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 atNewlands, 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 Cupon home turf, losing a close match against India at Willowmoore Park by two wickets.Donate to The Luke Alfred Show on Patreon.Get full written episodes of the show a day early on Substack.Check out The Luke Alfred Show on YouTube and Facebook.