Locked Down Spectator

The longest ever recorded successful drop goal is at a staggering 77.7 metres long! This record belongs to the late former Springbok Gerry Brand, who sent a missile sailing over the goals from the sideline near the halfway line against England on 02 January 1932. Almost (exactly) 92 years later, it was the turn of another Springbok in the form of the mercurial showman Manie Libbok to attempt breaking, or at least matching, this ridiculous record. He did so with the help of DHL Stormers teammate Herschel Jantjies at the team’s training ground in the Cape Town suburb of Belville. The difference between Brand and Libbok’s attempt was that the latter did not have an entire team of Englishmen bearing down on him as he tried to slot the kick, having all the time in the world to do so. At the time of publication, the video, uploaded by World Rugby on its YouTube channel, had gone viral with just over 60 000 views. The immensely gifted Libbok has been a spectacular success in the Cape followin

Has India’s time to finally, finally, finally win a Test series in South Africa, that country’s final cricketing frontier? The team from the subcontinent is one series win away from immortality alongside Australia following the commencement of the 2023/2024 Freedom Trophy at SuperSport Park in Centurion. The all-too-brief series will conclude in the New Year’s Test at Newlands Cricket Stadium in Cape Town. At the time of this article’s publication, they will taken on the South Africans in three T20Is and three ODIs. For the record the former ended 1-1, while the latter saw the visitors triumph 2- and rather convincingly. If they triumph in the Test series, it would put them in the incredible echelon of “clocking the game”, so to speak. India would be the second team in men’s cricket history to win home-and-away against every Test nation in the long format of the game, One Day Internationals, T20s as well as winning the ICC Champions Trophy, the T20 World Cup as well as the Cricket Wor

If football peaks after this one then it will the greatest peak of all time! South African football is that gift that keeps on giving. This time it was the turn of Skepe Nketole to give tot the world the absolutely absurd! The team arrived for the 2023 Philly’s Games spectacularly in a helicopter for their encounter against Alex Cheese FC. This remarkable and unexpected arrival delayed the game by 15 minutes as the ‘bird’ landed on a gravel football pitch in the township of Ivory Park in Midrand, north of Johannesburg. A video of this spec actor is now doing the rounds on social media as tongues wag over the madness. The Philly’s Games are one of several tournaments that take place during the festive period around South Africa. Traditionally, they serve as entertainment while the local football season is in recess during the Christmas and New Year’s Day celebrations. They are also a platform for unseen wannabe-pros to be scouted should the opportunity arise. Also, it’s where unserious

The phrase “a chip of the old block” gets used more than enough one might say. It has become hackneyed, so to speak. But one cannot help but apply it to one Charlie Woods. And to do so would be fair and accurate without putting much thought into it. The youngster is all but his old man Tiger in his style of play, technique and mannerism. This was as plain as day during the 2023 Father/Son Challenge, more commonly known as the PNC Championship at the Ritz-Carlton .  Several videos on the internet have gone into depth either seriously or tongue-in-cheek about Tiger and Charlie Woods’ similarities. Charlie and his sister Sam Alexis were born to Woods and his ex-wife Elin Nordegren. As per the reliable and always-accurate Wikipedia, the PNC Challenge is  an annual golf tournament for two-player teams, consisting of PGA Tour and Champions Tour golfers and (usually) their sons.

The 2023 Rugby World Cup that South Africa emerged victorious from feels like it happened fours ago, now. Incidentally, that is when the Springboks won the 2019 Rugby World Cup. Who knew. This was South Africa's fourth triumph in the global showpiece event, which is quite remarkable, considering they have been to eight editions, a sensational 50% return. It's as if winning this competition is now officially in their DNA whoever you send from South Africa! We have all seen the highlights of that memorable 12-11 victory over the old enemy New Zealand which unfolded the Stade de France in Paris on 28 October. Many of us have even watched the game in its entirety to the point of nausea. Enough, already. However, the Locked Down Spectator scoured the internet to eventually chance upon a new perspective on the match, as well as the epic encounters against England and France on the previous two weekends. It's a video of the three matches' highlights from a camera placed behind

Danny Care will be seeing Cameron Woki in his nightmares for the next while. The Harlequins scrumhalf was planted firmly into the ground by the Racing 92 lock in a recent Investec Champions Cup encounter at the Paris La Defense Arena in the west of the capital of France.  This all resulted in a try that was finished off by scrumhalf Nolann Le Garrec following the move's spark by new superstar recruit Siya Kolisi. Care, the former England pivot, made the rookie error of going high against a behemoth like Woki, who gladly indulged him by handing him off into the artificial turf of the domed venue. As for the result, it was something of an upset, with the Quins coming away from the city with a memorable 31-28 victory. Racing's points came from two tries by Le Garrec, Antoine Gibert and Ibrahim Diallo, with La Garrec nailing all four conversion. The visitors'' points came via a match-winning drop goal by Marcus Smith, with him, Andre Esterhuizen, Alex Dombrandt and Jack Wal