Capetonians welcomed World Rugby Champions, the Springboks, as part of their trophy parade tour in October. File Picture: Tracey Adams / IOL News
Seeing that South Africans [most of them] got the day off thanks to the hard work of the Springboks, who went back-to-back to win the 2023 Rugby World Cup, social media was filled with messages of gratitude for rugby’s most fierce team.
While some opted to crack open a beer for the Boks, others decided to go to the beach or just put out a message of celebration for the newly made public holiday.
“Thanks to the @Springboks momentous 2023 RWC win, Saffas can enjoy a public holiday today. We're celebrating with this awesome shot set up by our research field team, who was servicing our cameras in the @Cederberg at the time of the final match,” Cape Leopard Trust wrote on X.
“Happy bok day everyone, it's a good day to braai,” another user wrote.
Happy #BokDay pic.twitter.com/XRjMHE7Wzp
— Gary Laight (@cuzzi_ga) December 15, 2023
Facebook user Yasmeen Motala wrote in a post: “Happy Bok day… don’t forget the reason u not at work today.”
Biometric company Huru also wrote a message to celebrate the day on Facebook.
“Happy Bok day! On this special day we celebrate the incredible triumph of the Springboks In the Rugby World Cup 2023.
“A moment etched in history, united a nation with pride and passion. Here’s to the champions,” Huru wrote.
“On this public holiday, may the joy of the Springboks' success reverberate through every corner of our country, fostering a sense of camaraderie [and] shared accomplishment. Here's to relishing the well-deserved victory [and] wishing everyone a wonderful day filled with joy, laughter, and a deep sense of national pride,” PSCBC Bargaining Council wrote.
Bok day,let’s start. https://t.co/wEBcwrSthU
— uGatsheni (@Thabiso_DGreat) December 15, 2023
Cobus Buys wrote a tribute on Facebook as well.
“Only as South Africas we will make a special day just to remind everyone that we are the champions#bokday,” Buys wrote.
Cape Town-based musician Michael Palmer made a T-shirt with the scores from the final three games, which the Boks won by one point each.
Another guy next to him had a T-shirt poking fun at Bongi Mbonambi’s saga with English player Tom Curry, who accused the Bok of a racist slur.
Curry told rugby authorities that Mbonambi called him a “wit c**t,” but it was later found that Mbonambi was giving instructions in Afrikaans and actually said the words “wit kant," which means white side in Afrikaans.
The T-shirt made to commemorate bok day had blou kant, wit kant, swart kant for the three matches against France, England, and New Zealand, and then Wen Kant for the Springboks.
IOL