Tag: rugby

SA Rugby Quiz Book makes ideal Xmas gift

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First off, this isn’t a sponsored post. No money or goods have exchanged hands.
It’s just that when you look at nature, you see that organisms helping each other out generally seem to have a good time.
Lichen is a mix of fungus and algae, and covers 6% of the entire plant. Successful.
Ocellaris clownfish live in perfect harmony with protective Ritteri sea anemones. Pretty.
And in the microbiological world, beneficial mutualism is around every very tiny corner. Small.Fullscreen capture 2015-12-11 115934 AM.bmpNo. See, I know the author of this book (that’s one reason I know it’s going to be good) and I also know that some (or more) readers out there will be looking for a decent present for their (let’s face it, probably male, and therefore probably really difficult to buy for) family members.

As ever, I’m here to help.

Ex-journalist Pierre has been researching and writing his 1001 question long Springbok Rugby Quiz book for over 10 years. He has a scientific background, is a stickler for detail and has an immense passion for the sport, both as a participant and as an avid fan. It’s the perfect recipe for this sort of thing.
Oh, and he’s also led a pretty adventurous life.

I’m no expert on egg-chasing, even less so on the history of the South African game, but I’ve seen the book and I even managed to get one question correct (the answer was Kobus Wiese) from the approximately twenty I attempted. This 5% record might not seem impressive, but I was looking at the Afrikaans (rather than the English) version of the book, and any right answer when you first have to translate the question from a language you can’t actually speak is not to be sniffed at.

So – here’s what you need to know about the ordering the book:

  • It’s R250, all in. 
  • That includes it being signed by the author.
  • And it also includes delivery to any address in South Africa within 4 working days.
  • Ook, jy kan die boek in Engels of Afrikaans kry.
  • You can pay by credit card or EFT.

Ordering details here.

Again, I’m not on any affiliate deal or commission here. Just trying to help match you, the rugby quiz book needing customer, with Pierre, the rugby quiz book writing… writer.

Likewise, maybe you want to share this post with someone who needs to buy a Springbok rugby quiz book.
Symbiosis, see? We should all try it.

Brian’s Rugby World Cup Comment

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Busy though I am right now, I am still occasionally finding time to catch up with the stuff that I would normally catch up with. Regular readers will know that this includes Brian Micklethwait’s blog, and I rather enjoyed his recent take on the Rugby World Cup, replete as it was with this sort of observation:

…freed from the torture of hope, I find I am settling down to enjoy the rugby

Because yes, for the neutral, this has already been a great tournament. But the fact is that there aren’t many neutrals out there. Or rather, there weren’t. However, with England out, the pressure (for the English people, at least) is off and we can get down to the business of just enjoying the games for the sheer joy of it. Not that egg-chasing fills me with sheer joy, if I’m completely honest. I’ve only watched two games: Canada v Romania on the plane on the way over here (live TV on an aeroplane – what a time to be alive) and – as briefly documented on here – England’s dead rubber against the might of Uruguay.

But even though England are out, I might watch some more over the next three weeks because it will be good to watch – as Brian tells us:

We may be crap at playing these games, but we invented them all, and we have lots of great stadiums.
We know how to organise a game, even if we can no longer play it.

To be fair, I’m a little iffy on that last bit. One of the Tier 1 nations was going out of Pool A, and would Australia or Wales have been quite so ridiculed and vilified had it been them? Probably not.
When the Quarter Finals happen, and Tier 1 team A lose to Tier 1 Team B, will we all laugh at them too?
I doubt it.

Dat line

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The best bit of an otherwise forgettable weekend was probably watching the rugby on Saturday at the crumbling Newlands Stadium.

image
And while even the result of that was rather distressing, it was a good spectacle at times.

Take, for example, the arrow straightness of this Stormers defensive wall – aided by the try line – both of which were crossed soon after this photo was taken.

Scrappy rugby at the Stadium

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I took the boy along to the rugby at the stadium today. It was a friendly/exhibition match between Boland Kavaliers and the Stormers, ahead of their Super 15 season which starts next week.
The rugby was, at best, scrappy. The stadium was, as always, stunning. And perfectly suited for rugby.

imageThat said, beagle-eyed readers will note that the Kavaliers were the home side. That’s because WPRU could never play a(nother) home game away from Newlands: that would send out all the wrong messages like logic, common sense and progressiveness.

The team they sent was devoid of any big names and although they coasted home 45 points to 7 against the local version of the Tractor Boys, it was untidy and unconvincing throughout.
Still, it was a belter of a day and there was cold beer on offer, so all’s well that ends well, right?