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The
German Bundesliga broke the ice in terms of a return to top-tier sport this past weekend and there is growing hope that South African sport will make a return in the not too distant future.
According to
TimesLIVE the Premier Soccer League (PSL) are in discussions regarding the return of top-flight football in South Africa with Sun City Resort in the North West province earmarked as a strong contender to house all the topflight and second division clubs in a push to complete the 2019/20 season.
The
Absa Premiership and GladAfrica Championship was officially halted due to the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic in March and while an exact date for a return to soccer action hasn't been set matches could be played in July if the PSL is given the green light by the government.
Up until this point, only one top-flight player has tested positive for the novel virus with Orlando Pirates having announced earlier this month that midfielder Ben Motshwari was recovering from the infectious disease.
The English Premier League, La Liga and Serie A are all hoping for a return to action in mid-June with dates ranging from the 12th - 14th of next month and being three of the worst hit countries by the virus, it should serve as some hope for South Africa of a return to action in the next few months at least.
With three PSL approved stadiums in close proximity to Sun City, as well as the Royal Marang Hotel, a Cosafa Cup style camp is a genuine possibility in the continued aim to finish the final few games of the season.
While the
cricket season is on an indefinite break on South African soil, the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) isn't ready to commit to new dates for the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2020 season just yet with continued fears that it won't take place. With the T20 World Cup set to held in Australia from October 18 to November 15, the IPL season would've set the perfect platform for the world showpiece.
Contact sports such as
rugby will only be played at Level 1 in South Africa, which also rules out an imminent return to the rugby field with the governing body hoping to reinstate on-field action in August or September if possible.
The reining World Cup champions were set to take on Scotland and Georgia in mid-year tests but those could be pushed as far back as October according to latest reports while domestic rugby is likely to follow a similar path to that of New Zealand.
The Super Rugby Aotearoa schedule has been announced and will officially get underway in June with domestic rugby in New Zealand to pave the way for others to follow.