What is going on there Mr. Meyer?

I am what you would call an optimistic supporter. So optimistic that I actually believed that Peter de Villiers’s men were going to win last year’s World Cup. That they were the match of the All Blacks.

It is a feeling I have always had. Whilst the men from New Zealand were forever dominant, I always believed that if the Boks put together a top performance, they were very much capable of defeating their old foes. And for most of my life this sentiment has been true, with our national team for many years beating their rivals at least once a season.

Something however changed for me this year. And it happened during the second half spanking that our boys endured in Soweto. For the first time in my life, no matter what circumstances, I started to feel the current Springbok side would never be able to overcome Richie McCaw’s men.

The feeling had a lot to do with the style, or lack there of, that Heyneke Meyer’s team were adopting. Bullying rugby has taken South Africa so far, but with the new era and new rules it is high time we came up with something else. I am not saying we will be able to match the Kiwis for flair and skill, but the occasional back line move that involved drawing a defender and passing instead of just bulldozing over them would be a great step forward.

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Once again, to kick off Cape Town Tens, is The Odd Shaped Ball – a charity evening like no other!

This year rub shoulders with international rugby Legends such as Tim Horan, Lawrence Dellaglio, Serge Betsen, Justin Marshall and SA’s Bob Skinstad and Rob Fleck. Enjoy a three course meal, drinks, dancing, live comedy, as well as a Q&A session with the rugby legends.

All proceeds from the dinner will go towards the JAG Foundation, one of the country’s leading charity organisations and the Christina Noble Charity Foundation (CNCF), both of which are organisations focused on uplifting, mentoring and educating underprivileged kids.

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FinWeek gets into the cage of Mixed Martial Arts in its 1 November edition, to find out how this multi-billion rand industry is making money.

The Extreme Fighting Championship Africa (EFC Africa), an extreme MMA sporting event, has experienced a 60% growth from 2011 to 2012, with purse earnings increasing from R2000 to R100 000 per fight.

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Eben Etzebeth – Crucial any WP hopes in the final

The iPod. This small device has changed the entire landscape of the music industry and was the beginning of Apple’s world domination with the now ever-present iPhone and iPad.

So what has this got to do with this weekend’s Currie Cup final in Durban? Well not much, other then the fact that the last time that WP won the competition was so long ago that this little piece of technology had not even hit the shelves and we were still bopping and jiving to the latest Will Smith hit on our chunky Discman’s.

That last triumph took place against the very same Sharks in 2001 when Slaptjips junior Chris Rossouw (remember him) inspired a second half comeback to give Corne Krige’s team their 32nd domestic title. Since that day the team has slipped to new depths of despair throughout most of the 21st century, until the coaching combo of Rassie Erasmus and Allister Coetzee brought some pride back to the Streeptruie.

Whilst the team has managed several playoff appearances in both Super Rugby and the Currie Cup over the last few years, Coetzee has so far been unable to get his side over the mental hump of ultimate victory. They have another chance this weekend in Durban when the 2012 addition of the Currie Cup reaches its conclusion.

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South African Paralympic gold medalist and national treasure Oscar Pistorius, AKA “The Blade Runner” made it on to NBC’s The Tonight Show with Jay Leno in Los Angeles, California.

Watch the video below:

This year’s Olympics in London, England seem to have flown past and both the Olympics and Paralympics have been a huge success, if all too short. Records were broken, tears were shed and fireworks were watched. What could have been better? The problem is that it has now finished and we have to wait for another four years before we can all become armchair experts on everything from Judo to Archery. So let’s look back at some of our favourite moments to prolong the memories and keep us Olympic fit.

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The hugely popular Cape Town Tens has announced the launch of the inaugural Jozi Tens which will be taking place on the 14th and 15th of September at the historic Pirates Rugby Club in Parkhurst.

Cape Town Tens, currently the largest Tens tournament in the world, is excited to introduce this amazing rugby festival to Johannesburg. The festival will consist of up to 30 teams spread across two divisions – the Heavy Beer and Light Beer Division – allowing for teams of all skill levels to participate.

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