By Nick ButlerIn recent years there has been a penchant for athlete administrators in sport, but in the case of Jean-Christophe Rolland he is merely following tradition in a rowing organisation that is oozing with ex-sportsmen.First there was Thomas Keller, who served as President for 31 years until his death in 1989. Also an accomplished skier, Keller won a rowing bronze medal at the 1950 European Championships and only missed out on competing at the Melbourne 1956 Olympics because of the Swiss boycott protesting the Soviet invasion of Hungary. Then there was triple Olympian Denis Oswald, who won a bronze medal, also...

What is needed in South America - where there is a long history of rowing and some resources but problems

with coordination, coaching and competition - is different from what is required in Africa and Asia,

explained.But to highlight the improvements that are being made, Rolland speaks of the 2012 gold medal for South

Africa in the lightweight coxless four."

really looking forward to more and more countries getting medals at Championships," he explained.South Africa

By Duncan Mackay at Dolce La Hulpe Brussels HotelNovember 9 - Britain will host its first World University Championships for 14 years after Swansea was awarded the Rugby Sevens in 2016, it was announced here today.

Brive, France, where both Britain's men's and women's teams won the gold medals, beating France and South

Africa in their respective finals.

By Nick ButlerNovember 8 - A total of 15 Official Travel Agents (OTA's) for the 2015 Rugby World Cup to be held in England have been announced by World Cup organisers after consultation with Rugby Travel and Hospitality (RTH).

South Africa Rugby travel, Japan Travel Bureau and All Blacks Tours - from South Africa, Japan and New

By Nick ButlerNovember 7 - Winners of the 2013 Peace and Sports Awards, including the Oceania Football Confederation (OFC) and former French rugby league player Sébastien Bouche, have been crowned in Monaco in the presence of Princess Charlene.

before marrying Prince Albert, a longstanding IOC member, she was an Olympic swimmer who competed for South

Africa at Sydney 2000.The OFC led the way in securing Federation of the Year Prize after fending off

I am on a bus with other journalists being whisked through South-East London on a lane reserved for Olympic

Korea, Turkey and, for that matter, South Africa.The logic behind this is sound: growth prospects both

to feel included in "their" event.Coca-Cola engaged local communities during the 2010 World Cup in South

Africa by providing material so local bars could show matchesI am not always the greatest fan of Atlanta's

Africa kitted out by Coca-Cola as unofficial World Cup viewing sites.Around 150 of these were supplied

By Emily GoddardNovember 3 - Defending champion Geoffrey Mutai and his compatriot Priscah Jeptoo won the men's and women's races at the New York City Marathon today to ensure a Kenyan clean sweep of the event.

Lusapho April of South Africa finished third, clocking 2:09:45.Priscah Jeptoo wins the women's race of

the African Men's Wheelchair Basketball Championships in Luanda as they overcame reigning champions South

Africa in a high quality final.

South Africa came into the Championships, moved from Egypt to Angola over security fears, looking to

years ago and were firm favourites to take the continental title once again.In their semi-final, the South

for next year's International Wheelchair Basketball Federation (IWBF) World Championships in Incheon, South

Korea.The South African squad failed to defend their continental crown after losing out to Algeria in

South Africa's Gift Mooketsi and Luvuyo Mbanda had to make do with the consolation of being named on

By Paul OsborneOctober 30 - Host nation France look set to face a particularly tough group at the 2014 Women's Rugby World Cup as the draw for the tournament was made today.

the Hôtel de Ville in Paris, saw the home team placed in pool C alongside Australia, Wales and South

Up until this point everything has been hypothetical but now we can give France, South Africa and Australia

The French women face tough opposition after being drawn against Australia, Wales and South Africa in

By Gary AndersonOctober 24 - Global logistics outfit DHL has been announced as an official worldwide partner of the Rugby World Cup 2015 in a deal that sees the firm continue its partnership that began at the tournament in New Zealand in 2011. 

official handover ceremony in Dublin next month On the way, the Cup will stop off in Australia, South

Africa and England, the three other nations that have claimed the title, before Richie McCaw, the skipper

By Paul Osborne October 24 - Australia's BHP Billiton Aquatic Super Series in Perth has received a huge boost with the announcement that Brazil and Japan will now be competing in the pool competition at next year's event.

The two nations will join Australia, China and South Africa in the pool at the Challenge Stadium in the

withdraw its potential bid to host the 2022 Commonwealth Games - but they could face stiff opposition from South

Africa if they do take their plans forward.

Athletics Championships and would form a central component of any 2022 bidGideon Sam, President of the South

African Sports and Olympic body (SASCOC), has, meanwhile, reiterated the fact that South Africa is interested

2022 Commonwealth Games to capitalise on Olympic facilitiesNovember 2011: Gideon Sam could lead South

Africa bid for 2022 Commonwealth Games

By Gary AndersonOctober 23 - Former South Africa rugby sevens head coach Paul Treu is to take over in

Treu ended his nine-year spell in charge of his native South Africa in August and has now been snapped

Paul Treu in action for the Springboks during his playing days During his time with South Africa

Africa Sevens in Port Elizabeth on December 7 and 8.Contact the writer of this story at gary.anderson

Africa stun New Zealand to take USA Sevens title in Las VegasMay 2011: South Africa pull off remarkable

Africa claim London Sevens title but New Zealand World Series

By Gary AndersonOctober 22 - Glasgow 2014 has announced the 18 international technical officials (ITOs) and the 25 national technical officials (NTOs) that will officiate in the netball competition at the Commonwealth Games.

represented across the 43 technical officials, including Scotland, England, Australia, New Zealand, South

Africa, Jamaica and the Cook Islands.There are three separate roles within the ITO category which will

who will be joined by Australians Rachel Ayre, Joshua Bowring, Sharon Kelly and Michelle Phippard, South

multi-million pound HydroSeptember 2013: England netballers continue fine form with series win over South

Committee finally got the message Tommie Smith and John Carlos were sending out and removed then apartheid South

Africa from the Games.But it certainly prevails in other sporting environments, not least football where

By Duncan MackayOctober 21 - South Africa will take on a joint bid from Australia and New Zealand to

Cup of either rugby code and the first competition to be officially known as the "Rugby World Cup".South

Africa have never hosted the tournament but Australia have staged it on four occasions, including jointly

lifted the trophy for the first time, beating the hosts 34-20 in the final in Brisbane.The bid from South

Africa is particularly significant because until now rugby union has been the dominant code in the country.This