The Sports Editor

Kyle Abbott spoke on a number of interesting points in his cricket  career and one point being his 17/86 for Hampshire County Cricket Club.  In what is a unique occasion and a record for Hampshire, Kyle is the  only living person on the planet that has taken 17 wickets in a match.

Kyle also spoke on how he manages the demands of the amount of matches being played, how Kolpak affected his career and how he finds the support in the UK.

Kyle also spoke about his efforts off the cricket field, in particular about his conservation drive.

Enjoy the talk!

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Are you an aspiring cricketer and are aiming to make it as a professional in the game?

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Ben Calitz and Charl Hamman, two Old Boys from Paarl Gim, have the passion and determination to make cricket their profession.

Ben has already played at international level a he represented Canada at the U19 World Cup. Ben, the wicket-keeper batsman, is prepared to face any challenge and is steadily working toward his goal of playing international cricket.

Charl has one of the most determined attitudes and a positive approach to his career. Charl has seen that hard work is the one formula that leads to success and is prepared to do what it takes to make it professionally. The all-rounder is set to make an impression in Scotland with the hopes to play professional cricket in New Zealand.

Akona Ndungane, a rugby legend in South African rugby, who spent his career showing that ambition and determination are essential to make it to the top was an example of pure passion for the game.  

Akona, the Blue Bulls and Springbok player who reached over 100 caps for his franchise, spoke on many aspects that are currently happening in  South Africa as well as how he sees the Pro 16 unfolding and we take a friendly bet on who is going to win the next Currie Cup. 

Akona has started his own foundation with his brother, Odwa, and has his own construction company in AZN Construction.

It was great to be able to chat to a legend of the game and how he was  instrumental in the era of Blue Bull rugby dominance.

Hugh Bladen, who needs no introduction, gave a take on all things rugby.  From school boy rugby, to playing for Transvaal as well as the Junior  Springboks, Hugh also spoke on some of the legends he was able to witness who played for South Africa. Whilst more and more is being discovered about Hugh's career, is was very interesting to find out that he stopped playing professional rugby at the age of 26.   

There is a lot more on Hugh and his career and how he went about becoming arguably the best voice in rugby commentary but he is definitely going to be missed when it comes to listening pure enthusiasm and love for rugby on our television sets.  

It is an honour to be able to talk to someone who stayed in the profession for 45 years and carried the spirit of rugby with him everywhere he went.   

The school boy rugby rivalry kicks off this weekend and it is an old school tie in KZN as Durban High School host Maritzburg College.

College, as the school is referred to, has acquired the skills and knowledge of Hein Kriek. Hein previously coached in The Netherlands as the Technical Director of the national team.

Some questions were posed to Hein who gives a great aspect on what he is looking to achieve this season and how is looking to continue to grow the rugby culture at his new school.

A much anticipated season is finally under way! Enjoy the talk.

If you watched the English Premier League in the 2000 - 2006 era, you would have had the opportunity to watch Shaun Bartlett create some magic for Charlton Athletic.

Shaun added: " Make sure you are always one step ahead of the person behind you...there are always going to be a few million behind you waiting for that opportunity and you gotta make sure you do a lot more than the normal player..."

Shaun was determined to play for South Africa and in the English Premier League from a young age and his dreams came true through hard work and determination.

Shaun went onto win the Goal of the Season for Charlton and quickly developed into a reliable striker. Shaun has now also become a coach for a number of local teams in South Africa but carries the football legacy with him and will always be known as a football legend for South Africa.

The new cricket structure in South Africa, Warriors cricket, the SA setup and JJ's approach to cricket are some of the matters that are discussed in the interview with JJ Smuts.

JJ has been ever present for the Warriors and has been part of a team that one can never write off. Whilst there have been ups and down in JJ's career, he always looks to turn any situation into one that will benefit him and the team he leads. 

JJ is ambitious to have a prolonged career and get a much much cricket under his belt as possible and with his determination, that seems to be a set feature of his game. JJ continues to add to his role as an all-rounder and approaches every challenge head on.

Enjoy the talk!

Michael Rippon has been on the receiving end of many cricket awards recently. The Otago Volts player was named the Player of the Year for the 2019/20 season. He also took his best bowling figures (6/66) and made 497 in the season. Michael has been working hard on his First-Class game and the evidence is there to prove that. 

Michael admitted that he has been a predominant white ball cricketer and has become a vital part of the Otago Volts team doing well in the Super Smash and the Ford Trophy competitions.

Whilst Michael feels the team can improve on last seasons performances, there are many exciting prospects for the squad with the average age being 24.  

Curtis Campher has done very well in his young international cricket career with Ireland.

We also touched on his coach, Graham Ford, domestic cricket in Ireland and what is in the pipeline for cricket in his country.

Enjoy the talk!

AB Zondagh, the assistant coach to Toulouse RFC, spoke on how his career began at the French club. It has been an interesting transition for him  but has also been one of growth and development.

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