Are We Ready For The World Cup?
Bafokeng Stadium
100 days until the World Cup, but are we ready yet? We have a list of everything that should be in order by kick off.
Do we match up?
Accommodation
There was a bit of disagreement about The Royal Bafokeng Sports Campus in Rustenburg, but Capello seems pleased with what has been done so far.
However, the supporters also need accommodation. Sure we have lots of B n B’s and hotels, but the idea of a tent city in Johannesburg during winter? I’m not sure how much of a good idea that is. Residents are already up in arms about the tent city on their doorsteps.
Meanwhile, South Africa’s tourism ministry has ordered an investigation into allegations that hotel prices are unreasonably high during the tournament.
The probe into hotel prices follows an investigation into South African airlines are colluding to inflate prices during the World Cup.
Stadiums
Fifa General Secretary Jerome Valcke said, “Cape Town’s 68,000-seater 2010 stadium is perfect.” And it should be after two matches were held there to test the readiness of the stadium.
Other stadiums are having a bit of difficulty convincing Fifa.
The Mbombela Stadium in Nelspruit is one of the stadiums having a bit of trouble.
After two attempts to grow grass have failed at the new R1.2 billion stadium, another is yet to be laid. This has raised fears the pitch will not be ready by June.
Soccer City in Johannesburg still needs some work done on the paving and parking areas.
Security
South Africa started its 2010 security operational plan immediately after the country was announced to host the prestigious event in May 2004.
Deputy Minister of Safety and Security Susan Shabangu said, “Security planning for the Fifa 2010 World Cup began immediately after it was announced on 15 May 2004 that South Africa will be hosting this event.”
In the build-up to the 2010 World Cup the South African Police Service will spend R640-million on the deployment of 41 000 officers specifically for the event. This figure includes 31 000 permanent members and 10 000 police reservists.
The SAPS has already purchased some of the hi-tech equipment needed to ensure that safety of fans and visitors in 2010 is assured.
“We have already purchased new helicopters, water cannons, mobile command vehicles, body armor and other resources for crowd management as well as hi-tech bomb disposal equipment, said Shabangu.
LOC security boss Linda Mti said South Africa’s 2010 Fifa World Cup security concept had been endorsed by Fifa.
In the build-up to the 2010 World Cup the South African Police Service will spend R640-million on the deployment of 41 000 officers specifically for the event. This figure includes 31 000 permanent members and 10 000 police reservists.
The SAPS has already purchased some of the hi-tech equipment needed to ensure that safety of fans and visitors in 2010 is assured.
“We have already purchased new helicopters, water cannons, mobile command vehicles, body armor and other resources for crowd management as well as hi-tech bomb disposal equipment, said Shabangu
Transport
The Gautrain has been created. Roads are also included under transport. So far Cape Town roads are still littered with roadworks. Will it all be done by June?
Our National Team: Bafana Bafana
We have to ask this question, is Bafana ready to face Mexico?
A campaign was started to rally support for the team and ad campaigns are also showing their support.
Even the Boks are showing their support for our boys, but what about their playing abilities?
South Africa coach Carlos Alberto Parreira said his team is now the focus of the football world and has told his players that everything they do from now on is important.
“In terms of readiness, South Africa is ready to host the world cup in 2010,” said Valcke.
100 days is still enough time to flatten out a few of the glitches right?
HAVE YOUR SAY: Which have you ticked off as done or working on?
Out With The Old, In With the New
Greenpoint Stadium hosted its first rugby match.
For the first time in history, a big rugby game in the city was not played at Newlands. The mountain did not move, nor did the sea swallow up Cape Town.
The World Cup soccer venue hosted its first rugby match on Saturday when a Boland XV played the Stormers in a Super 14 warm-up and the spectacle was breathtaking.
WP’s current home at Newlands in the city’s southern suburbs suddenly looks like a geriatric relative.
The change is inevitable, and not all bad. Newlands comes with its baggage of segregation whereas the new stadium’s crowd reflected a diversity on Saturday that was refreshingly spontaneous.
Still, there will be howls of protest and weeping nostalgia when the move is made.
It has been a favourite ground and the change will be wrenching.
In those days, you would watch a wonderful array of rugby talent, with five club games on the programme.
The press box nestled in the lower grandstand, cheek by jowl with the prime season ticket-holders. Over years, we got to know them, watched them grow old and indulged their crackpot opinions.
So the people at Western Province rugby shove their pride and tradition, sell off the Grand Old Lady and shift to the other side of the mountain.
Even though the old team will turn in their graves.
Courtesy of Archie Henderson
HAVE YOUR SAY: What stands out the most for you about the Newlands Rugby Stadium? What will you miss about the it?
Want To Race Lance Armstrong?
Lance Armstrong will be competing in the Cape Argus Pick N Pay Cycle Tour for charity.
Want to race Lance Armstrong? If you’ve entered the 2010 Cape Argus Pick ‘n Pay Cycle Tour, you’ll have the chance on 14 March.
The seven-time Tour de France winner will be on the start line in Cape Town and will be by far the most high profile athlete to make the 109km trip round the Cape Peninsular.
Five-time Tour legend Miguel Indurain has ridden the Argus before, but that was an out-of-shape retiree, ambling along in the celeb group.
Although it hasn’t been confirmed yet, it’s likely that Armstrong will race the Argus. He’ll be accompanied by his South African RadioShack teammate Daryl Impey, and although a case could be made for Armstrong to meander along in the celebrity peleton, it’s highly unlikely Impey will ride anywhere other than in the invitation race up front.
Do you see Armstrong ambling along while his teammate races?
No, neither do we.
So if you’re starting any time later than when the elite cyclists go at about 6am, if you can pace up to the lead group, you too can sit on Armstrong’s wheel over Suikerbossie.
Alternatively, if you’re a late starter, look out for him at the finish because the pros will be done by about a quarter to nine, which is well before the last of the slow batches start.
Seriously, the main reason for Armstrong’s presence in the Mother City is to raise funds for the JAG Sports and Education Foundation.
From 9-11 March, he’ll be hosting a variety of events – including a 100km bike ride with a lucky few fans, as well as a breakfast and black-tie banquet.
Join Lance on his Cape itinerary and in the process help the Discovery Lance for Life Tour and the JAG Foundation rebuild communities through sports-related programmes.
Alternatively SMS ‘Lance4JAG’ to 38213 at a cost of R10 per SMS and your contribution will go straight to JAG’s sports charity initiatives.
Don’t Write Off the Sharks
Johann Muller warns, "Don't write off the Sharks."
The Sharks are not exactly the flavour of the month, with many pundits already dismissing them as serious contenders for the 2010 Super 14 title.
And you can’t exactly blame the critics, considering the men from Durban had been convincingly beaten – 26-0 by the Western Force and 29-14 by the Stormers – in their pre-season matches.
However, veteran lock Johann Muller has warned that those judging the Sharks on the basis of those two matches in Cape Town last week may be underestimating the Durban-based outfit.
Muller, despite seeking an early exit from his Sharks contract, after Irish province Ulster approached the 23-Test veteran to join them in June, told iafrica.com that he is “very excited” about the season ahead.
Muller is looking to make a major contribution as the Sharks seek to end their Super Rugby drought, having been runners-up three times and semifinalists on another three occasions in the 14 years since the game turned professional.
“I see that the people are writing us off and others are really concerned,” Muller, who captained the Sharks to Currie Cup glory in 2008.
“To those people who are writing us off, as well as those suggesting there are problems in the Sharks camp, nothing could be further from the truth.
The 30-year-old second row forward said they had learnt from last year, when they had a really tough pre-season in which they worked very hard.
“We won seven of our first eight games, but then hit a slump towards the end of the season and fatigue set in,” Muller said of their 2009 campaign – which even saw them beat the losing finalists the Chiefs in Hamilton, the Blues in Auckland and the Western Force in Perth.
Despite topping the table through the first nine weeks, the men from Durban dropped out of the race and back into the chasing bunch as they lost four of their last five games.
Change of Stategy
“This year we decided to do things a bit differently,” Muller said, adding: “We have decided to start a bit slower and then peak at the right times … that is why we are still a bit underdone at this stage.
“We still have about 10 days to go [before they face the Chiefs in the opening round in Durban on February 13].
“The players in the team are certainly not concerned. We know what we need to do and we know what the goals are that we are working towards. As I said, people shouldn’t read too much into these warm-up games.
“You will write us off at your own peril.”
Muller said he is enjoying the underdog status attached to the Sharks at present.
“It is kind of nice to go into a tournament like this where everybody is writing us off.
Muller, despite seven years of first class rugby that includes 23 Tests, 74 Super Rugby matches and 64 provincial games, said he is still “very excited” about the season ahead.
Courtesy of iafrica.com
HAVE YOUR SAY: Do you think the Sharks can make a comeback?
Twickenham In Line To Host Boks In June
Twickenham is the preferred venue to host the Springboks v France Test in June if the Cape Town match clashes with the football World Cup.
Although South Africa Rugby still hopes to use Newlands Stadium for the one-off Test, Cape Town has already signed an agreement with Fifa not to stage any other major sporting events during the tournament.
Coincidentally, France’s football team are due to play Uruguay at the new Green Point stadium in Cape Town on June 11, the day before the Springboks take on Les Bleus.
For that reason, it is understood the South African police would also have to agree to the rugby match taking place given that the security operation for the World Cup will place a massive demand on their resources.
France coach Marc Lievremont said on Wednesday that he hoped the match could be played in France if it is switched from Cape Town, but SA Rugby would prefer a neutral venue, with Twickenham seemingly top of the list.
“If the game can’t go ahead in Newlands, we need a plan B and we have been looking at a number of venues in the UK,” said a spokesman for SA Rugby. “Twickenham will certainly be the option we will be looking at.”
The RFU said last night that no approach had yet been made by their South African counterparts for the use of Twickenham.
Hosting such an event however would provide a welcome boost to the RFU’s finances, as the venue could be hired out at a commercial rate similar to that for match between the Barbarians and the All Blacks in December.
Thanks to the telegraph.co.uk
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