09/09/2026
SPRINGBOKS vs ALL BLACKS — THE ULTIMATE BUSHVELD TEST!
This coming Saturday, the Springboks and All Blacks head to Baltimore in the USA for the final battle of the Greatest Rivalry.
Which got us thinking…
There are remarkable similarities between rugby and an African safari. Both involve large, highly territorial animals, sudden charges, lots of grunting, the occasional dust-up - and then knowing exactly when not to get too close and how to escape!
In rugby, there are 30 highly trained men charging at each other, occasionally flying through the air and enthusiastically throwing themselves into situations where any sensible safari guide would be shouting, “Stay in the vehicle!”
The forwards have more than a passing resemblance to buffalo - big, powerful, territorial and happiest when advancing in a closely packed herd. The scrum, remarkably like a group of buffalo deciding which one gets the best bit of waterhole.
The backs are rather more like springbuck - lean, fast and inclined to leap past all obstacles.
The flankers? Think honey badgers. Fearless, slightly deranged and apparently unaware that they are considerably smaller than some of the things they are attacking.
The fullback - rhino, steadfast, reliable, not to be messed with.
And the captain? Has to be a lion - expected to keep the pride under control, while occasionally wondering why nobody is doing what he told them to do!
Then there’s the referee. In rugby, he has a whistle. In the African bush, there is no referee. The rules are considerably more simple and less engaging.
The differences;
If a 1,000 kg buffalo charges, you don't tackle it.
If an elephant takes exception to your presence, you don't argue the decision.
If a lion starts growling menacingly, you certainly don't shout “Advantage!”
If a leopard disappears into the long grass… you don't follow it looking for a rematch!
But if it's All Black, you do! In the bushveld and on the rugby field, is it "Survival of the fittest"?
And then there is the unexpected, the element of surprise, as so often materialises in the bush;
For the two antagonist preparing for battle, there was that spectacular low-level flypast over the Stadium. At that altitude, it looked less like an airways display, and more like a pair of Africa's very large avifauna, having an argument over whose territory it was! We weren't entirely sure whether to salute, cheer, duck, or reach for the binoculars. Had they dropped a few feathers on the pitch, we might have assumed two enormous eagles had joined the Springbok squad. Although, knowing the bush, they could just as easily have been vultures circling overhead, waiting to see who was going to be the first casualty! Kiwi a preference?
That flyby was close! At Far and Wild Safaris, we specialise in putting you close enough to experience the real African action too - elephant, lion, buffalo, rhino and all the rest of the magnificent team - while making sure you're in the best arena.
So while the Springboks and All Blacks settle their differences in Baltimore, why not plan your own South African adventure? When the rugby is over, come and experience the original African contact sport - preferably from the safety of a safari vehicle!
Far and Wild Safaris; Where the wild game wins.
Remember:
In rugby, the referee blows the whistle.
In the bush, Mother Nature makes the rules - always exciting.
GO BOKKE!
