1912 — Ken McArthur and Christian Gitsham give South Africa their second one-two finish of the Stockholm Olympics, in the marathon. McArthur, after whom the athletics stadium in Potchefstroom is named, won in 2hr 36 min 54.8 sec ahead of Gitsham (2:37:52) and American Gaston Strobino (2:38:42.4). Tennis players Charles Winslow and Harry Kitson did it in the singles competition a week or so earlier, but it’s a feat no other South Africans have managed since. The double pushed South Africa’s total tally to four golds and two silver, still the country’s best haul of gold medals from one Olympics.
1956 — The Springboks go down 6-10 to the All Blacks in Dunedin in the opening match of their four-Test series. Centre Peewee Howe scored South Africa’s only try on his international debut. Fullback Roy Dryburgh added a penalty.
2000 — The Proteas crash to a 30-run defeat against hosts Sri Lanka in the final of the triangular series in Colombo. Sri Lanka made 294/7 with opener Sanath Jayasuriya scoring 68 and Russel Arnold 51. Gary Kirsten made 76, but with nobody else reaching a half-century, South Africa limped to 264/9 in their 50 overs. Spinner Muttiah Muralitharan was named man of the match, taking 5/44. South Africa failed to beat the hosts in that tournament, which also featured Pakistan.
2001 — Matthew Booth and Bradley August score goals as Bafana Bafana beat Malawi 2-0 in a World Cup qualifier in Durban.
2007 — A second-string Springbok team is hammered 6-33 by New Zealand in a Tri-Nations match in Christchurch. Flyhalf Dan Carter scored one of the hosts’ three tries and converted all three and kicked four penalties. South African flyhalf Derick Hougaard kicked two penalties.
2007 — Long-jumper Karin Mey leaps 6.93m in Bad Langensalza, Germany, to break Karen Botha’s South African record from 1990. Mey, winner of the competition that day, equalled that mark a year later before switching allegiance to Turkey.
2007 — Takalani Ndlovu fails in his first bid for the IBF junior-featherweight title, getting stopped in the ninth round by Canadian Steve Molitor in Orillia. Ndlovu would fight Molitor twice more for the same belt, winning on the third attempt.
2008 — Hashim Amla, resuming on 20, scores an unbeaten 104 as South Africa declare their follow-on innings on 393/3 to draw the first Test against England at Lord’s.
2018 — Vernon Philander top-scores with an unbeaten 22 as the Proteas are bowled out by Sri Lanka for 73 to lose the first Test in Galle by 278 runs.
2019 — Daryl Impey wins the 170.5km ninth stage of the Tour de France from Saint-Etienne to Brioude.
2019 — Lenize Potgieter scores 36 points as the Proteas beat Jamaica 55-52 to take top spot in Group C at the Netball World Cup in Liverpool.
2021 — Bafana Bafana and Zambia play to a goalless draw in a Cosafa Cup group match at Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium.
2022 — Jay Seoposenwe scores to give Banyana Banyana a 1-0 win over Tunisia in their Women’s Africa Cup of Nations quarterfinal in Rabat.
2023 — Tshegofatso Mabasa scores late in the first half to put Bafana Bafana 1-0 up, but Zambia hit back to win their Cosafa Cup semifinal at King Zwelithini Stadium 2-1.
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