1933 — Bloemfontein gets to stage its first rugby Test, but the Springboks are beaten 4-15 by Australia in the final fifth Test of their series. The visitors scored three tries while the home side responded with a single drop, worth four points, by Gerry Brand, who was playing on the wing. The Boks, however, won the series 3-2, having won the first, third and fourth tests.
1979 — Double two-time world champion Kork Ballington wins his fourth consecutive 250cc race at the season-ending French motorcycle grand prix at Le Mans. He amassed 141 points in the class, more than the 99 in the 350cc, where he also held the world title.
1989 — Centre Michael du Plessis and fullback Johan Heunis score tries as the Springboks beat the World XV 22-16 in the second match at Ellis Park for a 2-0 series triumph. The visitors also scored two tries, but South African flyhalf Naas Botha kicked one conversion, three penalties and a drop secure the victory.
1993 — Brian McMillan and Fanie de Villiers take three wickets each as the Proteas, having scored 222/7, thump Sri Lanka by 124 runs in the second ODI in Colombo to lead the three-match series 1-0. Opener Andrew Hudson top-scored with 48.
1995 — The Springboks play their first Test since lifting the World Cup at Ellis Park, returning to the same venue to beat Wales 40-11. Eighthman Gary Teichmann, the only debutant in the side, was one of the five try-scorers. Captain Francois Pienaar, centre Japie Mulder, wing James Small and lock Kobus Wiese also crossed the line.
2006 — Flyhalf Andre Pretorius nails a late penalty as the Springboks beat the All Blacks 21-20 in a Tri-Nations at the Royal Bafokeng stadium in Rustenburg and end their streak of 15 straight wins. Wing Bryan Habana and eighthman Pedrie Wannenburg scored tries for the Boks , who halted their own run of five straight losses.
2006 — A lacklustre Bafana Bafana are held to a goalless draw by Congo in an African Nations’ Cup qualifier at Soccer City. In the stands was incoming national coach Carlos Alberto Parreira of Brazil, who had just been signed for R21.6m a year to take the national team to the 2010 World Cup, with the goal being the quarterfinals.
2011 — South Africa win two silver medals at the world championships in Daegu, South Korea. First Sunette Viljoen finished second in the women’s javelin with a throw of 68.38m, then double amputee Oscar Pistorius reached the podium in the 4x400m relay. Pistorius had run in the heats the previous day, when he, Ofentse Mogawane, Willem De Beer and Shane Victor had set the 2 min 59.21 sec South African record. Pistorius was replaced for the final, with LJ van Zyl coming in for the final to pick up his second medal of the showpiece. The team went 2:59.87 in the final. Their heat time would have won gold in the final, but to be fair, the US and Jamaica had gone even quicker in the morning races.
2012 — Hashim Amla top-scores with 45 as the Proteas are restricted to 220/8 in the fourth ODI against England at Lord’s. The hosts won by six wickets to take a 2-1 lead in the five-match series.
2014 — Faf du Plessis scores 129 off 109 balls, but the Proteas lose to Australia by 62 runs in a triangular ODI match in Harare. The Aussies had made 282/7 and then bowled South Africa out for 220.
2016 — Bafana Bafana, already unable to qualify for the African Nations’ Cup, draw 1-1 with Mauritania in their final contest in Mbombela. Hlompho Kekana equalised for the hosts in the 26th minute.
2017 — Tokelo Rantie scores early to give Bafana Bafana an early lead over Cape Verde in a World Cup qualifier in Praia, but then the hosts hit back twice through Russia-based Nuno Rocha to secure a famous 2-1 for the islanders, who have a population of less than 600,000.
2021 — Aiden Markram scores 96 and Rassie van der Dussen 59, but it’s not enough as the Proteas lose the first ODI against Sri Lanka in Colombo by 14 runs.
2021 — Lizelle Lee scores 75 off 52 balls to push the South African women to 165/3 on their way to winning the second T20 against West Indies at North Sound by 50 runs. Marizanne Kapp took 3/31 and Ayabonga Khaka 2/8.
2023 — Aiden Markram scores 49 as the Proteas, totalling 164/8, lose the second T20 against Australia at Kingsmead by eight wickets, slipping to an irreparable 0-2 position in the three-match series.
Would you like to comment on this article?
Sign up (it's quick and free) or sign in now.
Please read our Comment Policy before commenting.