On Saturday (October 8) we got in the van and headed for Durban (about an hour drive). We spent an hour or so shopping in the Victoria Street market. The market was full of clothes, jewelry, hand made items, art, food, etc.
The guys wandered through the meat and fish market. You can buy sheep heads (not a typo—the intact head of a sheep from the neck up). There were other items in the market that you won’t find in your local supermarket in the U.S.
After the market we went to Shaka Marine World for lunch. We had a very good buffet with traditional South African food. There were lots of shops, performers, and a short parade.
Halloween banquet. Marimba band.
Warning: You may find out more about rugby than you want to know in the following.
After our time at Shaka Marine World, we headed for the rugby stadium for one of the touring highlights of the trip (for me at least). The South African national team, the Springboks, were playing the New Zealand national team, the All Blacks. It is hard to describe how big of a game this was in South Africa. Rugby in South Africa is like football in the United States. A major difference is that rugby is an international game. The All Blacks are ranked number one in the world and are arguably the best rugby team ever. The South Africans are ranked fifth in the world (a bit down from their usual ranking). This game was not quite like the Super Bowl in the US, but it wasn't far off.
Headed for the game.
The parking lots were jammed with cars and vans, many of them with ongoing elaborate tailgate parties. Charcoal grills, picnics, tables, buffets, etc. Just like an American football game. It was easy to tell who the fans were rooting for. The vast majority were showing their support by what they were wearing. On the way in, many of us bought a Springbok jersey. NONE of us were wearing black <grin>. I was surprised by the number of All Black fans in attendance. I would estimate that 10% of the crowd were wearing All Black shirts. On the way into the stadium I saw a group of All Black fans having a beer and enjoying their pregame tailgate. I said to them, “That beer sure looks good.” One of them motioned me over and handed me a beer (in spite of my Springbok jersey). We had some pleasant banter and posed for this picture. Great fun.
There was lots of friendly banter between the two sides but there was no nasty comments or bad blood. Naas told me that, “soccer is a gentlemen’s game played by hooligans and rugby is a hooligan’s game played by gentlemen.” Certainly at this game the fans were well behaved. More on this topic a bit later.
On the right is a group of Springbok fans having a good time and quite happy to pose for a picture.
The picture below is a panorama of the field just before the pregame ceremonies. There were no empty seats and the fans were buzzing with anticipation. We were in the nosebleed section (only a few rows from the top). It didn’t matter. Our view was good and we were there in person! The stadium on the right is one of the soccer World Cup stadiums when SA hosted the event.
Here we are in our seats waiting for the game to start. In the row above us you can see All Black and Springbok fans sitting next to each other .That was true all around us. With the amount of beer being consumed and the passion of the rivalry I was ready for some nasty behavior. With one exception there no issues. The exception was a brief yelling match between an All Black and Springbok supporter. After a bit it stopped and they slapped hands as a way to make peace. I can’t image what would happen in a game between the Raiders and the Broncos if the fans were mixed in the same way.
Left: Springboks took the field. Right:National anthems played and sung
After the pre-game ceremonies, the All Blacks lined up for their traditional Haka. In my experience watching sports (extensive—ask my wife) this is a unique ritual before a game. The team does a traditional Mauri war cry or challenge. Below is a short excerpt, but to get the full effect look online for a better video. By the end of it, the SA fans were singing, “Ole, ole, …” to drown out the NZ chant. Naas and Schaun told me the Springboks have seen it so many times they are not intimidated. Maybe so, but I was intimidated and I was way up in the stands.
I’ve watched rugby with Naas and talked to a friend of mine who is a huge fan so I have a beginner’s knowledge of the game and its unique vocabulary: try, touch, line out, scrum, knock-on, ruck, maul, and more. The subtleties are as complex as they are in American football and the fans around us would cheer, groan, or boo for reasons that we didn’t understand. The game has two 40 minute halves with an intermission. Unless there is a serious injury, the clock doesn’t stop. Minor injuries are treated on the field while play continues. There are 15 players per side and only 6 substitutions are allowed in a game. You cannot re-enter the game after being subbed for. Imagine the offensive line in American football playing 80 minutes without stopping for huddles, timeouts, etc. Some of the rugby players are easily as big as football players.
The scrum is perhaps the oddest thing in the game. Here are a few pictures of a scrum being set up.
Left: the players prepare to scrum. Middle: Linking arms. Right: Getting in position.
Left: Ref checking the position. #9 has the ball and will roll it into the scrum on the SA side. Right: Scrumming. The idea is to hook (one the players is called the “hooker”) the ball back to #9 so he can start the offense. You can see him waiting for the ball behind the scrum.
It was close at halftime (SA down 17-12). It got out of control in the second half and the final was 57-15 (the largest margin of victory ever for the All Blacks over the Springboks). It was interesting to read the paper the next day. Think about what the Denver Post said after Super Bowl debacle when we were crushed.
Many of the fans, including us, stayed to tailgate. It was a great day and a once in lifetime experience.