As the Springboks gear up to face the world, the Test rugby fever is officially ON. But before we lose our voices in the stands or on the couch, here’s a bit of rugby madness from the past to get you laughing, cringing, and maybe even weirdly emotional.
Two scenes. One chaotic comedy legend. Zero chill.
We’re talking about Leon Schuster at his peak — in Sweet ’n Short (1991) — where South African satire meets rugby culture in the most on-the-nose way possible.
🥾 The Haka vs The “Shaka”
In the first scene, a fired-up group of All Black lookalikes break into the traditional haka — and they absolutely fail to nail it, enhancing the humour. But then come the Zambuks (yes, Zambuks — not Springboks), who respond with a gumboot-stomping “shaka” that’s loud, ridiculous, and pure Schuster chaos.
It’s rugby parody at its most unhinged.
It’s also probably the only haka response in history involving a tin of Zambuk (the lip balm, not the player).
🎶 The “O Afrika” Anthem That Predicted the Future
The second scene is even more surreal.
Leon Schuster, in full satirical flow, belts out a parody anthem called “O Afrika” — complete with a powerful singer, emotion, and multilingual verses.
It was meant to be a joke. But get this:
The anthem uses Zulu, Sesotho, Afrikaans, and English — the same four languages that would be used in South Africa’s real national anthem, Nkosi Sikelela iAfrika, just three years later, in 1994.
Was it a parody? A prophecy? Or just dumb luck?
Either way, it’s hard to watch without wondering how Schuster accidentally nailed the concept of national unity before the country itself did.
💭 Why These Scenes Matter (Yes, Really)
Schuster’s brand of comedy may not be everyone’s taste, but there’s no denying how deeply it tapped into the psyche of 90s South Africa. These clips — bizarre as they are — reflect the country’s obsession with rugby, identity, and finding humour in chaos.
And as we head into another bruising, emotional Test season, maybe that’s exactly what we need.
Some pride. Some perspective. And a lot of ridiculous stomping in gumboots.
