The second semester is kicking off with a plethora of must watch sports. Football, netball, cricket and rugby are all on full display for the global cohort, even more specifically for us South Africans as we have teams playing in all these cups.
The FIFA Women’s World Cup is on and being played across New Zealand and Australia. The World Cup commenced on 20 July where the host nation, New Zealand broke its World Cup losing streak by winning their opening match against Norway. If the thrill of the largest sport in the world is not enough to convince you to tune into the Women’s World Cup, perhaps seeing our very own will. Banyana Banyana, the second ranked team in Africa and the 54th in the world, will be taking to the field. The women in green and yellow have been placed in Group G alongside Sweden, Italy and Argentina. The team will have a tough battle ahead but will undoubtedly play with utmost determination and classic South African flair.
Mumbai will be hosting the ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup this year, which begins 5 October till 19 November 2023. The host nation boasts that this will be the biggest cricket World Cup to date. The undeniably strong passion for culture in India is sure to be loud, bright and utterly memorable. The Proteas form part of the first eight teams that have qualified to play at this World Cup with the final two teams competing yet to be decided. Proteas are ranked sixth in the world in the ODI (One Day International) format, which is the format that will be used in the World Cup.
The sport that brought together our nation for a month; the Men’s Rugby World Cup is due to be on the screens of super sport fans on 8 September 2023. The wider sport community turns their eyes to France who are no strangers to hosting these large occasions, especially in the last few years. Our Springboks, the 2019 winners with three World Cups under their belt and a 100 percent success rate in the finals, return as the world number four. No pressure to the Springboks but it would not be a stretch to say fingers are crossed and prayers are being said for another win. A win to warm the nation’s heart in this winter and to charge up our homes due to Eskom fumbling the bag.
And last but most certainly not least, the Women’s Netball World Cup hosted in our very own Cape Town, South Africa. This is a momentous World Cup, as it is the first time it is held in the continent of Africa. The Netball World Cup promotion has been vibrant with the lioness mascot, Letsasti, at the forefront. This World Cup is a showcase of the top teams in the world, but also aims to promote values of community, strength, inclusivity, and fair play. So, the teams better keep the contact to a minimum. The first games will be played on 28 July. Team South Africa are facing off Wales on day one. Our SPAR Protea ladies, as they have been dubbed, place fifth in the world and will be looking for a World Cup win on home soil, no doubt!
Citizens of South Africa – prepare your braais, grab your snacks and set your alarms for this brimming international representative sport season. From July to November there is non-stop sporting action across the globe and South Africa is showing up, so we have got a showdown!