Brief was my excitement when I made haste to the mailbox to pick up my latest addition of SA Rugby and a familiar face stared back at me – NOT SCHALK AGAIN! Yes people, Schalk Burger donned the cover of my favourite magazine for close to the fourth or fifth time this year alone! Have these guys run out of people to put on the cover or what?! Granted, Schalk sells and he had an above-average RWC, but please widen your search and get some new blood in. Thankfully other regulars like Fourie du Preez, the combo of Victor Matfield/Bakkies Botha and of course John “deep pockets” Smit have either thought it time to retire or ply their trade abroad.

However, upon putting my disappointment on ice and actually opening the damn thing, I found (to my surprise) a stand-up comedian, moonlighting as a journalist. Ryan Vrede took on the enviable task of throwing an article together that explains why Schalla should become the heir to Smittie’s Bok hot-seat! What a load of ostridge-like drivel his particular contribution turned out to be – filled to the brim with references of Burger’s “never-say-die attitude”, his ability to take on all opponents “head-on” and even going as far as to label him a talisman for all that SA rugby stands for. If Schalk Burger epitomizes SA Rugby where it is at in this post-RWC wake of disappointment, that is one thing, but if he is the future of SA Rugby, we’re in for a decidedly tough and heart-wrenching FOUR, MORE YEARS!

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Lewis Hamilton is hoping his victory in Abu Dhabi is just the start of his return to the top of Formula One.

The McLaren driver has had, in his own words, his “worst” season ever in F1 this year, winning just two races ahead of Sunday’s grand prix at the Yas Marina circuit.

Spending more time in the stewards’ offices than he had done on the podium, Hamilton was in desperate need of a strong finish to the Championship.

And it was handed to him on a plate on Sunday when pole-sitter and proverbial race winner Sebastian Vettel retired on the first lap, gifting the lead to Hamilton.

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Sanzar announced this morning that the Springboks will be meeting the Pumas at the opening game of the new “Castle Rugby Championship” in South Africa in August 2012. The re-branded Tri-Nations now includes the Argentinian rugby team (joining Australia and New Zealand) that will take part in the new-look and new fixture line-up tournament.

The agreement was made official at a signing in Auckland recently with the Sanzar Joint Venture partners after several months of negotiations and included the Unión Argentina de Rugby (UAR) and the International Rugby Board (IRB).

Sanzar CEO Greg Peters said that “The invitation to Argentina to join the Championship is a defining moment for Southern Hemisphere rugby and significant for world rugby.”

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Pat Lambie, Schalk Burger and Bismarck du Plessis

On Thursday night, Gold Reef City hosted the 2011 SA Rugby Awards and here are some of the winners of the night.

Springbok flank and Western Province captain Schalk Burger won the award for SA Player of the Year for the second time, going up against fellow Springbok and Shark’s player Pat Lambie who did not walk away empty handed. The 21-year-old was named the Absa Young Player of the Year.

A historical Currie Cup victory for the Golden Lions saw them unsurprisingly winning three titles during the ceremony that included Absa Team of the Year for the squad,  Absa Coach of the Year for John Mitchell and Absa Currie Cup Premier Division Player of the Year for their captain Josh Strauss.

Other winners included Springbok hooker Bismarck du Plessis for The SARPA Players’ Player of the Year Award and Springbok Sevens flyer Sibusiso Sithole for The Supersport Try of the Year for his tournament-winning score in the final of the Edinburgh Sevens against Australia. Cecil Afrika, who was recently named the World Sevens Player of the Year walked away with the award for Springbok Sevens Player of the Year.

The South African Rugby Union (SARU) also paid tribute to two recently retired Springbok legends. Both John Smit, who has already left the country to take up a contract with English club Saracens, and Victor Matfield played their last Test for the national team in the quarter-finals at the Rugby World Cup.

Commenting on the past year of rugby, Oregan Hoskins, President of SARU said “Onfield success of our national and provincial teams will always be of paramount importance, but I believe we have enjoyed a special year in the history of our rugby – perhaps a watershed year.”

source: SA Rugby

Agent Mazhar Majeed

Three Pakistan cricket players were imprisoned today after being sentenced to serve jail time for match fixing. Salman Butt, Mohammad Amir, Mohammad Asif and their agent Mazhar Majeed were all jailed today for a fixing conspiracy that the judge said threatened the image and integrity of the game of cricket.

The men, who were handed down sentences between six months and over two and half years, have become the first sportsmen to be jailed for on-field corruption in the UK in 50 years. They were arrested after the fourth Test between Pakistan and England in August 2010.

While many in the cricket world were shocked by the harsh outcome, Indian World Cup winning captain Mahendra Singh has said that “It’s the worst thing you can do while representing your country.” It may be a distressing day for these men, but for the cricket world it is positive, sending a clear warning to all players and management of the severity and seriousness of match fixing.

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Peter de Villiers has said that he will definitely apply for the job of Springbok coach when it becomes available after his tenure comes to an end this year. De Villers plans to hand in his application to serve a second term as the national rugby team’s coach as soon as SARU begin taking them in.

After the Boks were knocked out of the Rugby World Cup by Australia, and one could argue at the hands of Bryce Lawrence, there was a lot of confusion surrounding the separate statements de Villiers made about his position as coach. While some media publications reported that he had stated his intentions to resign, soon afterwards it was reported that he was not planning on doing any such thing. At the post-match press conference de Villiers said that he knew it was the end of the road for him and only 30 hours later said he had not resigned but was simply acknowledging that the match in Wellington had been his final in the contracted period.

Now, after four years as coach, de Villiers believes he has the credentials to continue if the South African Rugby Union want him to. Not winning the World Cup, he says, makes him feel like “there is unfinished business.” I’ll let that statement sink in for a bit.

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The South African Rugby Awards will take place on Thursday night at Gold Reef City where the award recipients will be announced. With the Golden Lion’s victory against the Sharks in the Currie Cup final 2011, The team could very well walk away with the Absa Team of the Year award.

See the list below for some of the nominees:

 SARU Rugby Player of the Year:

1. Schalk Burger
2. Bismarck du Plessis
3. Francois Hougaard
4. Pat Lambie
5. Victor Matfield

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