Columnist George Parker wonders whether we’ve become a nation of rugby denialists following the Durban loss to the All Blacks in the Tri-Nations competition. In his occasional column, Parker’s Piece, he also dares to suggest that Springbok coach Jake White wasn’t telling us the whole truth when he said he decided to play his second-stringers in the away legs of the Tri-Nations because he wanted to save his ‘exhausted’ front-liners for the World Cup. Parker argues White wanted to avoid at all costs another two defeats in the away legs of the competition for his first team – for such a scenario would have devastating psychological consequences for his players ahead of the World Cup in France in September.
Click here to read Parker Piece

Percy Sonn who died in Cape Town at the age of 57 from complications following colon surgery, was bombastic, straight- talking, impulsive, mischievous, tough, mentally sharp and not shy with the booze.

Kepler Wessels has been touted as the new SA cricket manager, and former UCB President Ray White is predicting fireworks.

Springbok and Bulls hero Victor Matfield may be lost to SA rugby by the end of 2007.

Kepler Wessels, for some time a thorn in the flesh of the SA cricket establishment, will take an Emerging Players side to Australia in July, with Allan Donald as his deputy.

Good corporate governance is the ticket on which Oregan Hoskins was elected as Saru president. He spoke of morality and doing the right things.

Proteas captain Graeme Smith is recovering well from a knee operation he had to undergo last week, but could be out of action for a while.

Bafana Bafana coach Carlos Alberto Parreira was discharged from the Morningside Clinic in Johannesburg on Saturday after spending three days there following complications from a rib injury.

Muttiah Muralitharan will not play in the inaugural Twenty20 World Cup in September in SA.

Hennie Otto claimed his second victory on the Vodacom Origins of Golf Tour when he won the Pretoria tournament by three strokes at Pretoria Country Club.

Thousands of last minute entries poured into the offices of the Comrades headquarters last week.

Three years after winning the bid for 2010, it’s no stretch to say that communication isn’t the strong point of the Local Organising Committee (LOC).

Dubai has won the right to host the Sevens Rugby World Cup in 2009 and the tournament will be the first to incorporate a women's competition, the International Rugby Board (IRB) announced last week.

Fifa President Sepp Blatter was quoted by the BBC as saying Fifa were obliged to have a contingency plan in place for 2010, but only in the case of ‘natural catastrophe’.

National coach Jake White, the SABC and the Rugby Legends Association have been accused of failing to recognise or appreciate the significant role that black South Africans have played in rugby.

SA sports teams performed poorly last week but the Sports Ministry has urged the public not to lose hope.

SA stormed into the final of the International Rugby Board's Under-19 tournament in Belfast on Tuesday by beating Australia 32-18.

Had Butana Komphela, the ANC’s resident authority on sport, taken time to step off his soapbox and visit the King Edward Easter Hockey and Rugby Festival this weekend he would have found a scene very different to the one he so tiresomely describes.

The midweek defeat of Bafana Bafana by Bolivia was a ‘necessary irritation’ for SA. That’s the view of Tumo Mkone who argues that expectations soared unrealistically after the 3-0 victory over Chad.

Cricket's elegant, chivalrous side has been slowly stripped by commercialism and the last touch of innocence has disappeared with the murder of Bob Woolmer.

These are exciting times for sports lovers around the world and South Africans, especially, have a lot to look forward to.

Archbishop Desmond Tutu, Nobel Peace Prize Laureate and Patron of South Africa's first ever America’s Cup Challenger has given the team a very special third birthday present by announcing he will be in Valencia, Spain, on June 9 to support the team.

For the first time since 1992, this Cricket World Cup will be a proper competition in that all of the top countries will play each other.

England's susceptibility to forward power, ruthlessly exposed by Ireland in the Six Nations match a week ago, has given the Springboks an obvious game plan for their World Cup match against the defending champions this September.

With hundreds of the world's top cricketers packing their bags for the biggest cricket tournament on the planet, Phil Coetzer takes a step back and pays tribute to 15 'gutted' professionals who failed to make the shortlist.