Yes, it is official, I have been diagnosed with a fever that will probably last for the next seven weeks, and the intensity of that will be highly influenced whenever the word ‘rugby’ is used.
You guessed it – I , like most of my fellow South Africans – am suffering from Rugby World Cup Fever. And, as most of you know, there is absolutely no medicine for this, but the good news is, it will definitely be cured after 2 November, when the new World Champions are crowned.
I am sure that many of our loyal readers have, by now, realised that I am a huge fan of sport, especially when it comes to rugby and cricket (words like fanatic and crazy have been used to describe me before!). So, needless to say, my excitement levels are quite high, as the opening match kicked off on 20 September.
It might sound clichéd, but I really believe that rugby unites us all, and I will probably never forget that moment when Francois Pienaar lifted the trophy after the 1995 final against the All Blacks, saying, “We didn’t have the support of 63 000 South Africans today, we had the support of 42 million South Africans.” I was so proud to know that I was one of these supporters.
I have always been a very staunch and loyal South African Rugby (or if you like, Springbok) supporter, no matter what. I have been known to claim that when cut, I bleed green and gold. And, yes, I know, I will receive quite a bit of backlash on this statement, but I am standing squarely behind my team, backing them to make me proud.
I love seeing the support being shown to our National team by all; from the little one waving a South African flag to the company who decided to make a huge billboard with the words, ‘Go Bokke!’ on it next to the highway. The camaraderie and excitement shared by every South African is infectious, and I am hoping that you will also be sharing in this fever.
In an attempt to create a bit of hype (and some (un)healthy competition between colleagues) around this huge tournament, we started a Superbru pool at the office, with everyone eagerly participating.
How are you celebrating the World Cup? Share your thoughts with me on roodepoortrecord@caxton.co.za.
