Bok beats: World Cup soundtracks driving support of the Green and Gold in 2023

It's often been said that South Africans have two main topics of discussion around the braai: bakkies and rugby.

With the latter, it's about whose provincial team is the best, which player is having a standout season, or why a particular coach should make better gameplay decisions. And yes, it can get quite heated.

However, when it's World Cup time, the provincial scuffles are exchanged for unity; a unification of the compass' four corners as the Springboks prepare for battle.

More, the Green and Gold passion is motivated by songs dedicated to the three-time Rugby World Cup champions.

Forever Springbok tunes

Who can forget Leon Schuster's legendary hit, Hie' Kommie Bokke, for the 1995 Rugby World Cup? It's a song so notorious for ripping into every big-name international rugby team, while lifting the Springboks to hero status.

In 2009, Robbie Wessels released Player 23, an ode to the South African supporter who stands by the Bokke. Named 'Jan', Wessels celebrates the 23rd player, saying that the fans are the true spirit of the Springbok team.

Lyrics (translated):

World Rugby has since changed the number of substitutes to 23, but Wessels is yet to honour 'Player 24'.

Contemporary artists like Loufi and Early B also added their hits to the Springbok playlist. In his pure, Afrikaans rap style, Early B wrote Back die Bokke in 2019 and was also part of the Springboks' South African tour in the build-up to that year's showcase.

In this hit song, the Gqeberha rapper takes a dig at All Blacks supporters, saying:

Lyrics (translated):

For a pure South African list of World Cup jams, click here.

Honouring the legends

The playlist on Spotify is not just about Springbok songs with a "lekker" beat, but it also pays homage to legends of the