Gary Lemke looks ahead towards a jam-packed sporting weekend as recent Test world champions the Proteas face Zimbabwe in a two-Test series, while the Springboks face the Barbarians in Cape Town.
FROM LORD’S TO BULAWAYO FOR PROTEAS
World champions South Africa embark on a quick two-Test “series” against neighbours Zimbabwe, both games in Bulawayo. The first Test starts on Saturday, and the Proteas have won eight of the nine such Tests between the two since 1995.
Five of those wins have been by an innings, with the last time the teams met being as long ago as 2017. Then, the Proteas scored 309 (Aiden Markram 125) and bowled out Zimbabwe for 68 and 121. Nothing suggests this shouldn’t be another dominant win for the new world champs.
WET CAPE WINTER WELCOMES BAABAAS
When it comes to matches featuring the Barbarians, it’s never easy predicting the score. Sure, the “home” team tends to win, because they’re too familiar and organised for a collection of individual stars, who get together for a lads week and get to know one another off the field.
In this case, the BaaBaas come up against the world champion Springboks at the Cape Town Stadium, and the 13-point spread in favour of the Boks looks on the low side.
A leveller on a day when the aim is to throw the ball around and give it air, is the brutal week Capetonians have had with the weather, and the ball will be like a bar of wet soap with soft underfoot conditions. But it’s good to have the Boks stretch their legs in front of a home crowd. I feel for the Cape Town Stadium ground staff after this game though!
LIONS LOOKING TO OPEN WITH A BANG
The first British & Irish Lions Test against Australia is still three weeks away, but the tourists get a chance to flex their muscles when they take on the Western Force in Perth on Saturday.
These are the kind of days that the rugby purists live for – return to full-blooded tours against provinces and franchises, before testing national pride. This is a gentle opener Down Under, devoid of any obvious risk.
The Force finished third from bottom on the latest Super Rugby table, winning four of 14 games. The Lions are favourites to win by 21 points. It could get messier than that, though.
MCLAREN SEEKING TO SNAP 24-YEAR DROUGHT
As we make our way through this 2025 Formula One season, the McLaren drivers Oscar Piastri and Lando Norris – one and two in the drivers’ championship – continue to update history.
McLaren has won the Austrian GP six times, one fewer than Ferrari, but their last victory came via David Coulthard in 2001. Piastri and Norris go into the 2025 Austria GP as favourites to update those stats.
In terms of drivers, Max Verstappen has already won four times in Austria, so whatever happens, his record as dominant driver at the Red Bull Ring isn’t under threat this weekend.
CLUB WORLD CUP DOWN TO LAST 16
As Bon Jovi always tells us, “we’re halfway there”. The Fifa Club World Cup has entered the Last 16 phase with the 16 other teams making their way home from the US, where the tournament is being staged.
Champions League winners Paris St Germain remain overall favourites and they meet the A-Listers of Inter Miami this weekend, while elsewhere Palmeiras take on Botafogo in a full-blooded Brazilian derby, Chelsea are up against Benfica, and Flamengo play Bayern Munich.
Only one side won all three of their group matches – Man City, who now meet Al-Hilal in the Last 16.
ALL ABOARD THE BRIT HYPE WIMBLEDON TRAIN
For those who set their diaries to things happening on weekends, it’s still worth noting that Wimbledon begins on Monday. Bonus point for knowing who the defending women’s singles champion is.
Carlos Alcaraz will be looking to continue his run of form and add this grass Grand Slam to the one he won in a five-set clay court epic against Jannick Sinner at the French Open.
The media will be hyping world No4 Jack Draper as the next British winner for as long as he lasts in the tournament, while on the women’s side, Emma Raducanu will have every twitch photographed and reported on.
The levels which Alcaraz and Sinner reached in Paris, though, make it hard to look beyond them. Oh yes, defending women’s champion is Czech Barbora Krejcikova.
HOW WATCHING UFC COMES AT A COST
Dricus du Plessis’ date with Khazmat Chimaev at UFC 319 is edging nearer, but first we have UFC 317 to navigate. This weekend in Las Vegas, unbeaten (16-0) Ilia Topuria is a strong favourite to win the vacant lightweight title when he takes on Brazilian veteran Charles Oliveira.
In another title bout, flyweight champion Alexander Pantoja is expected to see off the New Zealand challenger Kai Kara-France. A sobering note for those who have been listening to the hype around UFC coming to South Africa.
The cheapest seat at UFC 317 is $376 (R6,600). And that’s for an obstructed view – ie, you can’t see the entire octagon. If you want to see the action in the octagon, the cheapest seat is $600 (R10,000). Now, who is going to pay those prices?
