The power of Rassie Erasmus & his world champion Springboks
The power of Rassie Erasmus & his world champions Springboks is in nearly 50 000 tickets been sold for Saturday’s match against the famed Barbarians – and few know who will even make up the Barbarians match-day 23, writes Mark Keohane.
The Barbarians, the most appreciated ‘invite only’ invitation club in world rugby, have done themselves the biggest disservice in playing the Springboks in Cape Town in a historic first-ever match between the two sides in South Africa.
The paying public power of the Springboks, back-to-back world champions, is that by Monday of the week of the Barbarians match, nearly 50 000 tickets were already sold. This was a credit to the Springboks. It had nothing to do with the Barbarians, who arrived in Cape Town in drips on Monday.
This is historic on Saturday – and it has over time proved to be a match-up worthy of Test status.
But the Barbarians lack of information would render it to a rugby state secret.
How the hell do you sell a game to a country when no one knows your squad six days before the Test?
Ah, you rely on the status of the world champion Springboks – and you betray your own brand.
For the past month, there has been nothing about the Barbarians history-making trip to South Africa.
There has been the announcement of five players, split over three weeks. Then there was a social media video Robbie Deans and Sam Whitelock arriving in Cape Town on Monday with a showing of a few players that included former All Blacks Hoskins Sotutu, Mark Tele’a and Mr Kerr-Barlow of All Black, Chiefs and now Clermont fame.
Landed 🛬
Cape Town 📍#Baabaas #QatarAirwaysCup 🏆 pic.twitter.com/0UMR9cgQ3M
— Barbarian FC (@Barbarian_FC) June 23, 2025
It really is a nonsense how little the Barbarians have promoted the match on their platforms and with news of the game.
In most countries, they would play in front of a handful of people, given the lack of information.
In Cape Town and South Africa, 50 000 plus will watch them play the Springboks – and again it has nothing to do with them.
That is particularly sad, given the history of the Barbarians, the lure of the Barbarians – even in this professional age – and the fact that the Barbarians have done very little to promote themselves in this game.
SHOCKER!
How do you self yourselves, when five days out, the city doesn’t even know who is in your squad.
Thank goodness for the Boks, for Rassie Erasmus and for the love of this squad in South Africa.
To celebrate their partnership with @MacronSports, the Keo & Zels show will be giving away a @Barbarian_FC jersey! pic.twitter.com/gcXS7gGNHF
— SA Rugby magazine (@SARugbymag) June 17, 2025
Cape Town Stadium will buzz on Saturday but it is all about the Springboks and has very little to do with Barbarians brand that five days out from the Test, have not even informed the public of of who is here.
SHOCKER!
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