Red Springbok rugby jersey?

So South African rugby kit sponsor Asics have unveiled the new jersey design for the coming season. What’s got most tongues wagging is the ‘away’ kit, modelled by the dashing Eben Etzebeth in the picture below.

Yes. It is red.

RED?

The Springboks will likely don the jerseys (and matching red shorts) when they take on Ireland on 11th November. They will officially be known as the Rooibokke that weekend.

As Ryan Reynolds’ says in Deadpool: “You may be wondering, why the red suit? Well, that’s so bad guys can’t see me bleed.”

It reminds me a bit of the worst ever Proteas ODI cricket kit – also inexplicably red…

King Kallis’ expression says it all. “What team am I playing for again?”

Future format changes for international cricket?

Too many formats confusing?

Today we hear that the October test series between the Proteas and the Aussies has been reduced to just two matches. This is one less than the usual 3 match series that the sides have contested in the past, which many cricket purists have often suggested be extended. This is apparently due to a busy schedule, which basically means that there is something that the Indian cricket board have invented needs to take precedence. This time it is the Champions League T20 competition.

On the same day, England have broken the mould by announcing different permanent skippers for each format of international cricket currently being contested. Andrew Strauss retains the test captaincy, while Alastair Cook takes over the ODI reins and Stuart Broad with toss the coin and pose for the sponsors in the short form of the game, for those who struggle to concentrate for more than a couple of hours.

And so to the point of this post. Perhaps it’s time to take a new look at the format of the international game?

Smit confirmed as Springbok skipper

As has been expected, John Smit has been confirmed as the captain of the Springboks for the 2011 international season. This will be the eight year that the front-row forward will lead the Boks, having captained the side in 76 of his 102 caps.

And in this corner…

So the news that everyone’s new favourite superhero, Sonny Bill Williams, is going to be pulling on his boxing gloves again in June has been doing the rounds online.

He has a ‘charity’ bout scheduled for the 5th of June against a yet-to-be named opponent. With his sporting celebrity there is no doubt that he can pull in the paychecks on the under card of a fight night. He has pledged to donate $100 000 from his purse on the 5th to the Christchurch earthquake relief fund.