Fans get behind the Boks

Get out your house and down to a Bok Town for all the match action – the Springbok World Cup matches will be broadcast live at Township TV sites.
WITH the much anticipated IRB Rugby World Cup 2011 fast approaching, fans in Joburg townships will not miss a single moment of the action Down Under.

Township TV will be screening Springboks matches liveTownship TV will be screening Springbok matches liveTownship TV, a community upliftment programme through which big screen TVs have been installed in various parks in townships will broadcast Rugby World Cup games live on the screens in eight parks, called Bok Towns.

They are in Diepsloot, Diepkloof, Lenasia, Eldorado Park, Ivory Park, Joubert Park, Thokoza Park and Orange Farm. There are 13 other participating parks across the country.

Bok Town is an initiative of Johannesburg City Parks in conjunction with Township TV, aimed at mobilising South Africans behind the national rugby team, the Springboks, and encouraging them to watch Springbok matches out in the parks, with their communities.

Of the 48 matches in the tournament, approximately 30 will be shown live at the Bok Towns, including the final, according to Graeme Joffe, the founder of Township TV. Joffe has vowed to give fans the best Rugby World Cup experience.

“We want to bring back the spirit, enthusiasm and unity displayed by South Africans during the 2010 FIFA World Cup™. The youth, kids, grannies and everybody must rally behind the Boks; they need our support to pull it off,” he said.

DSTV dishes were installed in all participating parks “to ensure that fans get the best possible experience”, says Joffe.

In another endeavour to get the fans behind the Boks, the national Sport Ministry launched a mass mobilisation campaign, Bokday, on 1 June. South Africans are encouraged to wear their official Springbok merchandise on Fridays in support of the national team.

The World Cup will kick off on Friday, 9 September in New Zealand. The Springboks, the defending world champions, will play their first match against Wales on 11 September at Wellington Regional Stadium. The team has won the IRB World Cup twice – in 1995 and in 2007.

Supporters can join the Springbok Fans Unite movement either online or on the Facebook page. They stand a chance of winning Springbok branded gear and even trips to watch the team in New Zealand.