Refs with cramps
Try as you might, it was hard to avoid the fall-out of Jaden Hendrikse’s wink while he received treatment for cramp against Munster last weekend. It predictably lit up social media, with opinions differing dramatically whether your country code is (+27) or (+353).
Without rehashing the entire episode, referee Mike Adamson should have taken control of the situation by immediately ordering the Sharks’s medical team to treat Hendrikse well away from where the penalty shootout was taking place. Hendrikse did not suffer a blow to the head or neck, and could have been moved away sooner. Administering treatment where Hendrikse went down compromised the integrity of the kicking contest.
In the end it did not alter the result, but on a different day it might have.
Know your Bok heroes
Young rugby fans are in for a treat with the launch of Ultimate Springbok Heroes, from school to Test rugby, a series of six books focusing mostly on the rise of six double Rugby World Cup winners.
The books feature Cheslin Kolbe, Siya Kolisi, Eben Etzebeth, Pieter-Steph du Toit, Handre Pollard and Faf de Klerk in a concise format that serves to shed light on the players’ formative years. “The books are aimed at our youth, but I’m sure many older fans will enjoy the stories too,” said seasoned publisher Don Nelson.
A number of numbskulls
When South African Football Association (Safa) president Danny Jordaan was asked in parliament this week how long the Le Coq Sportif sponsorship had to run, he replied: “Until December 13.” It’s actually December 31. During the same meeting Safa defended their own official, Bafana team manager Victor Tseka, who failed to keep count of yellow cards that should have kept Tebogo Mokoena out of Bafana’s World Cup qualifier against Lesotho in March. When it comes to numbers, Safa are numbskulls.
Safa's top secret
At the same sitting, Safa CEO Lydia Monyepao was not prepared to protect her people and their salaries at the association. Monyepao was asked about the salary of Bafana Bafana coach Hugo Broos and that of South Africa's Under-20 coach Raymond Mdaka and she couldn’t hide the numbers, revealing Broos takes home over R1m a month while Mdaka is lagging behind somewhere between R30,000 and R50,000. One thing Monyepao and Safa executives wouldn’t budge on was disclosing the value of contracts with companies that sponsor national teams. That, they vowed, was a secret they were prepared to go to their graves with.
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