Rugby, jag… en biltong!

RUGBY: A SOUTH AFRICAN 'RELIGION'

THE SPORT WITH HEART

For many South Africans, rugby is a serious matter, a source of bursting pride – or shattering disappointment.

Rugby is one of South Africa’s big three sports, alongside soccer and cricket. For the many South African fans of the game, rugby is a serious matter, a source of bursting pride and joy – or shattering disappointment.

The country has traditionally fared extremely well on the world stage, and South African fans expect their national team to win every game it plays.
The changing face of South African rugby Sport, like no other South African institution, has shown it has the power to heal old wounds.

When the Springboks won the Rugby World Cup on home turf in 1995, Nelson Mandela donned the No 6 shirt of the team’s captain – Francois Pienaar, a white Afrikaner – and the two embraced in a spontaneous gesture of racial reconciliation that melted hearts around the country. A single moment, and 400 years of colonial strife and bitterness … suddenly seemed so petty.

For the disadvantaged people of the old apartheid South Africa, rugby was the white man’s game, and even more so the game of the Afrikaner. Traditionally, most communities of colour played soccer while, for white communities, rugby was the winter sport of choice. Things have changed in South Africa since 1994, however, and the South African Rugby Football Union has been working hard to make rugby the game of all South Africans, mainly through an active development programme throughout the country.

At provincial age-group levels, players of colour are playing an increasingly prominent role as the development programme and the quota system begin to bear fruit. Through the quota system, players of colour are being given the opportunity to compete at the higher levels of the game, and a growing number are showing that they belong there by securing places in Super 14 teams and – the highest honour for a South African rugby player – in the Springbok side. Source: www.brandsouthafrica.co.za

10 Things You Didn’t Know About South Africa’s Springboks

How much do you know about the Springbok rugby team? Here’s a round-up of ten interesting facts dating as far back as the Second Boer War, 1899.

A Temporary Cease-Fire Was Called During the Second Boer War So the British and Boer Forces Could Play a Rugby Match

Though the cease-fire was temporary, it demonstrated the already enormous passion for rugby in South Africa.

The Springboks’ First Home Game Was in 1891 Against the British Isles in Port Elizabeth

On July 30, 1891, South Africa played its first test match against a touring British Isles team financed by Cape Colony Prime Minister Cecil Rhodes. As South Africa was new to the game, the British Isles team won the twenty matches.

 

 

The Springboks Didn’t Lose a Series Between 1903 and 1956

After their losses to the British Isles team in the late 1890s, the South African team surpassed their own expectations when the visitors returned in 1903. South Africa would go on to win all of their series until 1956.

The Springboks’ First Game Abroad Was Against Scotland in Glasgow in 1906.

The 1906 match between Scotland and South Africa was South Africa’s first official international rugby tour. It was also the tour in which the Springbok nickname was coined.

South Africa Was Banned From Competing in the First Two Rugby World Cups

Although South Africa was one of the leading rugby nations in the world, the sporting boycotts effectively isolated South Africa from participating in the first two Rugby World Cup tournaments in 1987 and 1991. The Springboks famously made their World Cup debut in 1995, when South Africa hosted the tournament.

 

 

The Springboks Have Played the All Blacks 89 Times Since 1921

Since 1921, the Springboks have played the New Zealand All Blacks 89 times. South Africa made a comeback in 2014, when they ended New Zealand’s 22-match winning streak with a 27-25 victory in Johannesburg.

Only Five Men Have Played Over 100 Tests For South Africa

Percy Montgomery was the first Springbok to play in over 100 tests for South Africa. Since 2008, Bryan Habana, Victor Matfield, Jean de Villiers, and John Smit have all played in more than 100 tests for the Springboks.

11 Former South African International Players Have Been Welcomed Into the International Rugby Hall of Fame or the IRB (International Rugby Board) Hall of Fame

While five former Springboks have been welcomed into the International Rugby Hall of Fame (Hennie Muller, Morné du Plessis, Naas Botha, Danie Gerber, and Joost van der Westhuizen), two are members of the IRB Hall of Fame (Barry “Fairy” Heatlie and John Smit), and four are members of both (Bennie Osler, Danie Craven, Frik du Preez, and Francois Pienaar).

The Springboks Did a Zulu War Dance, Similar to the Haka, Before Games

The Springboks persisted with this dance, which was performed before major matches, until 1928.
Source: www.theculturetrip.com

Rugby Fixtures for 2018

THE HUNTING INDUSTRY IN SOUTH AFRICA

During 2016, SA Hunters participated in the government-led Biodiversity Economy Lab that formed part of the results-driven Phakisa (hurry-up) programme aimed at addressing poverty, unemployment and inequality through accelerated economic growth. Three focus areas received attention, namely Marine and Coastal Tourism, Bioprospecting, and the Wildlife Economy.

This report focuses on the wildlife economy that contributed approximate 3% to the national GDP, growing annually by an average of 9,3% from 2008 to 2014, which is much higher than the meagre 1,8% per annum for the general economy during the same period.

This demonstrates that wildlife and the hunting sector as one of the largest contributors to the wildlife economy, can contribute substantially to socio-economic development in the country. Source: www.sahunters.co.za

RSA Hunting Industry Statistics

The following statistics about the South African hunting industry were released by Dr Herman Els:

10 years ago, there were less than 5 000 game farms in South Africa. In 2012 there were 12 000 game farms in South Africa. 10 000 of these farms have hunting exemption.

20 million hectares of land is in private ownership representing about 70% of land use for wildlife conservation; the other 30% is government owned national and provincial game reserves.

The hunting industry has generated R7.7 Billion in 2011 – .25% of SA’s national GDP.

R3.1 Billion per year was generated from around 250 000 biltong hunters in South Africa. R2.1 Billion per year was generated from around 15 000 trophy hunters from abroad. The balance was generated from add-on services, food and accommodations.

Trophy hunting has a lesser impact on wildlife than biltong hunting. Hunting is by far the largest revenue generator for game farmers. The sale of animals represents only around 5% of the revenue generated by game farmers.

Sixty per cent of all wildlife in South Africa is owned privately outside of national and provincial parks. Game and hunting farmers are the largest contributors towards the conservation of wildlife.

Game farms create three times more employment than on a normal livestock farm. In recent years more than 70 000 jobs were created on newly established game farms.

Source: www.africanhuntinggazette.com

BILTONG: A SOUTH AFRICAN LEGEND

The history of biltong

The history of Biltong is a rich inheritance from our forefathers.The word BILTONG is derived from the words “BIL” (BUTTOCK) or meat and ‘TONG” or strip. So it is just a strip of meat.

For centuries mankind has endeavoured to preserve meat. Seafarers, centuries ago, pickled meat in large wooden caskets and devoured this during the months they were at sea. No wonder they suffered from scurvy.

African folklore has it that migrating African tribesmen, herding their stock, would place strips of venison under the saddles on their horses as the chaffing would tenderise the meat and the sweat of the animals would spice it! This must be when vegetarians were born!!

There is nothing like real South African Biltong and…. you can make it yourself!
BILTONG as we know this delicacy today, is a rich inheritance from pioneering South African forefathers who sun dried meat during their trek across the African Subcontinent.

The basic spicing is a dramatic blend of vinegar, salt, sugar, coriander and other spices. These were in abundance in the then Cape Colony, as the French Hugenots produced wine and vinegar from their grape crops and the colony was the halfway stop for seafarers plying the spice routes of the East. Various brine recipes and marinades were created and handed down for generations!
Today BILTONG and DROËWORS (dried South African sausage) is a massive industry and the most sought after delicacies in Southern Africa.

Today Biltong is made by hundreds of thousands of private people worldwide as a way to have access to this South African delicacy.

Massive Biltong Factories and thousands of small and medium home industries have sprung up to satisfy the enormous market there is for biltong everywhere.
Source: www.biltongmakers.com

Biltong Potjie

South Africans love a good potjie, so we’ve taken matters one step further and added the ultimate ingredient treats to the recipe: sliced biltong and pasta shells. It’s a meal that’s impossible to resist.

Ingredients:

  • 30 ml (2 T) olive oil
  • 1 onion, chopped
  • 200 g bacon
  • 1 x yellow pepper, seeded and chopped
  • 1 x red pepper, seeded and chopped
  • 1 garlic clove, crushed
  • 200 g button mushrooms
  • 1 x 410 g can Rhodes Whole Kernel Corn, drained
  • 125 ml beef stock
  • salt and freshly ground black pepper
  • 750 ml (3 C) cooked pasta (shells or fusilli)
  • 250 g biltong, sliced
  • 200 g gouda cheese
  • 45 ml (3 T) flat leaf parsley, chopped
  • to serve: 45 ml (3 T) biltong powder (optional)

Method:

Heat a potjie pot over medium coals.
Add the oil and fry the onions, bacon, peppers and garlic until the bacon is cooked and the peppers have softened.
Add the mushrooms and fry until softened.
Add the Rhodes Whole Kernel Corn
Add the beef stock and bring to the boil.
Add the pasta and the biltong in layers.
Sprinkle the cheese and the parsley on the top of the last layer.
Cover the potjie pot with the lid and simmer gently over low heat coals for 20 minutes or until the cheese is melted and the pasta heated though.
Sprinkle over the biltong powder, if using, and serve hot.
Source: www.rhodesquality.com

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