Go Bokke!!

It's World Cup time and our Boks are hard at work in New Zealand, hoping (together with the entire nation) to bring the cup home..........again!! To date, we have played three games, and won all three, one very convincingly against Namibia (87-0) and one only just against Wales (17-16, eish!) So, at the moment, it is not impossible to imagine us winning the final on October 23 in Auckland. However, between now and then there is a huge amount of rugby to be played, beer to be consumed and bets to be made. I was watching the game this morning against Namibia and suddenly the picture squeezed into the corner while an advertisement for deodorant appeared with the endorsement 'Official deodorant of the Springboks' and a few of our brave lads holding the ball. That made me chuckle, honestly. I can understand beer and cars and even airlines being fairly official, but deodorant? Does it make a difference in the scrum when a face is buried under an armpit to suddenly think 'I hope my deodorant is working!'? And where does it stop? Half our team is held together with bandages and electrical tape, I wonder if the words 'Official sponsor of electrical tape to the Springboks' will be added to the packaging?

Our team by Denese Lups/Rugby 15

Apart from the actual game, I love to look at the crowd, to see the green wigs, the painted flags on faces, our beautiful National flag waved with pride and to hear the cheers as the teams run onto the field. I sing along to our anthem (yes, I know all the words) but I absolutely abhor the boo-ing that has marred so many games recently. I laugh at some of the posters that people hold up 'HELLO MUM' with an arrow pointing down, or 'DON'T TELL MY BOSS, I SHOULD BE AT WORK'. I really love the Makaraba, or painted fan hard hats that are uniquely South African and made to order. Apparently the name is the township slang for the safety hats, originally worn at soccer matches to protect heads from flying bottles!
Have a look at http://www.makaraba.co.za./

A bespoke Makaraba

I think we all have our favourite players, I know I certainly do! Schalk Burger, Bismarck du Plessis and Morne Steyn are my top three, but I love Tendai Mtawarira too and join the crowd to shout 'Beast' every time he touches the ball or makes a tackle. I think I would simply hand the ball over rather than have that amount of flesh tackle me!

A 'supporter' at Fairview Wine Est

So, for the next month I shall abandon the housework (again) and leave the garden to do whatever it wants, and fling myself couchwise to cheer and curse and shout at the ref and eat biltong and droe wors like a good Bok supporter! And mutter to Rob 'What on earth are we going to watch when this is over?', just like I did after the Soccer World Cup, Wimbledon, Tri Nations, Curry Cup.............................