Aside from Cedric Frolick, a member of Bhutana Khompela's risible Parliamentary Portfolio Committee For Interfering Needlessly In Sport, hauling out the racial make-up of the Springboks yesterday, this is wonderful week of rugby celebration in Cape Town, the city awash with a simple love of the game, and of the history and tradition that accompanies rugby's defining clash. The All Blacks and the Springboks have Cape Town abuzz, and yesterday was a vivid illustration therein.

I spent a couple of hours in the afternoon at Canal Walk with adidas, hosting an appearance and signing session with four of the All Blacks — Richard Kahui, Adam Thomson, Sitiveni Sivivatu and Sione Lauaki. (Lauaki shook my hand after the event; I reckon I might have feeling back in my arm by October.) South Africa's history has created a strong core of All Black support in the Cape in particular, but the level of that support was astonishing. The shopping centre was packed solid, and when the four players went on stage, the roar just about carried to Auckland.

The players couldn't quite believe the adulation, or the sea of black jerseys surging towards them, and line seething with passion and delight snaked across the stage. How hardcore were the fans? One woman wanted her arm autographed so she could get it turned in to a tattoo. Seriously. Even Lauaki, who's liberally splattered with ink, had to shake his head.

The issue of South Africans supporting New Zealand is an emotional one; whatever your leaning on the debate, yesterday's display of adoration for the All Blacks did underline just how big a game this will be on Saturday. But while support for New Zealand will be appreciable at Newlands, it's the Springboks who are at home, and who will command the majority of the crowd this weekend — and who looked full of intent at last night's Bell's Night of the Stars, the annual fundraising dinner for the Chris Burger Petro Jackson Fund at Grand West.

Every other table at the dinner got a famous former Springbok; ours got Tank Lanning, the celebrated Province prop forward and beer drinker, who I am now more convinced than ever is the illicit love child of Toks van der Linde and Al from Home Improvement. Toks's better half was there, in the form of Kobus Wiese — still clinging stubbornly to the belief he shares with Andre Pretorius that white men can pull off the MC Hammer/Fresh Prince box cut — and spoke with a wit and poise not usually associated with tight five forwards; a room drenched in current and former Springboks gave boisterous approval.

The former Boks were getting stuck into the party, led as usual by Rob Louw, riding a fine line between surfer chic and homeless person with his blonde mane; the current lot were far more demure, focus very clearly on a massive game this weekend. They walked into the room as a group, and no matter how much time you spend with them or get to know them, there's still an aura to the squad, a presence that sends the slightest shiver down the spine. And that's without factoring in the sheer size — Pierre Spies is clearly bench-pressing the team bus before practice, and Andries Bekker has some giraffe DNA in there somewhere.

A group of All Blacks came through as well, Kahui, Thomson and Lauaki joined by Dan Carter, amongst others (Kirsti Lyall, the swimwear model assigned to our table to offset being lumped with Lanning, almost passed out when he walked in), in what was a grand gesture of support for the Fund. They got due attention, and the Fund got plenty of support (from Freshlyground, amongst others), but it was the Springboks who stole the show, and with good reason. The World Champions line up on Saturday in a titanic clash, and rugby runs thick through the veins of Cape Town this week. Newlands is bursting with the promise of something very special indeed.

And the build-up to the game continues across the city — I'm hosting a dinner tonight with Toks, Kobus, Ian Jones and Brian McMillan (who's still convinced he should have played eight for the Boks), and another on Friday night with John Allen, as well as the launch of very exciting rugby initiative with Bob and Fleckie (watch the site on Friday); Dan Carter has a breakfast tomorrow morning, the Captain's Table is on Friday night as well, and then there's the small matter of the actual game on Saturday. The city's never been more rugby mad — and aside from Cedric Frolick everyone's lapping it up. There's never been a better week to be living in Cape Town.

  • Contact Dan at dan@metropolis.co.za
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