Footballers are known to do a bit of acting from time to time when it comes to the extent of their injuries. Many a professional has taken to turf in the hopes of winning a penalty or getting a free kick but this guy just takes the cake.

While AFCON provided some amazing football it also provided a touch of comedy. This has to be the worst dive I’ve EVER seen. Amia should never be allowed to play football again. Sies.

Its time to take the MET to a new level…

It’s time for the 2nd Veuve Clicquot Masters in South Africa, on Saturday the 25^th of Februaury 2012, at the picturesque Val de Vie Wine & Polo Estate.

The Veuve Clicquot Masters promises to be a sophisticated day amongst South Africa’s socialites, VIPs and celebrities, so get your designer dresses ready!

The 2012 Veuve Clicquot Masters is set to grow in size, drawing in crowds dressed to impress for a stylish day of polo. Utilising Val de Vie’s world-class polo fields and luxurious club house facilities, VIP guests can expect a glamorous day out filled with champagne, gourmet canapés, haute couture, and of course, thrilling polo.

PLUS… Our Legends Goodluck Live will be there jamming for your aural pleasure!

Date:

Saturday 25th February 2012

Venue:

Val de Vie Estate (Paarl-Franschhoek Valley)

Tickets:

R400

Tickets available through Webtickets

http://www.webtickets.co.za/event.aspx?itemid=4400029

For more information: www.valdevie.co.za

Its that time again where Old School Productions Transforms the V&A Waterfront into a Action Sport and Lifestyle Hub ,with all the Top Athletes making there way down to Cape Town to take Ultimate X GOLD… After the last 3 years of High Impact Adrenaline Fueled action Ultimate X 2012 is set to be the Biggest and Best yet , with a totally Unique and different set up for the guys to Explode on. Ultimate X showcases all the Top Action Sport Athletes in FMX , BMX ,SKATE, WAKE plus the Full Alternative Lifestyle Aspects of the industry with 3 bars , Various lounges, Grandstands, Viewing decks, Stalls and SA top DJ’s from Skull-Candy. Plus loads more….

2012 Sees the Prize Purse Raised to R80 000 with R20 000 purse in each Discipline and the Rights of being UX 2012 Champion !

FMX – BMX – SKATE – WAKE – TOP DJ’s – LIFESTYLE

Event Sponsors for 2012 : ABSA Life Xtreme

Western Cape – Provincial Government
Red Bull
Red Bull Mobile
DC Shoes
SkullCandy
Fox
Volcom
Black Label -SAB
CMH – Connolly Wake-boards
GoodHope FM

Ticket Price:
R80 Day Pass @ www.computicket.com and R100 @ Door
Computicket gets you free entry to Party worth R160

Ultimate X After Party Concert Details to follow

Contact info:

Markus Museler
083 655 3176 or 021 462 4256

markus@oldschoolproductions.co.za
www.oldschoolproductions.co.za
www.ultimatex.co.za

SA’s EXTREME PLAYGROUND

A little video done by the Goodlife of the Ultimate X 2011.

http://youtu.be/Ba2dmKbshnk

 Competition time:

We have been given an amazing hamper to the value of R2,500. You want to know what it includes? Well take a look below and let me know it interests you at all?

The Hamper Includes:

• 2 Tickets To ULTIMATE X 2012
• The Good Life DVD (Their Xtreme Sports Show On Supersport)
• Truth Soul Armor Tee (http://truthsoularmor.com/)
• A Pair Of Lundun Sunnies (http://lundunworld.com/)
• A Pair Of Zipz Shoes (http://zipzshoes.com/)
• Red Bull Bulletin Magazine
• Red Bull Energy Pack
• DC Key Chain
• Sticker Pack (DC & FOX)

WHAT YOU NEED TO DO TO WIN THIS AWESOME HAMPER: All you need to do is LIKE the ‘Old School Productions’ page (link is below) & FOLLOW Ultimate X on Twitter and then comment below telling why you would dig to go to the Ultimate X this year!

Also, you must be following @Craig_Stack @RickyByNight @MyCityByNight

Winners will be announced on the 13th of February

For more information:

Ultimate X Website > (click here)

OSP Facebook Page > (click here)

Ultimate X Twitter >  @Ultimate_X_

Computicket Link > (click here)

The group stages of AFCON 2012 have come to a close with the quarter-finalists all booking their place in the knockout stages of Africa’s premier football tournament.

The quarter-finalists for this year’s tournament provide a mixed bag of skills with the overall AFCON winner, very difficult to call at this stage. For the first time since 1970, Sudan made it through to the quarter-finals stage of AFCON. The all-locally-based players that make up the Sudanese squad beat Burkina Faso 2-1 in their last Group B match to pick up four points and a spot in the knockout stages in Equatorial-Guinea and Gabon.

In the other last Group B match, Ivory Coast defeated Angola 2-0 in Malabo, Monday night to finish on top of group thanks to a first half strike from Emmanuel Eboue at the 33rd minute and a second half goal from Wilfried Bony at the 63rd minute. The Angolans failed to respond and saw themselves crashing out of the tournament after finishing on equal points with Sudan, but with an inferior goal difference. The quarter-finals pairs look like this thus far;

February 4th 2012

Zambia Vs Sudan

Ivory Coast Vs Equatorial Guinea

The tournament has also provided a spotlight on one particular talent, the teenage midfielder, Bertrand Traore of Burkina Faso, who took part in the Africa Cup of Nations at the tender age of 16. The teenager, who is currently on the books of Chelsea described the opportunity as “a dream come true” and he looks a real prospect for the future, should he remain at The Blues.

I’m hoping that now we’re in the knockout stages that attendance figures shoot up, so these guys can get the support they deserve for displaying some real quality football.

Shaun White has to be one of the most amazing athletes on the planet- never before has ANYONE had a perfect Winter X Games Superpipe score. The mystical extreme sports artist didn’t even need to rock his final run to close out the 2012 Winter X Games as the Olympic gold medalist snowboarder had already clinched the top spot with his first run.

Obviously quite chilled about this he needed a perfect Superpipe score of 100 points to better his last run and went on to nail what everyone else thought was impossible.

“It’s unreal. I’ve been wanting that 100 forever,” White said after finally achieving one of his competitive goals.

Shaun White’s win at the Winter X Games 2012 is his fifth consecutive gold medal at the event. Even more impressive, the Shaun White perfect Superpipe score was accomplished on an injured ankle- seriously, who is this guy?!!

AFCON 2012 started this weekend and once again it was the teams that everyone tipped to be in the running who showed their class. Ghana and Ivory Coast started their campaigns off with wins, each displaying some quality football laden with unique African flair.

In the first fixtures of the African Football tournament there was plenty of attacking football on display, with the Ivory Coast vs Sudan game producing the most excitement from a combination of Premier League players including Didier Drogba, who scored the winner on 39 minutes.

From the first weekend of action it really seems like the absence of bigger teams like Nigeria haven’t made much difference to the tournament’s spectator value with some of the other traditionally smaller African footballing nations providing the same if not better levels of football.

The next game that I’ve got my eye on is between Morocco and Tunisia on the 23rd. This is going to be an important match for both teams to win and promises to be quite a cracker to watch given the pedigree of these two teams in World football. For all the results and fixtures check out the Samsung Get into the Spirit website.

Balling4CPT is an initiative set up by a group of guys in Cape Town looking to bring the city together in order to raise money for charity while creating an enjoyable day of football and entertainment for everyone involved. I just happen to be one of those four guys.

The idea is simple, a 12 team tournament made up of different Cape Town celebs, radio stations, companies and bloggers who will all pay a fee to enter, all of which will be passed straight on to the charity that we finally choose to back (The charity recipient has not yet been selected).

The day out (26^th February 2012) will be completely non-profit for everyone organising it and is merely a chance for us luckier folk to give back to those that haven’t had similar opportunities in life, but to have a good time doing it.

The plan for the day is to have all sorts of different people involved, comedians, DJ’s, some celebs, footballers, that sort of gig, and to charge people a minimal fee of R20 and/or an item of clothing or canned food which can be used to help the lives of those less fortunate than ourselves.

The full artist line-up for the day will be confirmed next week and as more info and teams get confirmed MyCityByNight will keep you in the loop.

The Castle Cape Town Tens is back this year, bigger and better than before. The Castle Cape Town Tens rugby event, brainchild of ex-rugby stars Bob Skinstad and Robbie Fleck is going down on Friday and Saturday, 3 and 4 February hosted once again at the Hamilton Rugby Club.

This year’s Tens has expanded to include an exciting music line-up, appearances from local and international rugby legends, competitions and giveaways, and a new addition, an exciting rugby expo. Some of the big names signed up for this year include Goodluck, The Graeme Watkins Project, The Lightyears and Me and Mr Brown. You can also expect three rugby fields, beer and food tents, kiddies play areas, as well as a host of rugby legends and SA personalities at what is quite wholesome family event

Promising to be bigger and better than before, this year the number of teams has been increased from 56 to 72, with four divisions – a heavy and light Beer League, The Vets League and the more competitive Premier League. Rugby legends this year include international stars Leon Lloyd, Malcolm O’Kelly, Justin Marshall and David Rees, and local stars Jake Boer, Breyton Paulse, John Allen and Pieter Muller.

One of the highlights of this year is probably the chance to win a brand-new Golf GTI to the value of R365 000, sponsored by Stor-Age. Contestants will test their rugby skills, kicking for the post to determine the lucky winner.

This year’s Castle Cape Town Tens is proudly brought to you by Castle, Canterbury, Powerade and the City of Cape Town. Tickets are on sale at R70 per person via Computicket on www.computicket.com. Kids under 12 are free.

Follow the Castle Cape Town Tens on Facebook and on Twitter.

Competition Time:

We’re giving you the chance to win one of 5 double tickets to the event. All you have to do to stand a chance to win is follow Castle Cape Town Tens on Facebook and Twitter and then leave a comment telling us who your favourite rugby player is. Winners announced on Wednesday the 1st of February 2012.

It’s almost time for Africa’s premier football tournament- The African Cup of Nations, to kick off in Gabon and Equatorial Guinea and I’m little frothing at the idea of the continent’s best footballers wowing us. It’s a brand of football unlike any other on the planet and it is often in this tournament that big European clubs find some of their future stars. If only Bafana Bafana had qualified.

Underperforming South African National team aside, AFCON is going to be a great tournament to follow for any football fan especially with today’s launch of the official website, where fans can show their AFCON spirit and access live scores, results, fixtures and group logs. Apart from making sure that you don’t miss a beat during AFCON 2012, all fans that use the Samsung inspired site stand a chance of winning amazing weekly prizes as well as the grand prize of a Samsung SmartLife, which includes a SurgeSafe fridge, solar powered laptop, Galaxy SII and more!

I had a look at the site and you can download AFCON wallpapers and ringtones, follow the official twitter feeds, visit the fan gallery and  also upload your own fan photos. One nice touch on the site was a little indicator on the right hand side of the page showing which country has the most spirit (based on fan interactions). In true African fashion the site is also available in mobile format and in English, French and Portuguese.

The weekly prizes include:

· Surgesafe TV x1
· HTS x1
· Blue ray Player x1
· Duracool Fridge x1
· Deep Foam x1
· AC x1
· S2 x1
· Tablet x1
· SolarPC x1
· Chat 222 sim? x5
· Galaxy S2 x3
· Galaxy Notes x2
· DVD Players x3

Grand Prize

· x1 Smartprize (everything)

To stay up to date and stand a chance a chance of winning some of these killer prizes-  Show your AFCON spirit with Samsung and visit GetIntoTheSpirit.com or  the mobisite m.GetIntoTheSpirit.com.

If you are a betting man or women, then check out all the ODDS on Sportingbet South Africa and support your favourite African side: (CLICK HERE)

SA’s leading sunglasses retailer and curators of all things glamorous and cool, announced today that they will be hosting the Inner Circle Luxury tent at the Kenilworth Racecourse infield on 28 January 2012.
The Sunglass Hut Inner Circle ticket will sell for R1500 – this not only gives you entertainment for the day, but also a R2000 Sunglass Hut gift card redeemable on the day to complement race day outfits. Think Ray-Ban, Dolce & Gabanna, Stella McCartney, Versace, it’s the perfect accompaniment to even the most flamboyant ensemble.

The J&B Met is one of the premier events and if you want to see and be seen, join Sunglass Hut for what promises to be the party of the year. Your exclusive ticket worth R1500 qualifies you for an unrivalled stylish event which includes:

• Stylish VIP marquee complete with bar and lounge area
• A perfect view of the races, with live feed on TV screens
• Socialising with Sunglass Hut’s Inner Circle a-list friends
• One pair of designer sunglasses to the value of R2000
• Delicious canapés and drinks
• Partying to some of SA’s hottest DJs and musicians

The Sunglass Hut Inner Circle event is set to become the J&B Met’s most sought after ticket. If you want to celebrate horseracing in premium style, purchase one of 200 limited tickets, email events@sunglasshut.co.za for more info. Tickets go on sale from Monday 09 January 2012.

COMPETITION TIME:

We have been given 1 set of double tickets to give away (R1500 per ticket) to one lucky winners.

The competition consists of 3 questions which you need to answer in the comment box below:

• Name SA’s biggest & most awesome sunglasses retailer.
• Who won the main race in last years J&B Met.
• Why you want to be at the J&B Met 2012!

Winners announced on the 24th of January.

LIKE THIS POST!

This year the Premier League has been more interesting to watch than slow motion replays of large breasted mooiness running. However, the year thus far hasn’t been without it’s own share of scandal- specifically around England and Chelsea captain John Terry. Adding yet another notch to the current Terry bad karma scorecard is the apparent use of his image on a tobacco warning labels printed on cigarette packets in India.

The somewhat blurred image, which in my opinion is clearly that of Blue’s captain, Terry above a warning that “Smoking Kills” on a box on entjies was created by the government’s Directorate of Visual Publicity.

Terry’s reps have sent the matter to their lawyers to take appropriate action. Johnny boy is still facing criminal charges in Britain over allegations of racially abusing QPR’s Anton Ferdinand and now has had his image used to deter people from smoking. If you smoke your lungs will look like John Terry’s off the pitch career… that should be enough to put you off from ever touching an eintjie again.

I got sent this video from my mate Art and this guy doesn’t waste time sending me boring stuff. Strongbow, the Australian cider has come up with an awesome campaign that will no doubt go viral on Youtube in no time… This clip almost reminds me a bit of the Art of Flight expect it depicts the ‘Welcoming Of Summer’ with some Aussie surfers trying to crack an attempt at the largest glow in the dark surf attempt at Bondi Beach. Check this out:

To mark the start of summer, Strongbow joined forces with legendary surfing filmmaker Jack McCoy (Endless Summer II), Bali Strickland and Eugene Tan (Aquabumps) to capture Australia’s largest glow in the dark surf attempt at Bondi Beach. On summer’s eve, 17 Strongbow surfers descended on Bondi Beach in custom made glow-in-the-dark surfboards and wetsuits as an official “welcome to summer” for Strongbow. Channel 10′s Bondi Rescue lifeguards, Corey Oliver and Andrew Reid, were among the surfers taking part. Hundreds of onlookers lined the beach and the Bondi Icebergs balcony to catch a glimpse of the spectacle.
Executive Producer – Josh Cilento
Director of Photography – Jack McCoy

SAGRA stands for- South Africa Gravity Racing Association and their events are the kind that get the blood pumping and the sphincter tensing. Along with IGSA (International Gravitational Sporting Association) and Red bull they are hosting the last race of the IGSA World Cup in South Africa- Hot Heels Africa on December 11 2011.

The South African Gravity Racing Association (SAGRA) is an organization that does it utmost to promote all gravity racing disciplines classified by the International Gravity Sports Association (IGSA) and to provide opportunities to all South Africans to participate in Gravity Sports. 
 
SAGRA has hosted Hot Heels Africa for the past 7 years, making it the longest continuously-running event in the IGSA World Cup Series. It really is an event series that offers up some cracking entertainment for the spectator considering  that it is the final race on the annual calendar, making it a “must race” event for the top international riders. SAGRA is aiming to host the World Championships at Hot Heels Africa in 2012, on the 10th anniversary of the race. There are 16 confirmed international riders and they will be staying with crew, along with the rest of the national riders and spectators in Pringle Bay (where the race is located)
 
 
 

Not convinced? Well check out this little video of what went down last year at Hot Heels:

 http://youtu.be/MbhrNFGnHH4

Sponsors who are interested are welcome to contact Candice at cbouwer23@hotmail.com or Gabi at gmurray-roberts@gmail.com (we are keen to any suggestions and/or offers)

You can also hit them up on Facebook http://www.facebook.com/pages/Hot-Heels-Africa/130106717092549

Okay, I have just watched this video 3 times in a row and I am about to watch it a forth time. I think this guy needs an AWESOME badge. No wonder it has had over 11 million views on Youtube.

From Thursday the 27th September till the 2nd of October, Kimberley (and I am still not sure why Kimberley was the choice of venue) was set to stage one of the worlds biggest Skateboarding competitions – the Maloof Money Cup. With events such as, Big Air, Open Vert and Street Style added together with some of the worlds biggest names in the skating community, the Maloof Cup was set for some badass entertainment. MyCityByNight have always been fans of all board sports but mainly skateboarding in particular so we were stoked when Nick Burton-Moore (MyCityByNight’s talented legend with the camera) was on hand to catch all the action of the Cup. Here it is, enjoy!

Filmed and Edited:
Nick Burton-Moore
Maloof Money Cup, Kimberly South Africa
2011

Recipe for a Tropical Roast:

Capture and mix everything together in a Red One camera.
Add a tad of sea salt and rum for extra flavour.
Scrape all of this,
and the juice into an Apple Macbook set at 180˚c.
Cook for 4 months.
Dinner is now served with extra hot Tropical sauce.

Tropical Roast is brought to you by Break Your Crayons & Sport Unlimited.

Read the description in You Tube to see how to download this video.

Anyone who is close with the boys of MyCityByNight will know about our secret fighting technique that was developed through years and years of fighting ninjas in the mountains of Cape Town. The technique (which we thought was a secret up until now) is called “The Eel”.

A well placed eel to the neck can paralyse any foe, with force and number of subsequent eels to the body equivalent to the length of paralysis. I remember this one night, one of mates got hit with a triple eel and lay there unable to move… before shitting himself, ON THE SPOT. So you see its serious stuff.

New Zealand fullback Israel Dagg’s explanation on Wednesday was interpretted by most as an unusual way to celebrate try-scoring in the Match against France- when it was really quite obvious to us what he had up his sleeve.

During the match, Dagg marked one of his two tries in a 37-17 All Blacks victory by bending his arm to form a “power eel”.

He refused to discuss his celebration when quizzed by journalists on Wednesday, other than offering two cryptic clues – “a dog miaows” and “the laughing bear rides a motorcycle”.

Carter, sitting alongside, could offer no insight, telling reporters: “It makes no sense to me.”

Of course we were well aware that he was indeed displaying the power of “the eel” to the masses… An obvious challenge to the teachings of MyCityByNight and French footballer and Manchester United Demigod, Eric Cantona who once famously said: “When the seagulls follow the trawler, it is because they think sardines will be thrown into the sea.”

Just in case you don’t know the rules or need a refresher!

Last year I had the opportunity to go and check out the Banff Mountain Film World tour courtesy of the peeps at Cape Union Mart (post here). Let’s just say I left with the feeling that I had a very average job, considering that these crazy peeps are climbing mountains without ropes and flying through the air on bicycles. This year it’s back in SA for the 6th time on 28 October 2011 and is co-hosted by top outdoor brands like Deuter, LED Lenser, Buff and K-Way.

The public can view the films at selected Ster-Kinekor cinemas across the country, screening once daily from 28 October – 3 November. This single screening normally takes place at approximately 20:00. The screening includes all nine short films, with an estimated duration of 2 hours.

Every year the Banff centre in Canada receives hundreds of entries from extreme sports filmmakers, which are narrowed down until only the best films remain. This year’s adrenalin filled mountain line- up includes The Longest Way, Tuzgle, Life Cycles, Eastern Rides, Cross Country Snowboarding, Into Darkness, Second Nature, Dream Result and The Swiss Machine.

All the films normally have rad soundtracks that make you want to get up off of the couch to go and do something outdoorsy. In the two hours that you’re inside the movie theatre you’ll get the chance to see some of the most epic extreme mountain climbing, base jumping, alpine skiing, kayaking, mountain expeditions, remote cultures and the world’s last great places – all brought to life on the big screen.

“Cape Union Mart, as SA’s favourite outdoor store, is thrilled to be bringing the Banff film festival to South Africa for the sixth consecutive year. This year’s line-up includes a selection of world-class short films that will entertain the adventure junkie and armchair traveller alike,” says Evan Torrance, Marketing Manager of Cape Union Mart.

Bookings can be made through Ticketline on 082 16789 and electronically at www.sterkinekor.co.za.

Bookings open at the beginning of October 2011. For more information and to watch the trailer, check
out www.banff.co.za.

The Rugby World Cup 2011 is officially underway and with the start of the global tournament comes a host of musicians and people trying to make some cash from “uniting the nation” behind the Springboks.

You’ve already heard the more than odd Goldfish and Freshly Ground combo delivering an Official SA World Cup Rugby song that left most of us wondering how two very good groups could put together something so bad. Now… if you go anywhere near government delivered TV, you would hear the hook of the song in question every time anyone of the SABC channels comes back from an ad break. The other night I actually had the opportunity to see the music video for the SABC2 Official Rugby World Cup song (I know- its really confusing how there are so many “official” RWC songs) put together by the likes of Professor, Oskido, Oubaas from 7de Laan (yes, he really is in this song and he IS being strange) and Khanyi Mbau.

I honestly don’t know what to make of it. It is supposed to get everyone amped and doing the bok dance which is supposedly very similar to the near impossible diski dance invented for the Soccer World Cup last year. Personally it just confirmed the fact that I would never let Oubaas near my children.

You decide…

Springbok squad:

Forwards (16): Tendai ‘Beast’ Mtawarira (Sharks), Gurthro Steenkamp (Bulls), John Smit (Sharks, capt), Bismarck du Plessis (Sharks), Chiliboy Ralepelle (Bulls), Jannie du Plessis (Sharks), CJ van der Linde (Lions), Bakkies Botha (Bulls), Victor Matfield (Bulls, vice-capt), Johann Muller (Ulster/NIR), Danie Rossouw (Bulls), Willem Alberts (Sharks), Schalk Burger (Province), Heinrich Brüssow (Free State Cheetahs), Francois Louw (Bath/ENG), Pierre Spies (Bulls)

Backs (14): Francois Steyn (Racing Metro/FRA), Patrick Lambie (Sharks), JP Pietersen (Sharks), Gio Aplon (Western Province), Jaque Fourie (Province), Jean de Villiers (Province), Juan de Jongh (Province), Bryan Habana (Province), Odwa Ndungane (Sharks), Morne Steyn (Blue Bulls), Butch James (Golden Lions), Fourie du Preez (Bulls), Francois Hougaard (Bulls), Ruan Pienaar (Ulster/NIR)

What do you think about this Bok squad for the Rugby World Cup?

Of late the Springboks have been a great deal like having a brother in prison… you really love them, but don’t speak about them to others for fear of persecution. To put it bluntly, they’ve been shit. With the 2011 Rugby World Cup kickoff just over a month away 567 CapeTalk and 94.5 Kfm have partnered with Vodacom to bring you the Shosholoza Supporters Festival taking place over the next two Saturdays.

The gist of it is that the festival will provide an opportunity for fans to show some support for the boys in green and gold in the hope that this will spur them on to kicking some ass at the Rugby World Cup and retaining our title as the best rugby nation on Earth. The festival begins on Saturday the 6^th August at False Bay Rugby club in Constantia from 11am to 6pm with the False Bay first team taking on the Helderberg first team at 4pm. It then continues on Saturday 13^th at Florida Park where you can watch Tygerberg vs Kuils River.

There will be tons of former Springboks around and you can use the Big Red Vodacom Booth to record your own version (or sing along with Kurt Schoonrad & the 94.5 Kfm and 567CapeTalk presenters) of Shosholoza, which will be used as part of an inspirational video which will be given to each Springbok player.

There will also be games for the whole family including scrumming challenges, touchies, the ‘big kick’ and a chance to dunk the coach. The 94.5 Kfm and 567 CapeTalk djs will keep the music pumping and the energy going on the day.

One would hope that seeing that the country is still behind the National rugby team even after their horrendous displays of late will inspire them to play better. HOPE.

Friday 15 July sees two of South Africa’s musical heavyweights, Freshlyground and Goldfish, release their collaborative single, ‘Let’s Do It Again’-  the official SARU song for IRB Rugby World Cup 2011.

Click the link to view a teaser of the video on Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/video/video.php?v=10150718384845433&oid=19082314575&comments (you might need to join the fanpage to view the video)

‘Let’s Do It Again’ is an integral part of the Springbok Fans Unite 2011 campaign and will be the musical flag flown in support of the Springboks. Freshlyground are the embodiment of a united South Africa with their culturally diverse line up. In 2005, their infectious single ‘Doo Be Doo’ became the most played song in the country and after winning a barrage of awards and embarking on numerous sold out world tours, they hit a milestone in 2010, recording ‘Waka Waka’ with Latin sensation Shakira, for the Official Song for the 2010 FIFA World Cup.
This year, we see Freshlyground pledge their support for the Springboks as Simon Attwell expressed, “We’re getting behind the Springboks as they look to become the first nation to win back-to-back World Cup tournaments. Our wish is that the song fires up the country to unite behind the team. We want people from all over South Africa shouting out their support as the Springboks prepare to go in to battle. Good luck Bokke!”

Goldfish are undeniably one of the hottest electro acts in the world at the moment and show no signs of slowing down anytime soon. Having toured 22 countries, playing 190 shows last year alone and having been nominated for a record-breaking 8 SAMAs, their unique fusion of live instruments and dance music has brought them worldwide recognition.
On collaborating with Freshlyground, Dave Poole commented, “It was a great experience as it developed in a really organic way. We pretty much got together and jammed, then figured out some bits for everyone to play and off we went! Doing a song which is intended to help unite the country is a great task which I think both groups where up to.”
SARU, The Minister of Sport (Mr Fikile Mbalula) together with Lead SA are promoting the BOKDAY concept, which will run every Friday for the next 15 weeks until the Springboks depart for the tournament in New Zealand. The tournament kicks off on 9 September 2011 in New Zealand, with the South African team featuring against Wales on Sunday 11 September in Wellington
for their first clash.

‘Uniting behind the Springbok team in support of their title defence in New Zealand later this year, is not just about uniting on the rugby field. We want people to Unite in every possible moment and opportunity to unify and build this country’, says Sarah Mundy, SARU Brand Manager, ‘The Springbok Fans Unite 2011 campaign song, which has been orchestrated by two of South Africa’s leading bands, is testament to the appeal and concept behind this campaign. Freshlyground and Goldfish have united to create ’Let’s Do It Again’, a song that appeals to the new generation of rugby fans, and is as special, unique and inspiring, as our world class Springbok team.’

Supporters are encouraged to wear their official Springbok merchandise inshow of their support for the team.

LET’S DO IT AGAIN, BOKKE!

“Let’s Do It Again” will be available commercially for digital download from http://omusic.dstv.com/ 
Exclusive footage from the making of the single will be available on Freshlyground, Goldfish and SARU’s facebook pages on the 15th of July:
http://www.facebook.com/freshlygroundsa
http://www.facebook.com/GOLDFISHLIVE
http://www.facebook.com/springboks  
Join www.unite2011.co.za to show your support for The Springboks and www.sarugby.co.za for more info or www.freshlyground.com and www.goldfishlive.com

The Red Bull Manny Mania national final took place over the weekend at Revolution Skate Park in Kempton Park. We’re rather proud to say that fellow Cape Tonian Moses Adams of Milnerton took first place and is on his way to New York in August for the World Final of the world’s largest International manual skateboarding contest for amateurs. Beating 12 other finalists at the South African finals, Moses rocked the competition with some rather killer skating:

“I didn’t expect to win, but gave it my all. At the end my legs were so tired and numb, so I just tried to act like I was alone at the park skating. And I thought, if I can pull this off then maybe I can win. The event was awesome, I had fun and now I’m exhausted.”

Dlamini Dlamini from La Lucia and Dada Marumo from Johannesburg finished second and third respectively, receiving prizes from Session magazine and Element. Moses is lucky enough to be flown to New York City on an all expenses paid trip to represent South Africa at the Red Bull Manny Mania World Final for amateurs on August 20, 2011 as well as an invite to compete in the Red Bull Manny Mania Pro Event, on Sunday, August 21 in New York City. So, yeah a pretty big deal for a dude who used to skate under the view of Table Mountain.

For more information on Red Bull Manny Mania:
Visit www.redbull.co.za
Follow @RedBullZA (#MannyManiaZA)

Picture courtesy of Red Bull Media House / Tyrone Bradley

The Durban leg of Red Bull Manny Mania took place at Wave House Skate Park in Umhlanga, Durban on Saturday, 18 June 2011 and 3 local skaters are on their way to Red Bull Manny Mania in JHB.

                                                      
Dlamini Dlamini of La Lucia came out on top at Saturday’s qualifier for Red Bull Manny Mania 2011 at Wave House Skate Park in Umhlanga, Durban.  He will be heading to Johannesburg on June 26, 2011 to compete against other participants selected from four qualifying events across South Africa as part of the largest international event for amateur manual skaters around.
 
“I’m so stoked to be going to Johannesburg for the final. The level of skating in the final was really high it could have gone to anyone. I’d love to get the trip to New York, but for now I’m focused on the final next week.”
 
 Second and third place went to Khule Ngubane and George Van Blerk, respectively, among over 35 competitors at the event.
 
The winner of the national final on June 26 will be flown to New York City on an all expenses paid trip to represent South Africa at the Red Bull Manny Mania World Final for amateurs on August 20, 2011. The winner of this event will get a chance to step into the big leagues by competing in the invite-only Red Bull Manny Mania Pro Event, on Sunday, August 21 in New York City. So… big stakes!
 
For more information on Red Bull Manny Mania:
·         Visit http://www.redbull.co.za/
·         Follow @RedBullZA (#MannyManiaZA)
 
All visuals are courtesy of: Red Bull Media House / Tyrone Bradley

The search for South Africa’s first female rugby presenter has come to an end with Elma Smit clinching the title of Lady Rugga in a live Supersport broadcast over the weekend. Linden lass Elma Smit for once ran out of words when Derek Alberts asked how she was feeling after being crowned.

“I’m not usually the kind of person who runs out of words, it’s not something I’m comfortable with.” she said. “I’m feeling very lucky, very very lucky and I’m honoured with this title”.
 
On a night when judges Naas Botha (who was as sexist as ever during the show), Elana Afrika, Darren Scott and Ashley Hayden were faced with the unenviable task of selecting Lady Rugga out of 15 exceptionally talented ladies who all put in quite a bit of work towards achieving their dreams of being pitch side at the Rugby World Cup presenting to the millions of rugby mad South Africans, they unanimously agreed that the Lady Rugga crown was a perfect fit onto Smit’s head.
 
After a long day filled with a series of tasks the top 15 was whittled down to a top 3 and the 25-year old who is originally from Stellenbosch found herself up against Motshidisi Mohona and Janina Oberholzer at the last hurdle of the competition.
Their final task was that of interviewing Blue Bulls centre Wynand Olivier in a post-match scenario.
 
She impressed the judges with her passion and understanding of the subtle nuances of the game with Elma highlighting rugby’s current burning issue- neck clamping, which Olivier was subject to on Friday night. Smit will be jetting off to the Land of the Long White Cloud in September for her first assignment as Lady Rugga and we’re all amped to see how she fairs.

The Son Skate Park in Stellenbosch, Cape Town, will see the launch of the 2011 Red Bull Manny Mania, South Africa’s largest and most exciting skateboarding contest, this Saturday, 4 June. The contest came to the fore because of its focus on the manual trick, which is essentially a skateboarding wheelie and this weekend’s contest will see the winner securing himself an all expenses paid trip to Johannesburg to contest the Red Bull Manny Mania national final, of which the winner will travel to New York, USA, to represent good old South Africa at the World finals.

Almost all of the local skaters are mad amped to get cracking at the opportunity to participate in a global event that will role out in no less than 34 countries world-wide. There are a couple of guys from Cape Town who go into tomorrow’s competition as clear favourites consisting of: Alan Marola and Moses Adams, as well as Red Bull team skater Jean-Marc Johannes.

Defending champion Simon Stipcich will be contesting the Durban leg of Red Bull Manny Mania, and had some interesting insights from his experiences in New York in 2010 tp share:

“The contest format in New York is really hectic,” says Stipcich. “You only have seven minutes to compete and there’s ten guys in each heat. So you need to be able to stick your tricks straight off the bat. Guys like Dlamini Dlamini and Gary MacNaughton are super consistent, and will stand a great chance if they can get to the world finals.”

Scheduled to begin at 12pm on Saturday, the event promises to be pretty cool- and we havent even mentioned the latest beats provided by some of South Africa’s top DJs and the Red Bull samplers keep the spectators energised and full of cheeriness.

2011 Red Bull Manny Mania Dates:
June 4 – Son Skate Park (Stellenbosch)
June 11 – Element Skate Park (Jeffreys Bay)
June 18 – Wave House Skate Park, Gateway Theatre of Shopping, Umhlanga (Durban)
June 25 – Revolution Skate Park, Festival Mall, Kempton Park (Johannesburg)
June 26 – Finals, Revolution Skate Park, Festival Mall, Kempton Park (Johannesburg)

MCBN: Thanks for chatting to us. You are going into your off season in the North now as we go into our winter. What are your plans for the off season?

Brad Barritt (BB): It’s been a tough demanding and extremely rewarding season. I unfortunately been carrying a hernia injury, which has required surgery. So will be taking it easy. I am spending 10 days in Cyprus. And then bringing some Saracens friends Chris Wyles and Hayden Smith out to South Africa for 10 days! Which will be awesome.

MCBN: How has your time overseas in England been and more specifically playing for Saracens?

BB: I have loved life in London and live in North London, which has great advantages. Saracens is an amazing club to play rugby. With a family atmosphere and great friends. I have loved my opportunities with the England side, having toured Australia and New Zealand last June, and being in the Autumn International Squad before breaking a finger!

MCBN: There are quite a few South African’s playing over in the English league so it should be festive and almost like home, what do you miss the most about Durban ?

BB: Durban will always be home! I love the people and the relaxed way of life. But family and friends is what you miss most! And of course the beach and my jet-ski!

MCBN: With regards to the previous question, do you ever think you will come back and play in South Africa?

BB: I would never rule it out. The Sharks will always be a special place to me! However I am very happy at Saracens. Time will tell.

MCBN: Do you have any pre game superstitions or anything we should know about?

BB: Nothing weird or wonderful! I do enjoy a family recipe of Spagbol the night before a game.

MCBN: If you had any super power, what would yours be?

BB: Haha! Bit random… Maybe ability to always make people smile!!! (shocker)

MCBN: Who would you say your toughest and most respected opponent has been?

BB: Butch James, previously a team mate but been an opponent for 3 seasons! To have bounced back from significant injuries and dominate is an amazing show of character and mental bravery.

MCBN: If you could play against one player before your time, would who it be?

BB: Would have loved to play against Jeremy Guscott, always admired him as a player as a kid. And of course attempting to tackle the big man, Jonah Lomu!

MCBN: Tempers sometimes flare on the field, have you ever had to throw a punch or dodge a punch as we all know – Rugby is a man’s sport after all?

BB: To be honest, No! I don’t see the point in dirty play, as it always comes back to bite you! And there’s always someone bigger and braver than you, haha!

MCBN: Where do you see yourself ideally  in 5 years’ time?

BB: Would love to have played for England in the 2015 World Cup in England, and playing for Saracens and having a property development company! That would be ideal!

MCBN: Playing Premier League Rugby, you must have a hectic training schedule, what do you do when you got some time off?

BB: Love London, Borough Market, Covent Gardens and Primrose Hill, a few favourites! but am studying part time for a Masters Business degree, which keeps me very busy!

MCBN: Thanks for the chat Brad and good luck for the next season!

The countrywide and fairly epic search for South Africa’s first female rugby presenter is drawing to close with the selection of 15 and not 12 finalists. Wildcards Sarah Spittal, Natasha van der Merwe and Caitlin Fox are back in the reckoning for SuperSport’s Lady Rugga search after a late and rather dramatic twist to the competition.

Last week, the competition organisers decided to employ the popular “wildcard” pick, including three more names to the top 12 announced as a suprise twist on Saturday during the Super Wrap show. Fox, who did not get to see the announcement live on SuperSport 1, was shocked when she heard that she’d made it back into the competition.

“I was at a friend’s house watching the football when my mother called me to tell me I was one of the three wildcard entrants.  I was so excited that my stomach nearly jumped out of my mouth.”

Fox, along with Spittal and Van der Merwe, now join Tové Kane, Linda Dlamini, Pamela Boardman, Sibongile Mafu, Laurette Morgan, Janina Oberholzer, Kate Nokwe, Elma Smit, Jessica Knight, Elle Hughes, Carmen Reddy and Motshidisi Mohono in what is now a top 15.

The collection of mooiness finalists will be completing a series of tasks under the watchful eyes of judges, who will then decide on a final winner this Saturday. Yay, soon we wont only have to look at Darren Scott and Naas.

You’ll all be aware of the fact that this Saturday sees the UEFA Champions League Final being played at Wembley Stadium between Barcelona and the best team in the entire world- Manchester United. It is going to be an evening of fantastic football that will end in a spectacular victory for the Red Devils, you might even see a hat-trick from Wayne Rooney. What better way to enjoy the game and United victory than getting down to the awesome Funktion sound and 6m x 3m screens housed in Trinity Cape Town?!

There will be a beer special running until 9 where you can BUY 1 & GET 1 FREE on all Castle Light and Blacklabel droughts with all those watching the game there being rewarded with half price entry to the Saturday night festivities at Cape Town’s favourite club. Bookings advisable because ous are going to be jolling- give them a shout on 021 418 0624…

Oh and one more thing…

GLORY GLORY MAN UNITED!!!