Smart and stylish Boks out to knock ‘em dead

I can see it now… an ad on the smalls pages of the Pretoria News, somewhere near the one placed by the Blue Bulls company advertising run-down and shop-soiled rugby players for sale. “J-9’s second hand Springbok kit – fantastic bargains.”

The thought came to me on Sunday as I watched the biggest Springbok touring team in history being kitted out to go on tour to Argentina, Ireland, England and Wales.

One thing’s for sure, I thought, Sarfu are not in the rugby business; they’re in the clothing business.

If someone like Joost van der Westhuizen (the J-9 of my intro), who’s had more coaches than track suits, had kept all his kit since 1993 he would by now be able to start up a pretty nifty little second-hand clothing store dealing in green-and-gold cast-offs.

In fact, if the stories about the frugality of South Africa’s other long-standing Springbok, Mark Andrews, are true I wouldn’t be surprised if just such a little farm stall is on the brink of being opened down Elliott way.

The Springboks, old and new, were in good spirits as they reported to their Johannesburg home-from-home, the Holiday Inn Crowne Plaza in Grayston Avenue, and why not… it was like Christmas coming two months early with two conference rooms given over to setting out the various items of kit to be collected by players, physios, doctors, coaches and managers.

Just the other day I bumped into Kevin de Klerk at Supersport and he recalled the good old days – all the way back to 1980! – when players were not allowed to swop their match jerseys until the last test of the series, got by on one pair of boots a season and received as a daily allowance of R1.87 – I’m not sure it was exactly that but given the nature of rugby administration it would have been something equally ridiculous.

Contrast this with the modern Boks.

This is what they loaded up with yesterday. 1 Tour Bag. 1 Kit bag. 1 Ruck sack.

Into these were stuffed. 4 training shorts, 4 pairs training socks, four training jerseys, 8 T-shirts (long and short sleeved), 10 pairs of tennis socks, 1 official Nike/Castle Lager tracksuit, 1 rain suit, 1 tour “bomber” jacket, 1 fleece sweater, 3 short-sleeved golf shirts, 1 long-sleeved golf shirt, 2 caps, 1 beanie, 2 waterproof training shorts and 1 windproof vest.

The latter items have been added through experience of touring the northern hemisphere. Water proof training shorts do not cling, prevent chafing and dry quickly while the windproof vest is an aid to keep heat in and the wind chill factor out.

Some players – hell, probably all – also required new boots and running shoes while in a separate room the long-serving, ultra-patient and even-tempered baggage master Ampie le Roux saw to the actual playing kit… embroidered jerseys, shorts, kicking tees, spare gum shields and, most important, the green and gold velvet caps that will be used to officially cap those playing their first matches on tour.

Impressive? Wait, that’s not all. That takes care of Nike.

In another room Sarfu’s operations manager Steve Roos, who is probably the union’s longest serving staff member, was literally sweating as he laid out the team’s formal and casual wear supplied by Woolworths.

Every space on the floor was strewn with little piles of garments in smart rigid suitcases… and not a pack of Woollies’ “Boots and All” biltong in sight! Just as well it was me and not Darren on this assignment.

One Springbok blazer. 1 Pair formal slacks. 1 Very elegant charcoal casual suit. 2 formal shirts (dark grey, very fashionable). 2 Casual shirts. 1 Denim shirt. 1 pair jeans (black, very fashionable). 2 x Chinos. 1 x belt. 1 x casual shoes. 1 pair shiny black ankle-height boots (very fashionable) and various other little bits and pieces of apparel.

And why not say I. These are our boys and why shouldn’t the look good while also getting nice and strong lugging all that baggage around!

It was easy to distinguish between new and old Springboks. The new boys were like kids getting ice cream at a party while the old hands had seen it all before and made sure they checked the sizes of their garments.

Ironically coach Harry Viljoen is a new boy and he looked decidedly sheepish getting his hands on the Springbok clobber that would surely have been his had it not been for isolation.

Japie Mulder, rapidly on the mend following his rib muscle injury, was happy to be there – and it showed – and the Western Province contingent, arriving in drips and drabs from Durban, looked like cats who had got the cream…which, of course, they had.

Here’s hoping they’re all still smiling after running into the Pumas in Buenos Aires in 12 days time.