Who played against South Africa in their first official One Day International in 1991/92?
India. South Africa's return to International Cricket saw them tour India in the 1991/92 season. The
official tour consisted of 3 ODI's against India which were the first ever official ODIs played by South
Africa. The result of the tour was a series win by India 2-1.
Where did Naas Botha play his first test match for South Africa?
Wanderers. Naas Botha was selected to play for South Africa at Rugby Union after playing for the SA
Under 20 squad. He made his debut against South America on 26 April 1980 at the Wanderers
Stadium, recognised as a cricket ground. This was due to the fact that Ellis Park had been demolished
in 1979 to be rebuilt.
At which race course is the Durban July run every year?
Greyville. The Durban July, which was first run in 1897, is South Africa's equivalent of Britain's Royal
Ascot. The race takes place over 2.2 kms and is run on the first Saturday of July each year at the
Greyville Race course.
Who was South Africa's first Olympic Gold Medal winner?
Reginald Walker. Reginald Walker was born in 1889 in Natal and in 1907 was the South African 100m
champion. He battled with finances to get to London for the 1908 Summer Olympics but once he
was there he managed, very unexpectedly to all those competing, to beat the field and walk off with
the Gold for the 100m. As at 2005 Reggie Walker was still the youngest winner of the 100m Olympic
Gold Medal.
Which South African who played between 1949 and 1960 was named a Wisden Cricketer of the
year in 1956?
Hugh Tayfield. Hugh Tayfield once bowled 137 consecutive dot balls in a 1956/57 Test match against
England which was held in Durban. Statistics for bowlers who have played 20 or more tests show
that Hugh Tayfield conceded only 1.64 runs per over during his test career.
Which South African swimmer was the first woman ever to win both the 100m and 200m Olympic
breaststroke event, this was achieved at the 1996 Olympics?
Penny Heyns. Penny Heyns is regarded as one of the best breaststroke swimmers ever. At the
Atlanta Olympics, she won her first gold for the 100 metres breaststroke in a world record time of
1:07:02 and her second gold in the 200 metres in an Olympic record time of 2:25:41.
Which South African soccer (football) player was appointed captain of Leeds United in 1998?
Lucas Radebe. Lucas Radebe grew up in a family of 11 children in Soweto, Johannesburg. He played
soccer to keep himself occupied and in 1989 he was signed up to play for Kaizer Chiefs. He jumped at
the chance to move to England when offered an opportunity to play for Leeds in 1994.
Who won the WBA junior lightweight title in 1986 and sucessfully defended it 12 times?
Brian Mitchell. He started his boxing career in 1981, and the majority of his fights were abroad due
to the political status in South Africa. He finished his career with 46 wins, one loss and two draws.
His 12 successful defences of the junior-lightweight title are a record for that boxing division.
Which South African boxing champion, standing at just 4ft10in (147cm), retired in 2002 with four
world titles?
Baby Jake Matlala. Starting in 1980, Baby Jake finished his 22 year career in 2002 with 52 victories,
two draws and 12 losses. During this time collected the WBO flyweight, WBO junior flyweight, IBA
junior flyweight and WBU junior flyweight titles. He is the only South African boxer to win four world
titles.
Which disabled South African made history by qualifying for the able bodied final of the 800m
freestyle at the 2002 Commonwealth games?
Natalie du Toit. Natalie du Toit, whose left leg was amputated below the knee in 2001, has achieved
remarkable feats at international events for disabled athletes. She won five gold medals and a silver
at the 2004 Athens Paralympics, and then proceeded to win three golds at the 2005 Paralympic
World Cup in Manchester. At the 2006 International Paralympic Committee World Swimming
Championships in Durban, she won six gold medals. The highlight of this amazing career however
has to be the fact that she has bridged the gap between disabled and able bodied swimmers.
Which South African has won the US Open twice, in 1994 and 1997?
Ernie Els. Ernie Els' win in 1997 meant he became only the second foreigner ever to win the US Open
twice.
How many Rugby tests did Jan Ellis play for South Africa?
38. Frik du Preez and Jan Ellis held the record for the most caps for a long time. This was however,
prior to the Tri-Nations and other global competitions which now enable a player to receive many
more caps for their country.
Who was the first South African to make a century on his test debut?
Andrew Hudson. Andrew Hudson played his test debut against the West Indies in 1992. South Africa
batted second and he was in the opening pair. He batted for almost 9 hours straight and scored an
impressive 163 runs.
Who was the first female athlete to run under six hours in the Comrades Marathon?
Frith van der Merwe. In 1989 Frith van der Merwe ran an incredible time of 5:54:43, finishing
fifteenth overall and the women's record was blown away. Frances Hayward was the first woman
ever to run, but her entry was refused and she had to run unofficially. Zola Budd was the barefoot
wonder who entered the 1984 Olympic Games as a British Citizen.
For which province did Jonty Rhodes make his first class cricket debut?
Natal. He was born Jonathan Neil Rhodes in 1969 in Pietermaritzburg, Natal and ended up playing
first class cricket for them. His first class debut was Natal v Western Province at Durban in 1988/89
season.
Source: Google