Why South Africa Overachieves In Sport

The Luke Alfred Show

In the year between February 2023 and February 2024, for instance, six South African teams either won or reached World Cup finals, reached World Cup or continental semi-finals or hustled out of the group stages of World Cups to make the round of 16.
In order of success, the teams are as follows: the Springboks, who won the Rugby World Cupfinal against arch-foes New Zealand in October, winning the final 12-11 in Paris.
Six months before that our women cricketers reached the final of the T20 World Cup at
Newlands, beating England in the semi-finals before losing to Meg Lanning’s Australia.
Of the semi-finalists, there were three.
The Proteas, after winning seven or their nine matches, including wins over England, New Zealand, Pakistan and Australia, in the round-robin phase of the men’s World Cup in India in October, lost to eventual winners, Australia in the semi-final.
The SA under-19 men, reached the semi-finals of the under-19 World Cup
on home turf, losing a close match against India at Willowmoore Park by two wickets.

Donate to The Luke Alfred Show on Patreon.
Get my book: Vuvuzela Dawn: 25 Sporting Stories that Shaped a New Nation.
Get full written episodes of the show a day early on Substack.
Check out The Luke Alfred Show on YouTube and Facebook.