This month SLOW has been playing a tough match of its own — our latest Springbok video. But we crossed the try line (read to the end, you might win too with Veldskoen!).

From this editor’s heart to yours, our latest SLOW video feature covers a vast expanse of everything surrounding the game we love. How it emerged from slapstick comedy, became a phenomenon of influence and got a cultural reset.

We become obsessed about South African’s Springbok obsession

Beyond and behind the game is bouquet of products, cottage industries (and that includes Checkers Milk Tart!) and more. 

It’s not just an 80 minute match. 

Ever since 1995 rugby has become a cultural phenomenon in South Africa. But where did rugby start for us? What was the significance of Madiba’s support for the team decades ago? And how did the reset coach Rassie Erasmus brought to the locker room in 2018 influence not only the team, and not only the supporters, but also an entire nation?

This video is not about the game, the players or even what’s happening right now in France at the Rugby World Cup (we’ll leave that up to the rugby boykies from SuperSport). 

But this video is a cultural deep-dive. A look at why rugby has such a tight grip on the psyche of South Africans. We go back to the beginning of rugby — how it arrived on our shores — and even further back to ancient Greece, right through to today.

Still wondering why this video nearly killed us? Let’s just sum it up with a dead laptop (coffee poisoning), Cape Town’s buckets of rain (which limited our time to shoot) and a slew of other technical headaches. 

But from our yellow desk to your screen, this one’s for you South Africa.

Win Springbok Veldskoen

Want to win a pair of Springbok Veldskoen, plus a bonus pair for your bokkie?

To enter, visit winwithveldskoen.com.

The competition runs from 21 September to 1 October, the winner will be announced 2 October.

Veldskoen, the sole of South Africa, has a wide range of shoes (and other products available), and their Springbok Veldskoen is the Official Supporters’ Shoe of the Springboks!