SPRINGBOK loose forward Andrew Aitken announced his retirement from rugby on Wednesday. Aitken (30), MD of the unit trusts division of a major financial institution, said: “I cannot play rugby and give 100% to my work and I cannot work full time and give 100 percent to rugby. I had to make a choice and though I would dearly have liked to challenge for a place in the World Cup squad, I realised the time had come to put my work first.” Province and Stormers coach Allan Solomons said Aitken is an incredible player, an astute leader and that it will not be easy to replace him. Springbok coach Nick Mallet also praised the loose forward.
NETBALL UNDER INVESTIGATION
THE National Sports Council (NSC)announced on Wednesday that it is to start public hearings into the management of netball in South Africa after the breakaway National Netball Development Forum (NNDF) claimed there is insufficient focus on development in the sport. The NNDF made the charges against the governing Netball South Africa. Mvuzo Mbebe, NSC CEO, said the five-member team which will investigate the sport have until the end of March complete a report containing a blueprint to “take netball into the next millennium”. The focus of the investigation and the public hearings will include the structure of netball, the constitution of Netball South AFrica, administration, development and affirmative action. The NSC invited those interested to make submissions before February 11.