No 23: Special Springboks jersey finds its way back home

Published on 9th August 2025 | Leave a response

My Springboks No 23 jersey has come home. Where it went in the last five years, I don’t know. I am just thankful it is home again, writes Mark Keohane.

During my time as the Springboks Communications Manger (2000-2003), management would get a Test match jersey every four Tests. I kept five special to me, in terms of occasion, victory and memory.

All five were stolen from my garage, along with every bit of Bok tangible memory from that time, including team photos and all that comes with being within the Springboks.

Some moments in life remind you that rugby is more than just the game — it’s the people who make the community what it is. One of those moments happened for me recently, thanks to a sharp-eyed rugby fan, Elani Engelbrecht.

Elani was browsing a rugby jersey website when she spotted one that looked oddly familiar. She reached out to me immediately, sending through the link and the details. I recognised it straight away — one of the five stolen jerseys.

We acted quickly, and through a bit of back-and-forth with the seller, I was able to get it back. The rest remain missing, but this one — this one is home. And it feels good.

It’s not just about the piece of fabric. This jersey carries the energy of the match it came from and the conversations around it. Getting it back feels like reclaiming a small part of history — and a reminder that there are still people in the rugby world who look out for each other without expecting anything in return.

So, Elani, thank you. You didn’t just spot a jersey — you brought back a memory, a connection, and a reminder that this rugby family runs deeper than we sometimes realise.

But even better was Will Chaguluka, a Varsity student who had bought the jersey at a thrift shop in Mowbray, Cape Town.

Will put the jersey up for sale, and when my son Ollie Keohane contacted him after it was put up for sale, Will’s response was poetry: He did not know it was stolen and he returned it to me.

Will, thank you brother.

Huge thanks to Elani Engelbrecht for helping Keo recover a long-lost and special Bok jersey. pic.twitter.com/N4Y1gWEycS

— SA Rugby magazine (@SARugbymag) August 9, 2025