By Sundesh Mahes
Welcome to SPORTS DRIPS for this week. We are in the winter sports season, schools and sports clubs have started preparing for their competitions.
This weekend we will see thousands or children around South Africa participate in competitive sport, some for the first time ever. I am sure all the kids, coaches and parents are very excited.
It’s the business end of the Sports calendar – Nedbank Cup Final is this weekend, its an all English club Champions League final in Istanbul, we looking forward to host the British and Irish Lions in SA and our sprinters have made us proud on the track at the World Relay Championship by winning the 4x100m event.
We will be having a chat to Maro Itoje, the English Rugby sensation who has been selected for the British and Irish Lions Tour to SA and how he prepares in his Under Armour gear and how he has maintained his fitness under lock down in the UK. So we had a very cool zoom call with Maro this week and had the opportunity to watch him train with his personal trainer Phil.
• Lockdown and professional rugby was put on hold during the Covid-19 pandemic, how have you been making sure you stay rugby fit? Answer from Maro: So I live with my brother and a teammate and we converted a section of the house into a gym and kept motivating each other with various training challenges.
• The UK have come out of a 4-month lockdown only last week (April 12th). Gyms have finally reopened, and people can finally start playing their favourite sport again, both inside and outside. Answer from Maro: We happy to be back onto the field and had a great win this weekend with Saracens.
• Tell us about how the Under Armour gear has changed your performance on the Rugby field. Do you feel the effects of Iso-Chill? Answer from Maro: I am really embracing my partnership with Under Armour. Their gear is amazing for training and recovery and they have been so up to date with the technology. The most impressive innovation is my Rugby boot that is custom made for my foot, it’s so comfortable and gives me the confidence to play my game, my previous boot manufacturer did not give me that much joy.
Next week we will be taking a close look at trail running which is amazing across our South Africa terrain.
Follow IOL Sport on Facebook and Twitter social media and check out our brand new IOL Sports show with Zaahier Adams on YouTube.
We will be having a few cool competitions coming out on IOL Sport this month please keep an eye out for them.
From me at Sports Drips: Keep moving, stay warm and stay safe.
Like our Facebook page: Sport Drips SA and check out some of the video’s.
IOL Sport