Smiles on the dials for swanky Bok wristwatch
● We’ve all heard about a bull in a china shop — but how about a herd of Springboks in a watch store?
Well, if on Wednesday evening you had been at Sandton City, you might have come across just that.
The scrum of rugby manne turned up at the swanky Tag Heuer boutique for the launch of a very special piece of wrist jewellery, the limited-edition Tag Heuer Springboks Aquaracer.
Stepping onto the green AstroTurf laid down in a cordoned-off spot outside the store, I greet one of the friendliest flankers in the game, Hacjivah Dayimani.
Hacjivah also happens to have the most exotic background: his Xhosa mom is a sangoma and his Nigerian dad a devout Jew.
The towering Golden Lions player was chatting to that player on the rise who also happens to be a natty dresser, Aphiwe Dyantyi.
Elsewhere I spot Lions skipper Warren Whiteley and hulking Mr Nice Guy Malcolm Marx.
In walks Cape Town funny man Siv Ngesi, who tells me he flew up for the event after being invited by Siya Kolisi. I turn around and spot the man who will go down in history as the first black captain of our national team as he arrives with wife, Rachel.
When I get a chance to catch up with the blonde Wag, I have to find out if Siya still lets her near his phone, after she called out a Cape Town fitness model for sliding into her husband’s DMs to send him an explicit pic.
“Ask him,” says Rachel, and when I do Siya nods his head and says, “Of course.”
Then it’s meeting a man known for having one of the hottest bods in the game, Jesse Kriel, who, sadly, will be bidding our shores adieu after the Rugby World Cup in Japan later this year.
Jesse, who was sporting a foot brace that will keep him out of action for four weeks, takes up a position with Japanese side Canon Eagles in December.
A traditional song and dance performance gets the proceedings started before David Moss, whose company Picot & Moss is the sole South African distributer of the luxury Swiss brand, welcomes us. David also hands over the Springbok-coloured timepieces to a select few rugby legends including Siya, arguably our greatest captain John Smit, Corné Krige and Tendai “The Beast” Mtawarira. Who else pitched? TV and radio sports broadcaster Elma Smit and Minnie Dlamini, who came with her hubby Quinton Jones.
As for the grub, we were treated to a smorgasbord of delights including generous portions of gravlax, sashimi, beef tagliata and the most delicious desserts, including zesty lemon meringue pie and baked cheesecake, thanks to the woman celebrating her 37th wedding anniversary with David that week, his wife and business partner Jenny.
I have to find out if Siya still lets her near his phone