Rugby for Rhinos

It is the legendary match-up between the universally regarded two greatest rugby nations. The Springboks of South Africa versus the All Blacks of New Zealand - South Africa's arch-rivals - on the field at Ellis Park. As a matter of fact, the identical World Cup match-up portrayed on screen in the Morgan Freeman / Matt Damon-starring / Clint Eastwood-directed film Invictus.

This time the match-up for the 2014 Rugby Championship helped benefit the Global March for Elephants & Rhinos dedicated to saving rhinos and elephants and other endangered animals that are also facing their arch-rivals on the bush field, the poaching mafia.

So I bought two tickets. I did not, however go to the game. That opportunity I gave to Vince and his rugby hooligan friend, Johann. I kept one of the two free GM4R&E tee shirts that went along with the tickets though!

enjoying the requisite pre-game boerie roll & Castle lager @ Valley Lodge

... and pre-game in the Ellis Park beer garden

a garden full of bloody hoolies as Mandy would say!

in the stands

good seats too!

And the Boks won! 27 - 25! And broke the All Blacks' two-year 22 game world record winning streak!

Ellis Park (photo by Annette Widmer)

Woohoo! That's some good mojo ... and that could only bode well for the elephants and rhinos too.