Bok doccie ‘Chasing the Sun’: When dropping the F-bomb works a charm

I couldn’t help noting the number of South Africans who were appalled with the excessive use of foul language during the course of the recently screened five-part epic Springbok World Cup documentary “Chasing the Sun”.

While nobody disputed the fact it was an inspirational story of a remarkable group of people, some felt the levels of obscenity in the dressing room and team room environment, may have been a touch unpalatable.

Having covered many cricket and rugby youth weeks, I became quite close to a number of youth coaches and education professionals.

One such individual, a career educator, coach and school sports authority, asked in a social media post whether he was “overly fuddy-duddy to be disappointed in the excessive use of foul language in the (Springbok) camp.”

He said it was his belief that rugby is a game that developed character and his belief that good people should get the success they deserve, had been shaken.

He went on to ask whether he was just being an “over-sensitive old-fart.”

Another mate, who is now very involved in youth coaching and development in Australia, admitted using the odd word, but the stream of obscenities had taken him by surprise.

But what triggered my typing fingers was when a respected colleague of mine expressed his displeasure by stating: “Grating and detracts from the inspirational story being told. Like bad behaviour on a cricket field, this tends to be imitated, which is worrying in this context.”

Yes, I’m sure the odd undesirable words have been dropped in a school sports dressing room, but it is surely not a common behavioural trend. But I can tell you with a degree of certainty, in elite sport, it is.

The burning question for me is whether the documentary would have been any less a positive experience without the foul language? Personally, it didn’t affect me.

A simple “bleep” might have been appropriate, but, having watched many similar documentaries, this is a trend that is common in most elite sporting teams and dressing rooms worldwide.

The beef, if any, should perhaps be with the production company who chose to capture the raw emotion of the team and the passion and desire, by not censoring foul language.

I did make a point of noting that three of the five episodes did carry a “16” rating with a very clear “strong language” warning.

The producers obviously sought to capture the raw emotions, the highs and the lows, and they did! – that is why it is called Reality TV.

Effective or not, it (unsavoury language) is used as a major motivational tool to fuel emotions and has forever and a day been a form of personal engagement and man-management.

Admittedly, I even find myself sometimes dropping an F-bomb when I try pump myself up for something, but certainly not as a habit.

What was important is, as Bok captain Siya Kolisi put it: “The Boks were a united team, stronger than ever together.”

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