<blockquote class="wp-block-quote is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow">
“Rassie sets the tone around the culture of the group. I am close with Felix Jones, and he just said to me the pleasure when you are with the Springboks is working with the players.”
</blockquote>



South Africa have bolstered their attack and defence coaching as they go in search of a ‘three-peat’ and a hattrick of Rugby World Cup titles in Australia in 2027.



Former head coach Jacques Nienaber, who was primarily tasked with working on the defence, has left for Irish side Leinster, while Felix Jones, who had a big part to play in their attacking patterns, has linked up with the English national team.



With Rassie Erasmus back in the fold as head coach to replace Nienaber, he scoured the rugby world for replacements he feels can take the Springboks to the next level.



Former New Zealand flyhalf Tony Brown will become the first ex-All Black to be part of a Springbok technical team, something that might have seemed impossible in the past.



But he did previously play the Durban-based Sharks and Stormers from Cape Town, so has links to the game in the country.



“The Springboks have a proud history and for me to come in and be a part of that is a huge honor. The way the Springboks play the game is admired around the world,” Brown says. 



“I believe I can make a massive difference in helping the team on attack. If we add a few things to the attacking side, to go with the impressive defence, we can be really dominant.



“We will never change the Springboks identity; I will just find ways to add to how they play the game.”



Brown says he had no hesitation in accepting the job when it was offered to him, despite his All Black allegiances. 



“As soon as Rassie rang, I said ‘yes’. I did not have to consult anyone. The challenge is massive and I can’t wait to get into it.”



Former Ireland international hooker Jerry Flannery is the new defence coach, having previously worked with Erasmus at Irish side Munster.



He too has earned praise for his work ethic and understanding of how to get the best out of players and form roles for them that suit their attributes.



“It is pretty evident when you talk to the players and South African people, the team is so important for the country,” Flannery says. “The players feel a bigger sense of purpose when playing for this team. The pride is there, and it is a really special thing. I will bring my very best and look to add to that.



“There is a massive willingness to learn. You watch the players, their eyes are laser-focused on what the coach is delivering to them. The players want to get better. That makes the coach’s job really easy.



“Rassie sets the tone around the culture of the group. I am close with Felix Jones, and he just said to me the pleasure when you are with the Springboks is working with the players.”



South Africa begin their 2024 season with a game against Wales in London on June 22, before they welcome Ireland for a two-Test tour the following month which pits the number one and two teams in the world against one another.



“The Irish test will be pretty personal for me,” Flannery says. “Ireland are playing some fantastic rugby. It will be a fantastic test for us.”

Springbok head coach Rassie Erasmus at a media conference to introduce the new technical team and preview the forthcoming season

‘Laser-Focused’: What South Africa’s New-Look Springboks Technical Team Will Bring In Their Various Roles

SOUTH AFRICA’S UNPRECEDENTED RECORD FOURTH RUGBY WORLD CUP WIN GOES FAR BEYOND SPORTING EXCELLENCE – IT WAS A STUDY IN FUTURE PLANNING, ORGANIZATION, LEADERSHIP AND MENTALITY.



South Africa’s record fourth World Cup title was a seminal moment for the game in the country and highlighted the huge strides forward rugby has made in igniting a passion for the game among supporters of all races.



In a country struggling with an electricity crisis, economic downturn, high unemployment, crime and corruption, the Springboks’ 12-11 World Cup final win over New Zealand provided a rare chance to celebrate.



But the win goes far beyond sporting excellence and those who spearheaded it hope it can be a blueprint for success in all walks of South African life.


<div class="wp-block-image">
<figure class="aligncenter size-full is-resized"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="1024" height="681" src="https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/12/GettyImages-1763424326.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-60650" style="width:797px;height:auto" srcset="https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/12/GettyImages-1763424326.jpg 1024w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/12/GettyImages-1763424326-300x200.jpg 300w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/12/GettyImages-1763424326-768x511.jpg 768w" sizes="(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">DURBAN, SOUTH AFRICA &#8211; NOVEMBER 04: Fans during the South Africa men&#8217;s national rugby team trophy tour on November 04, 2023 in Durban, South Africa. (Photo by Darren Stewart/Gallo Images)</figcaption></figure></div>


The sight of thousands of adoring supporters lining the streets to see the team on their trophy tour in Soweto, South Africa’s largest township, was particularly striking given how rugby was once perceived to be the sport of the white Afrikaner during apartheid.



Those scenes were replicated across the country and showcase not only the love and admiration supporters have for the side, but also the deep respect for an unprecedented achievement.



The Springboks became the first team to lift the World Cup trophy on four occasions and the win was achieved with much more than skill and physical prowess alone, it was a study in future planning, organization, leadership and mentality. No team has had a harder path to victory, with South Africa meeting each of the other top six sides in the world rankings on their road to the trophy.



One point wins over hosts France, a dogged England and old foes New Zealand in the knockout stages was a test of their character as well as skillset.



Former Springbok flyhalf Joel Stransky kicked the winning drop-goal in extra-time when the side lifted their first World Cup title in front of a beaming Nelson Mandela in 1995.


<div class="wp-block-image">
<figure class="aligncenter size-full"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="1024" height="699" src="https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/12/GettyImages-1761533936.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-60649" srcset="https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/12/GettyImages-1761533936.jpg 1024w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/12/GettyImages-1761533936-300x205.jpg 300w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/12/GettyImages-1761533936-768x524.jpg 768w" sizes="(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">CAPE TOWN, SOUTH AFRICA &#8211; NOVEMBER 03: Siya Kolisi during the South Africa men&#8217;s national rugby team trophy tour on November 03, 2023 in Cape Town, South Africa. (Photo by Ashley Vlotman/Gallo Images)</figcaption></figure></div>


He was in France in a broadcast role and got to see the side operate at close quarters. He explains to FORBES AFRICA in an exclusive interview the secret to their success.



“That tough mentality is born from a few things,” Stransky says. “It comes from the huge effort that goes into what they do, a team spirit and genuine love for each other, and a burning desire to succeed. This team has a wonderful culture. “They work their socks off for each other and leave no stone unturned in preparation for every match. They also have that South African never-say-die attitude where they find a way to win games that other teams cannot. They are an exceptional bunch.”



Eloquent captain Siya Kolisi is a hugely-respected figure in the game around the world and in the aftermath of their victory spoke at length about the unity within the side and the fact that their diversity, with players coming from such different backgrounds, is what binds them together.



“We are a diverse and beautiful team from all walks of life. This trophy is for those who come from tough, disadvantaged areas,” Kolisi said.



“For the kid who needs to know that while things are tough for you, and you can’t afford school fees, you have no shoes to walk to school and no food at home, you can make something out of your life. Even when the situation does not look hopeful.



“We come from those backgrounds, this team represents everybody. We want people to say, ‘who can I look to that has made it from this situation’, and that is us. You can look at this team.”



It was a sentiment echoed by scrumhalf Cobus Reinach, whose upbringing could not have been more different than Kolisi’s, but whose mentality is the same.



“It feels very uniting,” he said. “It is not our trophy, it is everyone in South Africa’s trophy. We might be 33 players (in the World Cup squad), but our driving force is the people of South Africa and we couldn’t have done it without them.”



Kolisi is the undisputed captain of the side but as Stransky points out, successful teams are made up of leadership groups, whose own perspectives and experiences are valued and listened to too.



“In every team you have lots of leadership, especially in the national set-up because there are lots of guys who captain other (club) sides and are natural leaders.


<div class="wp-block-image">
<figure class="aligncenter size-full is-resized"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="1024" height="682" src="https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/GettyImages-1762113459.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-60050" style="width:836px;height:auto" srcset="https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/GettyImages-1762113459.jpg 1024w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/GettyImages-1762113459-300x200.jpg 300w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/GettyImages-1762113459-768x512.jpg 768w" sizes="(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">PARIS, FRANCE &#8211; OCTOBER 28: Cyril Ramaphosa, President of South Africa, lifts the The Webb Ellis Cup following the Rugby World Cup Final match between New Zealand and South Africa at Stade de France on October 28, 2023 in Paris, France. (Photo by Mike Hewitt/Getty Images)</figcaption></figure></div>


“But at the top of the leadership group you are still a proper, genuine captain who is respected and loved by everyone and Siya is that guy.



“As a human being he is just the most amazing guy. He is obviously thorough in his preparation and training, but as a human being he is sensational, and that is why they will follow him to the ends of the earth.”



The world may love Kolisi, but the Springboks are not universally admired despite their success and drew criticism during the tournament for what was viewed as a dour style of rugby and a controversial use of a 7-1 split between forwards and backs on the bench.



The criticism leveled at them is that they are all power and no finesse, and that does not make for an entertaining product for fans.



“Well done to South Africa, the best at not playing rugby,” screamed a headline in New Zealand Herald, while pundits shouted loudly about the bench being against the spirit of the game, and the need to depower scrums, a major weapon of the Springboks.



“When we look back at it in 20 years’ time, no one is going to say, ‘what was the style of play that day’,” Stransky says. “Where our coaching team has been exceptional is that they have looked at the laws of the game and the areas where the referees are focussing on.



“They have said, ‘these are our strengths, so how can we be at our best inside the parameters of the laws’. They have picked horses for courses and played a different game-plan against different opposition when required.”



Director of rugby Rassie Erasmus and departing head coach Jacques Nienaber had to think out of the box after losing key hooker Malcolm Marx early in the tournament, making the inspired decision to bring in flyhalf Handré Pollard as his replacement. He had missed out in the original squad due to a calf injury.


<div class="wp-block-image">
<figure class="aligncenter size-full is-resized"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="1024" height="724" src="https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/GettyImages-1762435141.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-60047" style="width:680px;height:auto" srcset="https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/GettyImages-1762435141.jpg 1024w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/GettyImages-1762435141-300x212.jpg 300w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/GettyImages-1762435141-768x543.jpg 768w" sizes="(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">PARIS, FRANCE &#8211; OCTOBER 28: Kurt-Lee Arendse (L) and Damian Willemse of South Africa celebrate their win in the changing rooms following dthe Rugby World Cup France 2023 Gold Final match between New Zealand and South Africa at Stade de France on October 28, 2023 in Paris, France. (Photo by Julian Finney &#8211; World Rugby/World Rugby via Getty Images)</figcaption></figure></div>


There were question marks over the kicking accuracy of Manie Libbok and given that Pollard was successful with all 13 of his kicks at goal, including difficult shots in the knockout rounds, it was perhaps the key decision from the coaching team that led to the win.



But it meant flanker Deon Fourie had to cover at hooker, a position he had not played in five years and never at test level.



His is a remarkable story, having been the oldest Springbok debutant in history at the age of 35 in July 2022. He played 77 minutes of the final in the front row of the scrum after an early injury for starter Bongi Mbonambi and ended up as captain of the side with Kolisi off the field at the final whistle.



“If you had told me two years ago that I would be standing here with a World Cup winner’s medal, I would’ve laughed and said you are smoking some weird stuff,” Fourie says.



“That emotion you saw after the whistle was relief. The last three weeks (of the tournament), winning by one point, it was stressful. Grafting it out at the end.



“There was relief, then happiness, and finally disbelief that I was on the field and winning a World Cup.”



Players like Fourie will inevitably step aside, some immediately and others in a year or two as the team builds towards the next tournament in Australia in 2027. It is the inevitable nature of a World Cup cycle and key for the Springboks will be maintaining their edge through this process.



“I see huge change coming,” Stransky says. “It will be a huge rebuilding process. In that starting line-up (in the final against New Zealand), I counted maybe five or six players who will be at the next World Cup.



“There are others in the squad who will slot in but there are also a lot of empty spaces where we will need to bring in youngsters and build a new team around some of the older hands. It will be a period of transition.”



What the Springboks have achieved is difficult to illustrate fully. Only four teams have won the World Cup in history, and no-one else has done it four times.



But aside from their on-field excellence, it is also their relatability that sets them apart. This is a team without egos, who show that hard work and unifying behind a common goal can bring the ultimate rewards.



“As a team, we want to be a reference point for our people, to show them how we can do it, and hopefully they’ll get hope from this team,” Kolisi said.



“This was not about us as players. This victory was for every South African, and we showed what is possible with this diverse team. “I hope that going forward in business, in everyday life, that we understand that the team only won because we decided to put our different cultures and differences aside and focus on the country. I think that’s the most important thing.”

New Zealand v South Africa: Final – Rugby World Cup France 2023

ROAD TO THE TROPHY: ‘This was not about us as players. This victory was for every South African’

After 15 years at play Bryan Habana, the man who was once compared to a panther, discusses the end of his run on the field as he gives business a shot



<hr class="wp-block-separator"/>



Sitting at the SLOW Lounge in Sandton, Africa’s richest square mile, sleeves rolled halfway up his arm, Springbok and World Cup-winner Bryan Habana looks a lot less like the menacing right winger with an insatiable appetite for tries and more like the entrepreneur he has now become. 



The change was sudden. One day, he was recovering from
injury and plotting a new season with his French club Toulon, the next he was
walking into the Toulouse Business School getting his first badge in Business
Studies. 



“The decision to call an end to your sporting days is
probably the most feared in a professional athlete’s life,” Habana says. 



“You don’t really know what you’re going to be jumping into,
even though they talk about preparing yourself for life after professional
sport. 



<blockquote class="wp-block-quote is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow">The transition is the most talked-about topic in sport because it’s so huge. When you’ve been doing something you love for five, 10, 15 years, you almost need to rediscover yourself once it’s done. <cite> Bryan Habana </cite></blockquote>



“But I’ve kept myself busy – even though I thought I would
give myself time to reflect on the past 15 years, which hasn’t happened yet.”



In the post-training, post-gym routine that retired players
find themselves, former professionals can often get stuck trying to find their
next move. It’s an often depressing realization and a lonely time, filled with
much angst and doubt.



Not for Habana. With much of the same finesse he weaved past seemingly closed spaces on the rugby field, he called marketing guru Mike Sharman after calling it a day and the pair, alongside Ben Karpinski, came up with sports marketing agency Retroactive. 



“I had a chat with Mike Sharman – whom I’ve known since high
school at King Edward VII School – when I announced my retirement last year and
came up with the idea of creating something fresh and authentic within the
digital sports marketing environment,” Habana says. 



“Through Retroviral, Mike had been in the agency space for
more than 10 years. He is not about being the biggest but just being the best
at what you can do. Ben’s been in a similar space from a sporting fan point of
view and he knows sport – not just one type but the heartbeat of it. Shaka
Sisulu [Retroviral chairman] comes with a wealth of enterprise experience,
which we all needed. 



READ MORE | <a href="https://www.forbesafrica.com/sport/2019/03/05/super-rugby-in-sin-bin/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener" aria-label="Super Rugby In Sin Bin (opens in a new tab)">Super Rugby In Sin Bin</a>



Swapping togs, kitbags and sweatpants for bespoke suits,
ties and matching pocket squares was always going to make for an awkward
transition for one of the most celebrated Springboks of all time.



In rugby numbers, Habana has clocked 124 test caps and a
record 67 tries for South Africa, not to mention the World Cup, Tri-Nations,
Super Rugby, European Championship and Currie Cup medals that dangle from his
neck. 



In his post-rugby career, his numbers were dialled back to
zero – his factory settings restored. 



However, his relationships garnered through rugby have come
in as invaluable human relations capital.



Seeing him give a talk at the Mining Indaba in February,
you’d think he’s been an entrepreneur for years. Doors that he didn’t know
existed have opened and his shoes are tap dancing into rooms that rugby boots
cannot take you. 



Already, the company can count Jawitz Properties, Cricket SA
and Biogen among the clients they create storyfied, authentic digital marketing
content for.



Habana says: “I am fortunate as well that, throughout my
rugby career, I was able to create a brand for myself and work with some of the
biggest brands in the world… Through these partnerships, I’ve been able to see
how the other side works. 



“Given my wide network, it made sense that I come into a
role where I could engage with potential clients. Hopefully, I won’t get seen
as Bryan Habana: P.A. to Mike Sharman. 



<blockquote class="wp-block-quote is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow">Yes, it’s difficult and you definitely don’t earn your playing salary but I am fortunate to have opportunities leading up to the World Cup. The synergy is very good and there is definitely something special brewing.<cite> Bryan Habana </cite></blockquote>



Habana joins a growing list of ex-professionals who have
veered away from the predictable coaching route – something he describes as
more difficult than being a player. 



Patrick Lambie, who retired recently, also ruled out the
possibility of getting into coaching and is likely to join his father, Ian, and
former teammate Guy Cronjé’s business partnership. 



Other teammates such as Bakkies Botha (game farming) and
John Smit (former Sharks CEO) have provided Habana with a good sounding board
in this dark new world he has entered.



“There’s not a support group or a WhatsApp group where we
all log on and discuss these things but I definitely chat to John, Jean [de
Villiers] and Bakkies, who have entered this space. 



“And of course, my wife [Janine Viljoen], who ran her own
business in Cape Town, provides good support.”



Perhaps, the grass actually is greener on the other side.



&#8211; Sibusiso Mjikeliso

Habana

Bryan Habana Swaps Sweatpants For Suits

Interest in eSports is rapidly picking up in South Africa, and Springbok player Ryan Kankowski is now fully into it, training and mentoring youngsters.

Former South African Springbok player Ryan Kankowski has displayed his prowess in the open on rugby fields around the world.
Now, inside a closed room, the October-born 32-year-old is playing a different game – and winning.
Kankowski welcomes FORBES AFRICA to the digital world of gaming at Nexus, a gaming hub situated in Randburg, northwest of Johannesburg, South Africa. It’s the rugby union player’s home from home surrounded by posters and the latest gaming memorabilia. This is where he really lets loose.
The square-shaped building we are in resembles a Tetris block, and in the center is the Nexus café.
Enthusiastic gamers rush in and out of the retail store to either purchase the latest games or just catch up on the latest gaming trends.
Kankowski, dressed comfortably in a red sweater and grey pants, orders coffee.
“Getting on the field, you feel the atmosphere. But once you are there, you don’t see what is around you. You focus on what is happening in front of you. It’s the same with eSports. You are watching on a big screen, when you do something right, the people cheer for you. You can see and feel the excitement. It makes you want to get bigger and better every year,” he says, as he sips the hot beverage.
<blockquote>“I once played for 20 hours non-stop. You don’t do anything in between. Once you start playing, you just don’t stop.”</blockquote>
Coming from a competitive contact sport such as rugby, Kankowski uses the skills he learned on the field when he is in front of a computer screen. Balance and discipline is what he takes pride in.
Kankowski, who says he is currently on a break from professional rugby, now spends his time offering mentorship to school children interested in eSports. He also trains with the Energy gaming team.
<a href="http://www.forbesafrica.com/entrepreneurs/2018/09/03/building-blockchain-tech-with-the-world-as-their-official-address/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">READ MORE: Building Blockchain Tech With The World As Their Official Address</a>
Aware of the importance of maintaining a professional attitude, both on and off the field, Kankowski advises professional eSport players on representing their respective brands at gaming events.
eSports is a competitive online, electronic or video game played against teams or individual players. These competitions commonly take the form of organized, multi-player video games.
“Rugby had been my entire life. I played professionally for 15 years, I always loved gaming. If I wasn’t on the field, I’d probably be at home playing games. It seemed like a logical choice for me; it is a part of my life so why not go into something that is growing rapidly in South Africa,” says Kankowski.
Kankowski started his rugby career at the age of 17. He played for major teams like the Golden Lions, Cell C Sharks, and the South African national team. He traveled the world for rugby tournaments but always made time for e-gaming with teammates whenever they needed a break from the adrenaline rush on the field.
“Sports guys do play. A lot of them travel with Xboxes, PlayStations and laptops. It is a nice thing to switch off to forget about life. I have traveled for many years with my laptop. In my first year, I ended up traveling to Japan with my entire desktop. I carried it overseas with me.”
“The atmosphere is really different. In rugby, you have like over 60,000 people watching you. In South Africa, the eSports meets are not as big as it is in the rest of the world. There are close to a 1,000 people. Most of the guys you meet there are guys you’ve played against or even played with them at some stage,” he says.
He recognizes the importance of management and professionalism in all aspects of life. eSports and rugby, the two are worlds apart, but are heavily dependent on the character of the individual players.
Kankowski uses his experience as a benchmark when coaching youngsters.
<div id="attachment_37569" style="width: 750px" class="wp-caption alignnone"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-37569" class="wp-image-37569 size-large" src="https://www.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/10/Ryan3-1024x851.jpg" alt="" width="740" height="615" srcset="https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/10/Ryan3-1024x851.jpg 1024w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/10/Ryan3-300x249.jpg 300w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/10/Ryan3-600x499.jpg 600w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/10/Ryan3-768x638.jpg 768w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/10/Ryan3.jpg 2048w" sizes="(max-width: 740px) 100vw, 740px" />Ryan Kankowski at his first virtual reality gaming experience at the Nexus gaming hub in Johannesburg. Photo by Gypseenia Lion.</div>
“You have kids who are brilliant in sport but do not understand life. You can’t get on the stage and swear at somebody. You are representing a company. We get taught that in sports – how to handle the media, how to speak and how to navigate different spaces. There are a lot of them stuck in a room playing games, they don’t get the interaction between people. But that is changing now. The more professional the teams get, the more professional the players become. If I can bring a little bit of the rugby professionalism into eSports by showing them how the professional set up actually runs…If you are part of a team you represent something. There is a bit of professional etiquette that comes with it,” he says.
Reflecting on how much he misses his former rugby teammates, he adds: “If you don’t respect your team, they will not work with you. It doesn’t matter how good you are.
You may be the best scorer, but you will lose. You will eventually get kicked out of the team because you are just not a good player. It is about the team. They are like a family; they know everything about each other.”
Kankowski, who like his father spends most of his time gaming, enjoys playing mystery and adventure games. Amongst his favorites are PlayerUnknown’s Battlegrounds, an online multi-player battle game and Dishonored: Death of the Outsider, an action-adventure stealth video game.
So whether you are spending endless hours in front of the computer or sweating it off in the sun, the principles of sportsmanship remains the same.
Take this from a national rugby player who keeps it professional on and off the field.

Ryan

No Play Like E-Play For Former Springbok Rugby Player

It was never going to be a normal night. I remember my friend getting his South African rugby cap autographed by Springbok wing James Small just before our shift, among the bottles, glasses and bustle of a Johannesburg restaurant, started. A few hours earlier, South Africa won the Rugby World Cup for the first time, beating New Zealand’s All Blacks in the final and sparking a massive party around the country. The players were in a party mood as well and decided to have some drinks where I worked. It was a memorable night and something that was only possible before professionalism gripped rugby.
I was in my second year of studying graphic design, and paying it off by working as a waiter at one of the busiest restaurants in Johannesburg. Storyville was reputed for its Cajun cuisine, celebrities and a dance floor that often only died down when the kitchen started serving breakfast. I always wanted to be the barman because they earned around three times as much as the waiters.
The crowds poured in, most of them already drunk from celebrating the Springbok victory, making it difficult to navigate from the bar to the balcony.
I remember the piercing shrieks of the fans as Small and his Springbok teammate Kobus Wiese arrived at the club. They arrived with a handful of the All Black players they had just beaten, including Jonah Lomu, Zinzan Brooke and Sean Fitzpatrick. After some high fives and handshakes, they disappeared into the heaving mass of revellers.
Around a week before, I saw Lomu having lunch with a young blonde girl at a restaurant next door. I was told that he met a South African girl and fallen madly in love with her. I remember thinking it was quite rock ‘n roll of him. The New Zealander, then, seemed like a blissful giant with a delicate flower in his hands. But now Lomu was talking to another colossus, the two-meter-tall Wiese, at the end of the bar. It seemed like they were reliving the intense battle they shared hours before at Ellis Park, a 20-minute drive away.
The club was heaving, it was almost impossible to make your way towards the exit. I went through the kitchen to the back for a cigarette when one of the managers asked me to help behind the bar. Finally, I had my chance. I flicked my smoke away and ran in to help. Small decided he would help as well. He jumped behind the bar, took his shirt off and haphazardly served drinks to the ladies.
Behind the bar, the sludge from spilled drinks soaked my feet while broken glass was piling up in a corner. Smoke was thick in the air and the bar was bursting with thirsty customers.
I had a searing headache and was trying to think straight while looking at a slip that a waiter had given me. I felt like I was forgetting something but I was distracted by something in the corner of my eye. I looked across the bar – Fitzpatrick, the All Black captain, was dancing on a table to a Michael Jackson song, attracting the attention of all the ladies. I still, however, had a nagging feeling that I was forgetting something.
I decided to escape the chaos and made my way to the kitchen when a hand grabbed my shirt and dragged me back. I could feel the short, prickly hairs of his fingers on the back of my neck. I am a big guy, but the sheer strength of my assailant made me feel helpless. It was Brooke, the gigantic All Black, reaching from the corner of the bar.
I suddenly remembered him ordering a fruit juice a while ago. Still clutching my shirt, he brought his large head close to my ear and explained sternly that, although he was a patient man, he was concerned that he had to wait 20 minutes for a juice. The calmness on his face was more frightening than the wrath he was capable of unleashing. I wriggled out of his grasp and said that the orange juice was coming while slowly moving away from him. As I looked for a glass, he grabbed me again. “One mango juice, please,” he said from his unsmiling mouth.
That’s when I learned not to mess with an All Black, especially when thirsty after they’ve lost the most important match of their life.

Never Turn Your Back On A Thirsty All Black

In March, I was assigned to the Four Nations Challenge, a basketball tournament at the Wembley Sports Arena, Johannesburg, South Africa. Winter had started early, so I wore my favorite Springbok rugby jacket. Back home, in the Eastern Cape, we wore scarves and jackets to rugby stadiums on rainy winter days. Rugby is in our blood. I passed my first rugby ball at the age of five.
At the Wembley Arena, I met Carey Odhiambo, the coach of Kenya’s basketball team. Odhiambo liked my green and gold jacket; he spoke of Springbok success and doing Africa proud. At the time, South Africa’s rugby team, the Springboks, were ranked second in the world , but are now fifth – an all-time low.
My acquaintance from East Africa, where rugby is still amateur, couldn’t care less about how many black and white players were in the team, until I raised the point. The Springboks are a far cry from representing the demographics of our population. But, Odhiambo didn’t mind, as long as the team was winning. Interestingly, Odhiambo’s basketball team was the antithesis of the Springboks: all his players were black. On the other hand, the Boks seem like a European team dotted with one or two African expatriates.
<div id="attachment_4128" style="width: 310px" class="wp-caption alignleft"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-4128" class="size-medium wp-image-4128" src="/wp-content/uploads/2017/04/GettyImages-473610208-300x239.jpg" alt="" width="300" height="239" />JOHANNESBURG, SOUTH AFRICA &#8211; MAY 16: Elton Jantjies of the Lions converts a penalty during the Super Rugby match between Emirates Lions and Brumbies at Emirates Airline Park on May 16, 2015 in Johannesburg, South Africa. (Photo by Duif du Toit/Gallo Images/Getty Images)</div>
Odhiambo was unaware that millions of blacks, like me, reluctantly support the Springboks because of this. But we smoked a peace pipe and exchanged jackets. Would that happen with a white South African compatriot?
South Africa has suffered from 500 years of colonialism, and apartheid, where opportunities were governed by racial privilege. Because of this history, almost everything in South Africa is a racial issue.
Let’s touch on where the Nelson Mandela Rainbow Nation farce began. In 1995, a year after the country’s first democratic elections, South Africa hosted its first Rugby World Cup and won it. On the day of the final, blacks and whites were behind the Springboks, that was all white save for one player, Chester Williams. We won the World Cup and hoped that talent from the townships would be nurtured.
A year after the World Cup, a new and unapologetically racist coach, Andre Markgraaff, was appointed and went on to win eight and lose five test matches before resigning. Markgraaff was taped referring to black rugby officials as kaffirs, a gaffe he profusely apologized for. He did not select a single black player in his year as coach. In 1997, an inexperienced Carel du Plessis took over. Of his eight matches, Du Plessis won three. Not a single black player was involved in that mediocre record, resulting in Du Plessis getting the boot.
It took a third coach, Nick Mallet, to at least select six black players in three years. Mallet, who took the team to the World Cup in 1999, won 27 and lost 11; between 1997 and 2000. Between 2000 and 2003, little happened under Harry Viljoen and Rudolph Straeuli.
<div id="attachment_4126" style="width: 221px" class="wp-caption alignleft"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-4126" class="size-medium wp-image-4126" src="/wp-content/uploads/2017/04/000_APP1999100536076-211x300.jpg" alt="" width="211" height="300" />South African centre Kaya Malotana runs with the ball during a training session at the Goldenacre rugby stadium in Edinburgh, 05 October 1999. (ELECTRONIC IMAGE)</div>
The Springboks won a second World Cup under Jake White in 2007. Under White, they won 36 of their 54 matches and 23 black players were selected in four years. The transformation work done by White, and his successor Peter de Villiers, who saw 21 black players earning Bok caps between 2008 and 2011, was commendable. Sadly, the incumbent Heyneke Meyer is undoing this.
Meyer has been the coach since 2012 and is in charge of the Springboks at the World Cup in England this year. It’s not guaranteed he will win, or even reach the quarterfinals, at the World Cup based on the recent lacklustre performances. In the five games leading up to the World Cup, Meyer lost to Argentina for the first time in the country’s history in August. The team’s world ranking is its lowest since 1996.
Meyer is spoilt for choice when it comes to talented black players. Yet he chose to overlook them and picked white players who are older than 30 instead.
A case in point is Jean de Villiers, the captain who has served the Springboks well since 2012. But, the 34-year-old center is laden with injuries and has lost his pace. Meyer’s patience with De Villiers cannot be justified on the grounds that there’s a dearth of capable centers. This is one in the eye for the 26-year-old utility back, Lionel Mapoe, from Port Elizabeth in the Eastern Cape, who had a brilliant Super Rugby tournament with the Golden Lions. Despite coming through the ranks, he has played only one test, against New Zealand, in July.
Elton Jantjies is another case. He has played twice for Springboks and was the best South African flyhalf in Super Rugby. His sin is being black. Meyer has shown no interest in picking him, instead favoring the white players, Pat Lambie and Handre Pollard. Statistically, Jantjies had a better Super Rugby than them.
The South African Rugby Union (Saru), the toothless governing body, and the sport ministry, has given Meyer so much carte blanche that he thinks he is doing the right thing.
<div id="attachment_4127" style="width: 210px" class="wp-caption alignleft"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-4127" class="size-medium wp-image-4127" src="/wp-content/uploads/2017/04/000_Par8238225-200x300.jpg" alt="" width="200" height="300" />South African Springboks center Lionel Mapoe stands during the National anthem ahead of a Rugby Championship Rugby union match against New Zealand All Blacks on July 25, 2015 in Johannesburg. AFP PHOTO / MUJAHID SAFODIEN</div>
To rub salt into the wound, Saru has extended the deadline for transformation. Saru’s target for 2019 is for a 50% white, 30% black and 20% colored representation of Springboks and domestic Currie Cup teams.
Kaya Malotana, selected by Mallett in 1999, was the first black African Springbok. The 38-year-old director of coaching at Alberton Rugby Club, near Johannesburg, bemoans a lack of will. The Eastern Cape winger, from the small town of Lady Frere, earned one cap for the Springboks.
“The problem with doing things when under pressure is that you set unrealistic targets. Fifty percent black and colored representation is setting everybody up for failure because not enough players of color are being selected in Super Rugby. People will turn around and say, ‘these black players have compromised the quality of the Springbok team,’” says Malotana.
I want to demystify the notion that people who question transformation in South African rugby are not supporters. This is not true. During the World Cup, black people will put their differences aside and don their green and gold regalia and support the Springboks. Dee

Why I Support My Country With A Heavy Heart

South Africa’s national rugby team are the pace-setters of the game on the continent. They are physically imposing, tactically uncompromising and all-round fearsome. And that is only the men.
The Springboks have taken home two World Cups and advanced out of the group stage at every World Cup they have participated in. Their female counterparts have not been quite as successful in trophy terms but in October, will turn out at their third consecutive World Cup. They will be the only African team in attendance and are serious about representing the continent better than ever before.
In 2006, the Springbok women did not win any of their five matches and finished 12th. Four years later, despite suffering hefty defeats to New Zealand and Australia, they beat Wales twice to end in ninth position. This time, they are targeting the quarterfinals.
“I believe we have the resources to achieve this,” says Mandisa Williams, the captain of the women’s team.
Since the last time the squad competed at a global event, the way their sport is run has changed for the better. In January, the South African Rugby Union (SARU) contracted 15 female players for the first time in its history. The contracts run from five to 12 months. In February, they appointed former Springbok prop Lawrence Sephaka as coach and in March, they unveiled an extensive plan to prepare the team for the World Cup.
South Africa named a strong 26-woman squad for the World Cup which included seven players who turned out at the 2010 tournament and four who played both then and in 2006. In preparation for this month’s competition, they held a training in camp in Pretoria in June and traveled to London and France for warm-up matches. All those measures have been put in place to make sure they are as ready as they can be.
“A lot of effort has been put into our preparation for this World Cup. We have had help from world-class coaches such as former Springbok flyhalf Louis Koen, former French prop Pieter de Villiers, highly-rated defence coach Jacques Nienaber and forward specialist Chean Roux, who have been working closely with us to improve our skills and technique,” says Williams.
<img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="size-medium wp-image-29531" src="http://www.forbesafrica.com/app/uploads/2017/05/TL_1117021-200x300.jpg" alt="" width="200" height="300" srcset="https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/05/TL_1117021-200x300.jpg 200w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/05/TL_1117021-300x450.jpg 300w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/05/TL_1117021-600x900.jpg 600w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/05/TL_1117021-768x1152.jpg 768w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/05/TL_1117021-683x1024.jpg 683w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/05/TL_1117021.jpg 682w" sizes="(max-width: 200px) 100vw, 200px" />
The specialist coaching is an attempt to bridge the gap between South Africa and the rest, especially European and Australasian sides who have had a head start in developing women’s rugby.
“They have a regular international window in which they compete with other sides and some of those countries introduce women’s rugby as early as school level,” says coach Sephaka.
If the same could happen in South Africa, Williams believes the women’s game would grow even more. “South Africa needs to adopt structures where we have school and club leagues and where female teachers or coaches are empowered and monitored regularly because in the future we will need women to coach women,” says Williams.
While South Africa are at the point where they can examine their grassroots structures, other African countries can barely support a national team. “Unfortunately most other African countries are still far behind in terms of their women’s rugby teams, which is a huge crisis,” says Williams.
Uganda and Kenya are the other two sides that were in contention for the World Cup but neither came close to qualifying. Uganda beat Kenya to reach a playoff with South Africa and it was then that the stark differences between them and the Springboks emerged. While South Africa readied for the match with a tour to Colorado, in which they played women’s university teams, the Ugandan women had to prepare by competing against men’s club teams in their own country.
Red Pepper newspaper reported that Uganda’s training suffered because of lack of finances. “Uganda Rugby Union is broke and cannot afford to pay for other teams to come to Uganda for build up matches, neither can they finance the teams’ preparations to Europe,” wrote Stephen Muneza in an article in July 2013.
The match took place in September, and South Africa won 63-3 but Williams believed the margin was harsh on Uganda.
“Uganda has really improved as a team in the last five years. They have players willing to put their bodies on the line during matches and they have a fantastic fighting spirit. Uganda can easily destruct opponents’ style of play,” says Williams.
Uganda’s women’s rugby, like women’s sporting codes throughout the continent, faces more than just monetary challenges but also ones that stem from lack of publicity
and awareness.
“Female sporting codes across the board face the same challenges. We do not receive a lot of recognition and support and we do not play matches as regularly as we would like to. Women’s rugby events are also not televized often, so it makes it tough to attract more women to participate in the sport,” says Williams.
However, incentives to play rugby are growing. Not only is the World Cup a regular feature but in 2016, women’s rugby will be played at the Olympic Games. Africa would love to have some of its teams represented there.

Elite Womens Springboks Sevens team media open day

Springbok Women  Step It Up For Big Game

It is Wednesday morning and the big man is 20 minutes late for our rendezvous at an upmarket restaurant in Sandton City, Johannesburg. At 1.7 meters tall and 105 kilograms, you can’t miss him as he arrives. This is Chiliboy Ralepelle, one of the hottest properties of the rugby world.
Springbok hooker Ralepelle grins at the FORBES AFRICA crew as I wave, we shake hands as he apologizes for his tardiness.
“Sorry guys, I have miscalculated my time. These days I am a bit slow because of the back injury,” he explains.
Ralepelle inherited the nickname Chiliboy from his great-grandfather, a farm laborer famed for growing chilis. His given name is Mahlatse.
Ralepelle missed two international test matches against Argentina after he injured his back in the gym. The Springboks won 73-13 in the first encounter.
“I would have loved to have been part of that feast,” he says.
It is a sad reality that Ralepelle and half of the South African national team will soon no longer be feasting in Africa, after Japanese, Australian and European clubs lured 22 players abroad.
Among the Springboks that will be missed at home in 2014 are Ralepelle, Zane Kirchner, Bryan Habana, Andries Bekker, Wynand Olivier, JP Pietersen, Heinrich BrÜssow, Meyer Bosman and Mornè Steyn.
All are expected to double, or even triple, their earnings. South Africa’s big spenders, the Stormers and the Blue Bulls, cannot compete.
Most of these players will be claimed by Top 14 clubs in France. According to French newspaper, Le Journal du Dimanche, 30-year-old winger Habana, is the third highest paid player in France, taking $66,000 per month. Habana&#8217;s Toulon teammate Jonny Wilkinson is the highest earner with $74,000, followed by Racing Metro&#8217;s Jonathan Sexton on $68,000.
The 27-year-old Ralepelle will double his earnings in France and Toulouse will also pay for his accommodation and car.
However, it is more than mere money that led Ralepelle to break his decade-long stint with the Blue Bulls to join Toulouse for the next three years.
“Toulouse is one of the most successful clubs in the world. It is a privilege to be part of such a prestigious and unified team. I will be able to improve certain aspects of my game there. I fell in love with Toulouse when I spent time training with the team, and realized that was what I wanted for my rugby career,” says Ralepelle.
In France, Ralepelle, an avid FORBES AFRICA reader, will follow his entrepreneurial spirit. He says that while the rest of his teammates listen to music on flights, he reads the magazine for business inspiration.
“I can’t really say I am the jack of all trades. I am young and I need a feel for everything before deciding what kind of business will be good for me. I am currently involved in mining and construction and I have a few properties,” he says.
With a keen interest in business, Ralepelle naturally has some thoughts on how South African rugby should be run.
“South African rugby is professional, but not as professional as it should be. The clubs are not as successful as overseas clubs. They need to be privatized like our Premier Soccer League. The soccer league has been attracting international players because of its success. I think individual business people can run our rugby better,” he says.
Ralepelle, who is learning French, will be joined at Toulouse by Blue Bulls teammates GurthrÖ Steenkamp and Jano Vermaak, as well as his younger brother Ngoako, who has signed a three-year contract with the club’s academy.
The first black Springbok captain says he won’t lodge with his 19-year-old brother, who played as a flanker for the Blue Bulls academy.
“I advised him to stay with the academy so that he can focus more on his own game and studies.”
Ralepelle dispels the talk that Ngoako rode into Toulouse on the family name. He does not, however, deny having a discussion with Toulouse management about his brother.
“Ngoako went through trials and was successful because the talent scouts liked what they saw. Two to three years there and he could be a Frenchman,” says Ralepelle.
“Politics in rugby in South Africa makes life very tough. It’s not for the faint-hearted. He is not as strong as I am, I won’t allow him to go through the same struggle I had experienced in my career. As the elder brother I wanted the best for him,” he adds.
Across racial lines Ralepelle’s rugby career has been criticized, with some referring to him as a quota player who was only selected for the national team because of his race.
Ralepelle was born in Hazyview, in northern South Africa, was raised by his soccer playing father Peter.
“Before my dad could turn professional, he had an injury as he was preparing for Orlando Pirates trials. As we grew up we all played street soccer with friends. My position was left back,” he says.
Ralepelle fell in love with rugby at Pretoria Boys High and soon realized he was good at it.
“I broke away from the family [soccer] tradition to play rugby, but that was the hardest thing to accept for my parents. My mum thought the sport was very aggressive.”
At 16, Ralepelle started training with the Blue Bulls. At the same age, Ralepelle played at the Under-18 Craven Week in 2002. He was the youngest player in the tournament.
“It was the blessings of the man upstairs and a bit of luck, I got a surprise call to join the Under-18s Craven Week squad, three hookers were injured and I was pulled out of the Under-16 team. My junior rugby was great, free of injuries. It was the most amazing time. I was voted the world rugby junior player of the year when I played for the Baby Boks.”
Four years later, Ralepelle was playing Super Rugby and had earned his Springbok colors. He also captained the Baby Boks to the Under-21 world title that season.
Under World Cup-winning coach Jake White, Ralepelle became the youngest Springbok to play against the World XV in 2008.
A spate of injuries then threatened his career, but he came back strongly in the 2011 Super Rugby competition and earned a place in the World Cup squad.
There is talk that the present national coach, Heyneke Meyer, dislikes Ralepelle. Since Meyer took over, Ralepelle has seen little game time. But Ralepelle would not be drawn on the issue.
“With Heyneke, we have an open book relationship. I understand he can’t please everyone, including me. When I get a chance, I have to play very hard and hope to impress the coach.”
He has much to look forward to.
“My focus and energy is with rugby now, but I have some business interests on the side that I will have to pursue when I am done with the sport. I want to enjoy my rugby at Toulouse and be the best I can be. Keep focussed,” says Ralepelle.
So, the harsh European winter awaits one of the most powerful rugby players Africa has produced. If the going gets tough, at least he has his own flesh and blood, Ngoako, close at hand for a chat.
And who knows, with Chiliboy’s guidance, Ngaoko could be playing for France at the 2019 World Cup.

Tag: Springbok

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