Sidestep

Springbok coach Allister Coetzee has been surprisingly laid back and even jovial for a man who began his new job with a loss. The 26-20 defeat to Ireland at Newlands ticked a few unwanted boxes, and also attracted some unwanted attention. It was the first Irish victory against the Springboks on South African soil. The fact that the men in green and gold (wearing white and green on the day) had an extra player for most of the game, was even more damning. In all fairness and unlike the heroic 14-man Ireland, Coetzee was not defensive in his assessment of the performance, mentioning how poor they were. Despite the hurt of the defeat, Toetie was still able to have a laugh when opportunities presented themselves. “The Northern Hemisphere teams are actually playing closer to Test match rugby compared to us, when we are in the Super 15, Super 18 environment or is it Super 20…” he mocked, before Siya Kolisi seated to his left, politely whispered “Super Rugby”. ...

     The gap between men's and women’s golf in two leader boards. Gender equality in sport still has a long way to go. You would think that over the years the disparity would have at least decreased but as a sports journalist I am sad to report that there still a lot of work to be done in bridging the gap. During a recent interview with a professional golfer, I was reminded of the challenges female athletes are faced with. The women are definitely getting the shorter end of the stick – by a long way. There is less money in the women’s game, less sponsors, less media coverage and less fans. But it is not all doom and gloom though, as I write this, the Australian Open is about to conclude. Congratulations to tennis, they have successfully implemented equal prize money for men and women in grand slams, something other sports can learn from. Anyway, back to my interview with Swaziland professional golfer Nobuhle Dlamini which you c...