NOTHING SIGNIFIES THE arrival of pure Springbok beef like their teak-tough names. This weekend alone they have a Marcel Coetzee, a Duane Vermeulen and a lad called The Beast.
The arrival of such epic monikers got us thinking of some of the classic Springbok names and we put together our all-time favourite South African XV based solely on how they sound when rolling of our tongues.
15. Stefan Terblanche
Ahhhhh… say it with me now – Terblanche. It sounds exactly like how a South African fullback should sound. Just look how much panache Eddie Butler delivers the name with here.
I’m not up to date on how South African’s name their children, but ol’ De Wet’s parents must have been suffering from Springbok meat induced psychosis when they named the former Harlequins centre.
Marius is just one in a long line of Springbok Jouberts and anyone who has ever played Jonah Lomu Rugby will remember Bill McClaren’s delivery of ‘Jouberrrrrr’.
What makes this name up there with the best, is that if you go in cold, you could pronounce it about five or six ways.
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I’m ashamed to say that as a young rugby fan I butchered it with ‘Gaffy Do Toy-t’.
11. Lwazi Mvovo
Associated Press
Associated Press
Mvovo is still playing but makes the team because of how much fun it is to elongate his name to ‘Mmmmmmvovo’.
10. Jannie De Beer
He scored five drop goals against England in the 1999 World Cup quarter-final but if the first thing you picture when you hear his name isn’t an ice cold lager then you are a LIAR.
An all-time great rugby player who unfortunately is seriously ill at the moment with motor neurons disease. We wish him all the best.
1. Os du Randt
PA WIRE
PA WIRE
Os beat off stiff competition from Tendai ‘The Beast’ Mtawarira but seniority pays off in this selection and the two-time World Cup winner gets the nod for having three separate words in his name, which is very lucrative.
2. Chiliboy Ralepelle
Ryan Wilkisky
Ryan Wilkisky
What can you say about this name? I’ll leave it at unusual.
3. Gurthro Steenkamp
Barry Aldworth
Barry Aldworth
Big Gurthro is being moved to tighthead because he has such an imposing name. He even sounds like a giant, and then you see him and your suspicions are confirmed.
4. Bakkies Botha
DAVID ROWLAND
DAVID ROWLAND
You couldn’t have a South African name XV without including the man whose name and style embody what it means to be a South African forward.
A man named Bakkies would have his own seven minute fight compilation.
This could be the best name of the lot. Have thousands of Irish student revelers traveled the world because of an international exchange initiative named for this flanker? Nobody can know for sure, but the answer has to be yes.
7. Schalk Burger
This name is almost as tough as he is although I doubt a name could do this to Luke Fitzgerald.
From De Wet Barry to Os du Randt: An all-time XV of majestic South African names
NOTHING SIGNIFIES THE arrival of pure Springbok beef like their teak-tough names. This weekend alone they have a Marcel Coetzee, a Duane Vermeulen and a lad called The Beast.
The arrival of such epic monikers got us thinking of some of the classic Springbok names and we put together our all-time favourite South African XV based solely on how they sound when rolling of our tongues.
15. Stefan Terblanche
Ahhhhh… say it with me now – Terblanche. It sounds exactly like how a South African fullback should sound. Just look how much panache Eddie Butler delivers the name with here.
14. De Wet Barry
I’m not up to date on how South African’s name their children, but ol’ De Wet’s parents must have been suffering from Springbok meat induced psychosis when they named the former Harlequins centre.
13. Marius Joubert
Marius is just one in a long line of Springbok Jouberts and anyone who has ever played Jonah Lomu Rugby will remember Bill McClaren’s delivery of ‘Jouberrrrrr’.
This commentator makes a good go of it too.
12. Gaffie Du Toit
What makes this name up there with the best, is that if you go in cold, you could pronounce it about five or six ways.
I’m ashamed to say that as a young rugby fan I butchered it with ‘Gaffy Do Toy-t’.
11. Lwazi Mvovo
Mvovo is still playing but makes the team because of how much fun it is to elongate his name to ‘Mmmmmmvovo’.
10. Jannie De Beer
He scored five drop goals against England in the 1999 World Cup quarter-final but if the first thing you picture when you hear his name isn’t an ice cold lager then you are a LIAR.
9. Joost van der Westhuizen
An all-time great rugby player who unfortunately is seriously ill at the moment with motor neurons disease. We wish him all the best.
1. Os du Randt
Os beat off stiff competition from Tendai ‘The Beast’ Mtawarira but seniority pays off in this selection and the two-time World Cup winner gets the nod for having three separate words in his name, which is very lucrative.
2. Chiliboy Ralepelle
What can you say about this name? I’ll leave it at unusual.
3. Gurthro Steenkamp
Big Gurthro is being moved to tighthead because he has such an imposing name. He even sounds like a giant, and then you see him and your suspicions are confirmed.
4. Bakkies Botha
You couldn’t have a South African name XV without including the man whose name and style embody what it means to be a South African forward.
A man named Bakkies would have his own seven minute fight compilation.
5. Lodewyk de Jager
De Jager has only played seven times for South Africa but with such a Springbokian name he is sure to get at least 150 caps.
6. Rassie Erasmus
This could be the best name of the lot. Have thousands of Irish student revelers traveled the world because of an international exchange initiative named for this flanker? Nobody can know for sure, but the answer has to be yes.
7. Schalk Burger
This name is almost as tough as he is although I doubt a name could do this to Luke Fitzgerald.
8. Ryan Kankowski
Ryan completes the XV because of the Springbok twist (Can-cough-ski) he puts on what should be a standard pronunciation.
What is your favourite Springbok name of all-time?
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