Cape Town Tens, the world’s biggest Tens tournament, has opened up team entries for 2014. The massive rugby tournament will be taking place on 7 and 8 February 2014 at Hamilton’s Rugby Club in Green Point.

Cape Town Tens continues to get bigger and better each year. The 2014 event will be bringing more rugby teams and divisions than before, incredible SA music performers, awesome prizes and plenty to experience for the whole family.

The format of the 2014 tournament will include 96 rugby teams spread over 6 divisions – the Light Beer, Heavy Beer, We’re Mainly Here for Beer, Premier Division, Veterans Division and the recent addition, Adult Tag Rugby.

Due to popular demand there will be two “Light Beer” divisions in 2014 operating their own tournament on separate fields to ensure that more teams of varied skill levels get a chance to play.

Cape Town Tens, as most know, is all about crazy team outfits. Teams are encouraged to get creative in their designs for the upcoming tournament as there will be some incredible prizes for best dressed up for grabs.

Cape Town Tens team entries fill up fast each year – avoid disappointment and enter your team today!

Costs of Entries:

- R7500 for a squad of 20

- R2500 for a squad of 10 for the Adult Tag Tournament

Contact Tom at tom@capetowntens.com or visit the website at www.capetowntens.com to enter your team or learn more about the tournament.

South Africa’s biggest selling cycling magazine, Bicycling SA, got a make-over for its 10th Anniversary edition in April, with a new logo, new format and more pages.

The new logo falls in line with the logo used by US international partner, Rodale Inc. while the revised book size gives readers an extra 16 pages. The April cover also features Grey’s Anatomy star and passionate cyclist, Patrick Dempsey, with a full interview inside.

‘With Bicycling franchises opening in places like Australia, it’s important that the Bicycling brand is consistent globally,’ says Bicycling SA Editor, Mike Finch. ‘It made sense for us to follow suit and to upgrade the book size and format in the process.

‘It’s also a great way for us to celebrate 10 years as SA’s leading cycling magazine.’

The new logo is big departure from the old format and is designed to fit into the top left hand corner of the cover with a distinctive red and white block, allowing for more coverlines and a sophisticated, contemporary look. This is the same logo used in their US edition and the recently launched Australian edition.

‘Bicycling marries the best international cycling content with the best local content to give our readers a top quality cycling publication,’ says Finch. ‘But we have always felt that we need more pages to do justice to a sport that is growing rapidly in South Africa.

‘This way we get to produce more top quality content for our readers.’

The April issue of Bicycling SA will be on sale on the 20th March.

Since its promotion to the PSL, several managers have been fired and players dropped and signed. With eight games to go in the premiership, Chippa United is facing a race against time to stay in the PSL and survive its first top flight soccer season. The relegation ghost which has taken Santos and Vasco Da Gama back to the National First Division now haunts Chippa United and Ajax Cape Town.

The real contest this season is not the fight for PSL glory but rather the battle to stay in the league. Relegation is a sore point for Cape Town fans, and it was just a few seasons ago that Ajax CT almost won the PSL. And now relegation is breathing down their necks. Chippa United has proven that goals win games, not managers. Managers manage and motivate. Team spirit, hard work, fitness and team understanding lead to goals, which in turn win games, thus adding points to the log.

If only this equation was as simple to implement. Somewhere it has gone wrong for Chippa United. Managerial problems, player attitudes and the pressure of the top league has taken its toll on the PSL debutants.

Chippa’s fourth coach of the season, Wilfred Mugeyi, has hope in the team and knows that time is a major factor. They faced top of the log, Kaizer Chiefs, at Athlone Stadium on Wednesday 6 March, who cemented their place at the top of the table, ahead of Orlando Pirates who drew with Bloem Celtic on the same night, avoiding a neck and neck race to the title. Chippa play Maritzburg United away from home on 31 March, who are positioned eighth, chasing a Top 8 spot and tied on points with Supersport United. This means that Maritzburg are keen on a win against Chippa, as they face Kaizer Chiefs in their next match on 3 April, which leaves much to be desired. Chippa play Golden Arrows on the same day, which seems their best hope to take home the 3 points.

This leaves Chippa United in a compromising position, with a need to win games in order to pick up points in a bid to climb out of the relegation zone.

We wait to see whether home advantage can count in favour of Chippa United and whether they have enough will and determination to survive their first PSL season.

About the author: Gracia Michaels is a freelance writer, SAFA Cape Town football referee, former semi pro footballer and works full time in media monitoring. Follow her on Twitter @Gracia_Michaels

mapIT

Among the riders to be tracked are:

• Sir Richard Branson a businessman, founder and chairman of Virgin Group comprising of more than 400 companies, including V2 Records, Virgin Airlines and Virgin Mobile
  

• Helen Zille the Premier of the Western Cape, a member of the Western Cape Provincial Parliament, leader of South Africa’s opposition Democratic Alliance political party and a former Mayor of Cape Town who is participating for the second time

• Alan Winde the MEC for Finance, Economic Development and Tourism

• Marge Hemp and Janet Moss who have cycled in 35 Cape Argus tours

• Kevin Mcallum a sports journalist from The Star Newspaper

• Gareth Edwards an ENCA News Anchor

• Damien, Chaeli, Luke and Nicholas who are all Special Riders who will be towed along the course by their fit mothers/fathers/friends raising awareness for children living with disabilities

• Natalie du Toit a Para Olympic Swimmer and Olympic Gold Medallist

• Ashwin Willemse the South African rugby union player

Be sure to follow the progress of these celebrities during the race and join in on the fun on Twitter with the handle: @CycleTourTrust

Find the Interactive Map here: cycletour.mapit.co.za

On the 1^st and 2^nd of February 2013 the Castle Cape Town Tens hosted its 5^th year anniversary at Hamilton’s Rugby Club and celebrated with a fun-filled weekend of rugby, entertainment, live music and a party like no other.

The annual event has fast become the largest Tens tournament in the Southern Hemisphere having grown from 20 rugby teams and 2 playing fields in its first year to an impressive 78 teams and 5 fields in 2013.  It has also become a huge attraction for rugby players across the globe with 70% of teams travelling from outside the Western Cape to participate and 5% from abroad.

The weekend was action-packed, to say the least, from the moment the first whistle went off with 208 games taking place in 48 hours, 2000 rugby players and 85 referees facilitating games. With team spirits high, players took to the fields in an assortment of weird and wonderful team outfits as they battled for first prize in their divisions.

Cape Town Tens sees thousands of visitors through its door each year. The success of the tournament is that it offers the unique opportunity to mix rugby, activities for the family, socialising, live music and of course a great party all in one venue. Set against the incredible backdrop of the Greenpoint Stadium and the breathtaking Table Mountain it has something for everyone. From kiddies play areas, a great variety of food such as Spur, Knead, Food Lovers and Salushi to drinks in the Castle Beer Tent, an incredible music line up and a massive party in the evening!

This year saw some of SA top bands take to the stage including rock band aKING and electro swing group Goodluck. Other incredible music acts included Me & Mr Brown, Albert Frost, Lonesome Dave, SADC and DJ Sox who kept players and spectators partying all night. With the assortment of live music, wacky outfits, fines meetings and prize giving there was just as much activity and excitement off the rugby field as there was on!

For those who wished to enjoy Tens in a more relaxed environment, the Itec Group’s VIP area offered a chance to do so whilst rubbing shoulders with local and international Rugby Legends such as Colin Charvis, Josh Lewesy, Bob Skinstad and Robbie Fleck. Guests were treated to snacks and refreshments including a wine tasting whilst enjoying the rugby action from the sideline.

“The response has been overwhelming this year”, said Bob Skinstad, co-founder of Tens.  “From all the teams that have travelled from afar to participate to the sponsors and brands who have come on board. We are excited to see that the tournament is cementing itself as a household name on Cape Town’s social and sporting calendars and we cannot wait for what’s in store for 2014.”

For final results from 2013 or more information visit www.capetowntens.com

The rugby team decided to face their own fears by singing ‘Stand By Me’ for their fans, film it and upload it to YouTube. This is the result.

It’s both admirable and cringe-worthy but you gotta love them for trying.

Take a look at the video below:

Above: English football assistant referee Sian Massey

Female referees seem to be a rare commodity. The life, love and passion in soccer have always been attributed to men. The calls to “Mr Ref”, “Mr Linesman”, have become the norm and yet no-one has questioned the development of female referees. Where have all the former female soccer players gone?

Ladies soccer has thrived in the last ten years, with the Ladies Absa League and Ladies Sasol League feeding the South African women’s national teams in every age group. It still remains questionable as to why there are so few female soccer referees.

Concern has been raised as to the development of women in sport in general, which is still a male dominated industry.  Many female referees have progressed to the PSL, and fill various roles. Still these efforts are with little notice, as these women had to fight their way there or shine like no other to be noticed. To be a woman and grow within any male dominated industry is an achievement within itself. Whether or not women are taken seriously in soccer will have no weight to a debate. The PSL is a good example of the lack of seriousness that seems to haunt the fairer sex in sport.

Many male referees welcome the inclusion of women for diversity reasons and some referees believe that they have done all they can in promoting refereeing to retired female soccer players. Local football associations have been asked to request clubs to put forward names of women who are keen to maintain their involvement in the game, so as to be moulded for refereeing, but the request has fallen on deaf ears. It seems that ladies soccer thrives but female referees are far and few between.

Somewhere women have fallen through the cracks and have been left to carry on with their lives without the knowledge that a player’s career may end but his or her love for soccer or involvement in the game need not. It appears moreover, that women are keen to coach and manage junior teams rather than become referees. This usually happens when their own children become junior level players. The maternal instinct to become a junior team coach is somewhat appealing, as is the chance to see their own kids perform on the soccer field and to live vicariously through them, as many fathers do.

Many soccer players who retire due to age, injury or family commitments will always be former soccer players. These are the people who should be called on to become referees and continue to mark their place in the sport they love. It seems obvious that former soccer players will make good referees, but some of the best referees in the world have never kicked a ball. And still the question remains, why are former players not invited to become referees? Why are these players not urged to continue their soccer careers, just not as players, but in so many other aspects of the game? The best kept secret in being as close to the game as possible, is as a referee.

I spoke to SAFA Cape Town Head of Department, Mr Ronnie Johnson, who explained to me that women’s refereeing was always separate from the men, and when invited to join up with the men, the women continued playing soccer as their first priority. When the Absa and Sasol Leagues began, SAFA Cape Town was forced to use male referees. He says, “…this became acceptable, so there were always male referees and clubs did not make an effort to send female referees”.

According to Mr Johnson, there is a fair amount of mental preparation that goes with being a referee. “In refereeing, there is much demand and referees face abuse. Players and coaches are club orientated and are very partial. It isn’t easy to block out spectators, and coaches find it easy to criticise the referee, rather than to criticise their key players.”

Mr Johnson says he has invited clubs to participate in referee workshops and sessions and notified local football associations to urge women to take up refereeing, but clubs do not seem keen. But Mr Johnson has a new strategy to grow its base of female referees this year. He plans to compel each team participating in the 2013 women’s league to send a non-playing member to a refereeing workshop and train that person, in the hope that she will find an interest in refereeing. She will have the choice after the workshop to continue with her training or not. It is imperative that more women undertake refereeing, for fear of female referees becoming redundant, as there are already too few to even run a women’s league.

It is still unclear where the duty rests in terms of who is responsible for promoting female refereeing in Cape Town. It is hard to believe that the onus lies with clubs to send referees as representatives of their club for the LFA season, but clubs are focused on a range of other things.

Female referees have been benchmarked against male referees in terms of theoretical knowledge, physical training and development. Thus many will find the ability of female referees to be well within the standard set by SAFA and FIFA. So why are women still snubbed? I put this question to Mr Johnson, who says that it is tough to face the fact that women are still not taken seriously in this sport.

Mr Johnson has hope though, like he has in every official on the books of SAFA Cape Town. According to him, anyone can be developed into a referee. He says: “There is no better joy than to see somebody develop after you have played a small part in their development. It is greater than personal achievement.”

With the pace at which ladies soccer is growing in the country, there is only hope that the number of female referees will increase, and set a precedent for others to also train to become referees.

I believe that the plans by SAFA Cape Town to grow its base of female referees are a challenge far beyond themselves, and various factors such as intimidation, motherhood, family commitments and lack of motivation keep women from having a chance at growth in this avenue of the game.

 About the author: Gracia Michaels is a freelance writer, SAFA Cape Town football referee, former semi pro footballer and works full time in media monitoring. Follow her on Twitter @Gracia_Michaels

It’s here! The 5^th instalment of The Castle Cape Town Tens kicks off tomorrow at Hamilton’s Rugby Club at 10am!

Catch 90 rugby teams from around the country, international and SA rugby legends, a massive beer tent, crazy outfits and activities for the whole family!

The entertainment line up is jam-packed with SA’s finest talent. Catch headliners aKING and Albert Frost on Friday, Goodluck on Saturday and Me & Mr Brown, Lonesome Dave Ferguson, SA/DC and DJ Sox busting beats all weekend!

If that isn’t enough to look forward to then how about a set of brand new wheels? On Saturday, Stor-Age – SA’s leading self storage company – will be running a “kick for the poles” competition to win the incredible prize of a Golf GTI to the value of R385 000! Keep your eyes out for the gorgeous Stor-Age promotion girls who will be taking entries at the tournament.

Don’t miss out on Africa’s biggest rugby party and be sure to grab tickets from www.webtickets.co.za.

Tickets are R70 for adults and R50 for students available from www.webtickets.co.za, kids under 12 free.

For more information visit www.capetowntens.com.       

Follow Castle Cape Town Tens on Twitter @Tensrugby and on Facebook.

Remember – if you like it then put a hashtag on it – #CT10s!

Dirtopia is celebrating the month of love, so join us again for this fun Trail Run the Sunday after Valentine’s Day. Take part in the couples challenge or as a solo, but we encourage you to be part of the theme and wear something red.

Route Description:

Both routes offer great climbing on jeep track through the vineyards towards Klapmutskop with rewarding singletrack trails and scenic wineland views from the waterpoint of Table Mountain in the distance.

Event Details:

When: Sunday, 17 February 2013

Where: Dirtopia Trail Centre, Delvera Farm, on R44 about 10 km from Stellenbosch

Registration: from 06h00 at Dirtopia Trail Centre

Start: Long distance start at 07h40, short distance start at 07h50 and the Couple Relay starts at 07h30.

Distances: A 7.5km loop and a 12.5km route for those seeking more of a challenge

Format for couples: Couples will complete two laps of the 7.5km (1 lap per partner)

Cost:    Pre-entries (close on the 13^th of February):

7.5km – R55 p/p, 12.5km – R75

Late entries (taken on event day): 7.5km – R65 p/p, 12.5km – R85

Timing will be done with Amarider Trail Tags.  No tag, no time:  available for rent or to buy.

Pre-entries receive goodies. A little Valentines treat for all finishers, as well as a medal!

There will be a refreshment station on both routes (with powerade, fruit & nuts/jellys) and drinks at the finish as well.  Make sure you stay for prizegiving & luckydraw around 09h30.

For the love of the trails, be there!

Pre-entries available on www.dirtopia.co.za

With all eyes watching to see what Pep Guardiola pulls out of his hat when he ascends onto Bayern Munich in July after agreeing to a 19 million euros per year deal for three years, I shudder to think whether he can mimic the successes achieved at Barcelona.

Guardiola has lived many dreams. He was part of the Barcelona Dream Team that won the European Cup for the first time under Johan Cruyff. He succeeded Frank Rijkaard as Barcelona coach in 2008. In his first season at the Camp Nou, he won the treble with Barcelona, namely, the La Liga, Copa del Rey and the Champions League. He made history by becoming the youngest manager to win the UEFA Champions League. The next season he won the Supercopa, UEFA Super Cup and the FIFA Club World Cup, making it six titles in six competitions in the same year. He received the FIFA World Coach of the Year in 2011 and led Barcelona to 14 titles in four years. He was also the longest standing coach of Barcelona, a record formerly held by Joseph Samitier. Quite a resumé and one not be reckoned with.

With an attack like Barcelona, who continues to win games despite the exit of Guardiola, will Bayern Munich be able to show better form and achieve glory so desired by the fans of the Allianz Arena under Guardiola? Is it the mindset of players? Is it the motivation from managers? Is it the pressure from fans? Is it the skill and talent of the first team and bench? Or is it just the combination of all of the above? What makes a good coach?

Guardiola is young, talented and good looking. Some critics have even called him gifted. It seems that younger coaches meet players on a better level than older, experienced coaches. The likes of Alex Ferguson and Jose Mourinho are indeed better coaches on paper and their titles and achievements are endless. Pep Guardiola has achieved glory that many only dream of, and that is what makes him unique, which is quite admirable.

But how far does talent take you as a coach? Is it possible to be stern Alex Ferguson who has won many titles over many years? Can you be the “Turnaround Man”, Harry Redknapp, and save Tottenham Hotspurs from their demise, take them to Champions League qualification within a season and then show Europe that ANY team can get to the quarter finals of one of the most prestigious competitions in the world. Not any coach has that type of skill to motivate players to believe in themselves and instill a turnaround strategy within months.

Now Redknapp is the man to bring QPR back on its feet after Mark Hughes made them crawl down the road less travelled. Roberto Di Matteo turned a down-in-the-dumps Chelsea to win the FA Cup and UEFA Champions League, and still lost his job. It makes one wonder, what skills are required to be an exceptional coach, where the whole world sits up and takes notice. This can only be achieved by repeated wins, and only titles and trophies bring celebrity status. I remember a friend telling me that he never took note of Jose Mourinho before Porto won the Champions League. I was not one bit shocked, as I did not know him before then either.

Many would like to see if Guardiola can mirror the successes of Barcelona at Bayern Munich. Some of us would also like to see his fall from grace, just for the world to see that he might just be an ordinary coach, that he might just not be a super coach, but was rather, the coach of a super team.

About the author: Gracia Michaels is a freelance writer, SAFA Cape Town football referee, former semi pro footballer and works full time in media monitoring. Follow her on Twitter @Gracia_Michaels