Sports

=** South African Sports **=
 * [|Springboks] **
 * - South Africa is most famous for its rugby team, The South African Springboks **
 * - The South African Springboks are one of the best rugby teams the world has ever seen and currently rank fourth place by the [|International Rugby Board] . **
 * -They have won the rugby championship between on three different occasions and were named 2008 World Team of the Year at the Laureus World Sports Awards. **
 * -The 1995 World Cup was the first major sporting event to take place in South Africa. It was also the first World Cup in which [|South Africa] was allowed to compete because of the apartheid policies of the former government. **
 * -In the [|finals], the Springboks defeated the [| New Zealand] [|All Blacks] 15–12. This event is now remembered as one of the greatest moments in South Africa's sporting history. **
 * -However, the Springboks are recognized not only for being a successful team, but for uniting South Africa as a whole after the apartheid influence; All with the help of their president, Nelson Mandela. After 27 years in jail, [|Nelson Mandela] met with [|Francois Pienaar], the South African Rugby captain. With Nelson Mandela’s support and inspiration Francois led the Springboks to victory in the 1995 World Cup. This victory united South Africa by demonstrating that victory and success can be achieved with teamwork despite the race of those who help conquer. **

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 * Nelson Mandela and Francois Pienaar holding the 1995 Rugby Championship Trophy **
 * A tribute to the Springboks **
 * South Africa vs New Zealand 1995 Game highlights **
 * Nelson Mandela’s Poem which inspired a nation **
 * Nelson Mandela talking about and thanking Rugby and the Springboks **


 * [|International Rugby Board] World Rankings **


 * - John Smit is recognized worldwide as one of the best rugby players of all time **
 * - John is currently the 50th captain of the Springboks **
 * - Smit was inducted into the [|IRB Hall of Fame] on 24 October 2011 **
 * - On September 2009 Smit became one of South Africa's most successful captains ever after leading the Springboks to another victory. The victories summed up to 46 of the 64 games that he captained, a win percentage of 72% **
 * - On 23 August 2010, he played his 100th Test. Smit is currently only the 15th player ever to do so and the second South African to ever reach that milestone (Test is another word for match) **


 * South Africa Football Association [[image:https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/mtOWpsL5fbIjqeiXml63hZRGeiDFz9XeVT3_elcMnpcnLd1iAVuE7B7biTZdr-aR015OQkY5iup9MClz8H4lPLeVwC-ay-xSevUQVZR3McQzqdXtRw]] **


 * - Although South Africa is most famous for its rugby, Football, or soccer, is considered to be its most popular sport and is played nationwide. **
 * - The [|national football team] is nicknamed Bafana Bafana (meaning the boys, the boys). **
 * - South Africa is currently 13th place in the [|African Cup of Nations] for football **
 * - They won their first national championship in 1996 **


 * - South Africa hosted the [|2010 FIFA World Cup], which happened to be the first World Cup hosted in Africa. [] **


 * [[image:https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/u9dsidnkI1cUXgcpsYf0W0DVtuEqk8DnG-_pmlNPD6ow2sKD58KH7uznMGW_f9f9wSB2yOOi6LCqpnTLz6K7DVmYXlS4Kun_T3uTbjsZHI-SuRLb6w link="http://www.sports-reference.com/olympics/athletes/mc/benni-mccarthy-1.html"]][|Benedict Saul "Be] ** [|nni" McCarthy] is ** one of South Africa’s most popular players and is currently South Africa’s all-time top-scorer with 31 goals. **
 * Benni McCarthy scoring his second goal during the Telkom Knockout Quarter Final match between Moroka Swallows and Orlando Pirates **


 * Cricket [[image:https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/tDPh0Y7B8YulPyEWw6XVulKKV8H9WAzF7NB8mMdNcKaX_5_BfawMiSLS1l9iBAyTBBDU7_YUoX4NgZkuPKTwumcat8lSI038HuArCETYE_Gz09EYGA]] **


 * - Cricket is another popular game in South Africa. **
 * - The South African cricket team is currently ranked second place worldwide by the International Cricket Council with an impressive 125/124 win/lose ratio. **


 * Rank || Team || Matches || Points || Rating ||
 * 1 || [[image:https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/_oN6MBEiRQRYVSrDSDIhrZCrbvS576E4e6isKjGjPr2fo1DIp4uJbj3V7srlW8Z4rN6oFLL9cUznUvT9I_t335oeDNmfv5oCLZYAPODwAbH7MrLGaA]]* [|England] || 14 || 1,811 || 129 ||
 * 2 || [[image:https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/pbSkMd967t6sdGFwbA3TbDVIBXP-bhfBHpu6kdu9K1NHDHMhLpBdvNC6SNcfIPsUYmA2VHqCS5b78_x1kAg6Pzk1BG7x9Q28LX_AnEvrYnOoXP7exQ]]* [|South Africa] || 12 || 1,468 || 122 ||
 * 3 || [[image:https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/aaZD0E8qpiqeiwnvaR_0mXL_5lyT0YyMZ9h0k0LvC46vFV-jOfkLRzfwpMuETS9CUnamJRJPcpbql4BlOqGAzZY_IR3IoqIqAvkTlVD-M-jaedZLPA]]* [|Sri Lanka] || 9 || 1,056 || 117 ||
 * 4 || [[image:https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/B1bsGh1tq0e-DXNuE_WPvI9ta8pHOLrbucZ_R9o7W35KqSQHYy2MmsqHCs_QE4w2q7iiZ_wAQmafymSc38Wl6YCeepCIwL7VjtaPGbeVlRVdTpIvvA]]* [|New Zealand] || 14 || 1,596 || 114 ||
 * 5 || [[image:https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/yCnSm87sJ8V8W5IrVBez7WfSmNcecHLUawgbCMoHgQrtFIZk3KQR9GXzO7DGMlwoAUTnZEpGTvHwAY89a6oflBAJxCS9IJsmF1bgIDVpRJde_iIjDw]]* [|Pakistan] || 17 || 1,817 || 107 ||
 * 6 || [[image:https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/vEMiRKTPOc3qaUSrxmi6Is6L4vc9JbtXJqOx3SxQoCPIgGktUIcRzzmbseWS-5IL99Bmdt-yGDWFsbeJiUFF56-RtIcasm5r77DNe_BS7RIB10N0ng]]* [|Australia] || 15 || 1,603 || 107 ||
 * 7 || [[image:https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/n1EUnHQPppyGL12lKJSabl22qOMr5KGbh1uVrLQG46QOe3FdP_QUeBl-cpOh7VrdZDr1-yYcCItNqDYSWimkXYDvtjL8kFiwHyHJOt526THnix3Obw]]* [|India] || 9 || 930 || 103 ||
 * 8 || [[image:https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/g8j1grPCt3XpAGnIUfilLwMEFD5ZlPVnnmAvocPRaOmfBy792dFkCvYzcvrnS6Q9MUTWAd_1f0iUfot95VlutWNQ8tkFe9OIe97IYlighT_2vSLviQ]]* [|Ireland] || 10 || 946 || 95 ||
 * 9 || [[image:https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/rJbgEncflPmBu4GaVqNgkkfcf_OTHpauTAWA043X9Ax90einfVbv0zIerdj_C-QFV9E7Vh4kOAJHOLHxSNAzhRS3Xc8jppzujyubmzHk9C2haYH41g]]* [|West Indies] || 10 || 933 || 93 ||
 * 10 || [[image:https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/76M5-O99tMWHSVCKpgxxFsmibRJ4iCGbp-1EMk-MWarMCU7Xso_kawypvYBEpVEGTlKnorRy8ACyz9opbk52kIn9N38vZ7iewYOsiRnqiNi7t40E4w]]* [|Afghanistan] || 6 || 500 || 83 ||
 * 11 || [[image:https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/N5KWhj1RucsWJHShnmuvyLePmTYkEFyR1kA-VLYmHXOdfK0K3O9fvOCn1_L565G5iv_pbHliex0OIiP8f8VdhHun1PF_t9APtxqykIJ_c7CzD6pVsA]]* [|Netherlands] || 5 || 321 || 64 ||
 * 12 || [[image:https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/uX4fMsjlsqucCI6hqN2qqujBHsCRCfa--8dkRWn6s4c2yytNuQ16JTC7UHQNyzTuFzH48bALiz4XvZO3zLsi7GBiyZiRoJT0sLY9yTOhJV0XU_aprA]]* [|Zimbabwe] || 9 || 463 || 51 ||
 * 13 || [[image:https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/xFTVQjC6OLb808S4VUzg-BkQt5criaacVcN9HjyK5zrWAv8s31ngrymUt--_F0TRdMOATpJLNzIAGYDqlEDy6CXfI9yH6Rwy0i808fjEyaMpPHhlWg]]* [|Scotland] || 5 || 200 || 40 ||
 * 14 || [[image:https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/qrFqX6pfMDlbInyUDBVES5RIcKfjlynbN5g9SjW11R2AOyWIyyXzwz9OgoEUXhp5D1UbaGPIx2bwWBWYbJxN5hVizYlHiCNdo1akKyhPxHl81_wgoQ]]* [|Canada] || 5 || 79 || 16 ||
 * 15 || [[image:https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/J5_ViimoiBdiN2z4jTQn1D2hxQQkzdm-Efzzsphw8cm_3J39Y9ugv7peDD_s24i3pcLMkAixpOWopCtq4-ZcPQJL8OT_R5x1KEFn3erVfM0KsuU_OQ]]* [|Kenya] || 6 || 75 || 13 ||




 * - Pollock is widely regarded as South Africa's greatest cricketer **
 * -Pollock has received many different awards including being voted as South Africa's Cricketer of the 20th Century in 1999, was selected as one of Wisden's [|Cricketers of the Year] in 1966, as well as being named the [|Wisden Leading Cricketer in the World] in 1967 and 1969. **


 * -His completed career Test match batting average of 60.97 remains second only to Sir [|Donald Bradman], otherwise regarded as the best batsman of all time with a batting average of 99.94. Bradman described Pollock, as the best left-handed batsman he had ever seen play cricket **