourism pumping, South Africa is looking good right now I’d say!

As of Monday 24 August, South Africa is top of the world Test cricket rankings (by virtue of England beating Australia). Not only that, we’re also top of the world One-Day International cricket ranking as well as being the number one ranked Rugby Union country in the world. So we are top of both the cricket and rugby rankings at the same time!

I cannot remember when any country last managed this feat. If I had to hazard a guess, I’d say that it MAY have been Australia in 1999, because they won the Rugby World Cup that year and have been top of the cricket rankings for about the last 15 years or so. England topped the rugby rankings briefly in 2003 but they’ve not been number one at cricket for many years now. New Zealand have regularly been rugby’s number one, but never in history have they enjoyed this status at cricket. Even Australia’s feat in 1999 may not match what we’ve done, because winning the Rugby World Cup does not automatically make you the number one team (although it obviously helps a lot).

All we need now is for Soccer to follow suit …

Thanks to Paul for his nudge, reminder and research! Good work.

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Well, the statue of Madiba at Nelson Mandela Square is all dressed up for the 2010 World Cup. As you can see below he is wearing a lovely yellow football jersey!

It might be something “small” in terms of marketing and promotion but I think it’s a fantastic idea considering the amount of people in general and tourists in specific who take their picture with the massive and interestingly proportioned Madiba Statue.

Good work I think. Very nice.

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photo: Alexander Joe, AFP

3-2 to Bafana Bafana. You know it.

Very short post but have to show my pride that Bafana has taken on Africa’s best and won. Great work.

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Keep the springbok rugby emblem, I don’t think you can certifiably state with certainty that majority of South Africans are offended by the emblem.

image: lionsrock

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All in all a great and interesting weekend for sports.

Unfortunately the Springboks lost against Australia in the Tri-nations. But the South African tennis players did a sterling job at dismissing of Denmark in the Davis Cup. Kaizer Chiefs did a great job of holding Manchester United to a draw in Cape Town, which is always an impressive result for us. If our National team can’t do it, at least on a club level we are performing!

Then the British Open has been taking place over the past few days. I love golf and this open have been fortunate enough to watch a few South Africans in the championship. One of whom is a friend of mine!

Here’s how they look at the time of writing this post:

T60 AIKEN, Thomas 18 RSA 75 71 82 68 296 +16
T37 ELS, Ernie 8 RSA 80 69 74 -1 +12
T27 FROST, David 12:05 RSA 75 73 73 Par +11
T15 GOOSEN, Retief 12:55 RSA 71 75 73 Par +9
T27 IMMELMAN, Trevor 12:05 RSA 74 74 73 Par +11

Goosen definitely performing the best so far out of the South African contenders but there is still some time to go and much golf to be played!

There’s also cricket going on between England and The Proteas but I’m really not too sure how that’s going, anyone have an update?

All in all, a sport-filled weekend that kept me very busy!

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