Prince George gets his own Springbok.

Jean de Villiers after recieving the Prince William Trophy from him.

He surprised Prince William by handing him a little stuffed Springbok to hand to his new born Son, Prince George.

Annalee Murray the Communications head for SARU and Jean de Villiers discussed the idea of bringing a present with for little Prince George when they found out that Prince William was going the attend the match as the Millenium Stadium.

Here is a link, unfortunately it is in Afrikaans. But you can see the photo.


http://www.ruggaworld.com/2013/11/12/prinsie-kry-eie-bokkie-van-bokkaptein/


Kinda sweet don't you think.

"DIE klein prins George sal met die Springbokke se gelukbringer, Bokkie, in sy koninklike bababedjie kan rondrol. "

How dare they say "die" (twice) and "George" in the same sentence.

And as for calling the heir to the throne a gelukbringer, well isn't that treason?

Biltong you softie! (Although a friend of mine actually made that trophy - just saying).

The Heir isn't called die gelukbringer, the toy is.

Gelukbringer is lucky charm.

Casartelli, when it comes to kids, I am always a softie.

Afrikaans always reads like Swedish chef speak to me. How do you guys make it sound so threatening?

Becuase it is guttural, the consonents are brash, not soft.

do boks toys get filled with nails and glass to toughen the kids up   seriously nice gesture

One thing I admire about my adopted folk is their idea of tradition and celebration.

on Jimmy Cowans 100th SR test (against the stormers) he was presented with a special commerative shirt or cap I think by the stormers.

Matthew Rees was given a signed shirt recently to be donated for charity in his honour I understand.

Quite a few other examples. Warriors on the pitch, gentleman off the pitch.

Bunch of sweethearts those big bad Boks really

Reading the title I wasn't sure if you meant literally or not  

Which wouldn't have surprised me. Only the royals seem to be able to lay claim of ownership by right to a fellow sentient being without mass outcries over issues of basic fundamental equality.

I mean doesn't the queen lay claim to all swans as a general species?

Yes, similarly I thought they'd given him Bakkies Botha to play with in his cot.

It's still not been re-named The Ray Gravell Cup then?

Nice gesture though.

A very nice gesture that. I saw that he was also given a mini Wales shirt, so he has done well for presents!

Cyril wrote:It's still not been re-named The Ray Gravell Cup then?

Nice gesture though.

Why has somebody reported this post? I read up about the cup and saw that it had created a bit of controversy that's all. Sheesh.

Very impressed with JDV and this just adds to his strengths as a leader. At this rate he should go down in history as one of the great SA captains - just needs to win a wee world cup to cement it.

Cyril wrote:

Cyril wrote:It's still not been re-named The Ray Gravell Cup then?

Nice gesture though.

Why has somebody reported this post? I read up about the cup and saw that it had created a bit of controversy that's all. Sheesh.

I wondered what the red triangle meant Cyril... What's the controversy then?

stub wrote:

Cyril wrote:

Cyril wrote:It's still not been re-named The Ray Gravell Cup then?

Nice gesture though.

Why has somebody reported this post? I read up about the cup and saw that it had created a bit of controversy that's all. Sheesh.

I wondered what the red triangle meant Cyril... What's the controversy then?

It's because Prince William (as Patron of Welsh rugby) is seen as both English and a blatant supporter of England. Some Welsh fans want the trophy to be honouring a Welsh person (Ray Gravell).

To be honest, I can kinda see their point, though I'm sure William is doing a decent job.

From Wikipedia

The naming of the cup for Prince William has caused considerable controversy in Wales. Many people called on the WRU to rename the trophy in honour of Welsh international rugby star Ray Gravell, who died on 31 October 2007.[1] During a tribute to Gravell at the inaugural match the stadium announcer asked the crowd to remember Ray as 'gwir dywysog Cymru', a true prince of Wales. Gravell's funeral was attended by over 10,000 people, including Rhodri Morgan, First Minister of Wales. On-line petitions were launched. The matter was raised in the National Assembly for Wales by Helen Mary Jones AM backed by a number of other AMs[2] including Bethan Jenkins.[3] Amongst MPs, Labour MP Paul Flynn and Plaid's Adam Price MP called for the WRU to honour Ray Gravell as a patriotic Welshman rather than Prince William, regarded by many in Wales as an Englishman who openly supports the England rugby and football teams[4]
An online petition has been created calling for the cup to be renamed to honour Ray Gravell.[5]

Thanks, I see. Fair enough if they want to name a cup after one of their rugby icons as far as I'm concerned too.

I thought that the gift was a really nice gesture btw Bilt. I too am glad it wasn't a "tame" Bok!

Biltong wrote:Gelukbringer is lucky charm.

I'd worked that one out myself.

Probably a voodoo doll given De Villiers is a boer! All nice and pretending to be a good loyal colonial servant.

Ray Gravell Trophy or Cup would be an awesome gesture.

I am not a roylaist by any stretch of the imagination but Will's and Kate lived in a rental on Ynys Mon and Kate used to shop at the local Spar and other shops. Will used to pop into the pubs and certainly used to go to the local donna kebab outlet. Unbelievably they made their mark on a hugely Welsh speaking area and they seem to be a down to earth couple. Yes I suppose his team is England but I there is certainly a great love of Wales by Wales and you can be assured he will be returning to Ynys Mon often.

They really seemed to take to the couple up there, didn't they? But then as you say, they didn't keep themselves to themselves, which royals of previous generations might have done.

Isn't the cup meant to have some SA-Wales meaning rather than named after a famous player from a given side.  i.e. the cup between England and NZ is known as the Hillary Shield no? A man who was both kiwi and british.

I think "the Gerald Davies Cup" would be a more fitting name no? After all a great Welsh player and a man who stood up to Apartheid against personal glory when all others were happy just to play.

Perhaps event the van der Westhuizen-Gibbs trophy. Those chaps had some battles.  Too late now anyhow.

Who decides the name of these trophy's?

Being a Republican I totally understand the feelings that are associated with Royalty being foisted upon people, however should the naming not have been a collaboration between both sides?

fa0019 wrote:Isn't the cup meant to have some SA-Wales meaning rather than named after a famous player from a given side.  i.e. the cup between England and NZ is known as the Hillary Shield no? A man who was both kiwi and british.

I think "the Gerald Davies Cup" would be a more fitting name no? After all a great Welsh player and a man who stood up to Apartheid against personal glory when all others were happy just to play.

Kiwi and British? He was out and out Kiwi unless you know different?

Ray Gravell was not 'just' another player he was iconic not only as a rugby player but for all things Welsh. Still not a point to argue is it, each will have their own preference.

Read his autobiography?

He himself classed himself as British... as back in his day, all British kiwi's did according to him.

I just looked at that picture with my usual critical eye (trained by years of medical practise, army training, and by parents working in the Foreign Office). The body language is clear, and could start hostilities.

DeVilliers and the Prince are both holding things. DeVilliers is smiling and clearly thinking "mine is bigger than yours". The Prince is not so happy...........

doctor_grey wrote:I just looked at that picture with my usual critical eye (trained by years of medical practise, army training, and by parents working in the Foreign Office).  The body language is clear, and could start hostilities.

DeVilliers and the Prince are both holding things.  DeVilliers is smiling and clearly thinking "mine is bigger than yours".  The Prince is not so happy...........

We're not talking Franz Ferdinand hostilities right... rather off the Christmas list hostilities right Doc???

I think the term 'British' has changed meaning over the last few decades.

He himself classed himself as British... as back in his day, all British kiwi's did according to him.

Back in those days (from what I have read) being British was not so much about coming from Britain but more about being associated with the organisation of the British Empire.

The plebs were still Kiwi's, English, Welsh, Scots etc but the upper echelons all considered themselves 'British', no matter where they came from. And you will often find that confusingly, 'England' was often used for 'Britain'. Nothing to do with being English, it's just that the deciscion makers were all concentrated in or around London, hence the term 'Home Counties'.

These memories of Empire are slowly dying out, but because they were in the main, a vehicle to keep the powered class in power, they have survived much longer than they should.

Even until recently if a major happening was taking place outside of London and was being reported by the BBC, the reporter would be introduced as "Our (insert region of Britain) Correspondant, Huge Feernly-Withinspoon, is on the scene now"

It's like Wales, the North of England, Scotland or the Irish were outside the realms of civilisation and needed a special correspondant.

Nice gesture by the Boks.  

But wasn't it a shame that when Wills was shown on the big screen that most of the MS crowd booed, in stark contrast when Becks was shown at Twickers the crowd cheered.

its because hes an English rugby supporter (which of course fair enough )i guess . didnt he have the England shirt on at the six nations game

perhaps we ll bring few toy dragons over when we come and tour  south Africa next year

jimmyinthewell68 wrote:perhaps we ll bring few toy dragons over when we come and tour  south Africa next year

If you want to bring some dragons why don't you just bring the wives and girlfriends!

 

fa0019 wrote:

doctor_grey wrote:I just looked at that picture with my usual critical eye (trained by years of medical practise, army training, and by parents working in the Foreign Office).  The body language is clear, and could start hostilities.

DeVilliers and the Prince are both holding things.  DeVilliers is smiling and clearly thinking "mine is bigger than yours".  The Prince is not so happy...........

We're not talking Franz Ferdinand hostilities right... rather off the Christmas list hostilities right Doc???

Of course, Christmas list stuff. Our future King should, I would think, shoudl have one of the biggest "Christmas Lists" in the realm, no?

http://www.bing.com/videos/search?q=it+good+to+be+the+king&qs=n&form=VBREQY&pq=it+good+to+be+the+king&sc=3-22&sp=-1&sk=#view=detail&mid=E9913FE80A4A09616731E9913FE80A4A09616731

fa0019 wrote:

jimmyinthewell68 wrote:perhaps we ll bring few toy dragons over when we come and tour  south Africa next year

If you want to bring some dragons why don't you just bring the wives and girlfriends!

we never bring our wives and girlfriends , they might meet .

Biltong wrote:Jean de Villiers after recieving the Prince William Trophy from him.

He surprised Prince William by handing him a little stuffed Springbok to hand to his new born Son, Prince George.

... and William was heard to mutter to his boy... "sorry son... the 'Firm' once owned half of Africa but p#ssed it all away.. so this stuffed Springbok is your entire inheritance"

TrailApe wrote:
Being a Republican I totally understand the feelings that are associated with Royalty being foisted upon people

Can I just say that I really love the difference in meaning of that word between Ireland, England/Britain and The US of A.

TrailApe wrote:I think the term 'British' has changed meaning over the last few decades.

He himself classed himself as British... as back in his day, all British kiwi's did according to him.

Back in those days (from what I have read) being British was not so much about coming from Britain but more about being associated with the organisation of the British Empire.

The plebs were still Kiwi's, English, Welsh, Scots etc but the upper echelons all considered themselves 'British', no matter where they came from. And you will often find that confusingly, 'England' was often used for 'Britain'. Nothing to do with being English, it's just that the deciscion makers were all concentrated in or around London, hence the term 'Home Counties'.

These memories of Empire are slowly dying out, but because they were in the main, a vehicle to keep the powered class in power, they have survived much longer than they should.

Even until recently if a major happening was taking place outside of London and was being reported by the BBC, the reporter would be introduced as "Our (insert region of Britain) Correspondant, Huge Feernly-Withinspoon, is on the scene now"

It's like Wales, the North of England, Scotland or the Irish were outside the realms of civilisation and needed a special correspondant.

I grew up blissfully unaware all of this and was very dismayed (when I eventually visited England in my late teens) to realise that all along, when the people on blue peter etc. had been addressing me from my TV set, that they were not actually speaking to me as I was "just some Paddy bastid" and not their target audience.  

I have since realised that neither was anyone else on their island outside of the "home counties"

I'm reasonably confident that all North & West 'England' will join forces with the Celts in the near future. Doesn't everyone north of Watford have mostly Viking DNA anyway? That's how the girls can go outside in winter with bare legs.

A Viking-Celtic alliance isn't as unrealistic as it sounds. We'd have all the oil, water and windfarms. The Home Counties can have the banks and the 'foodie restaurants'.

We'd have a great Lions team too.

Casartelli wrote:I'm reasonably confident that all North & West 'England' will join forces with the Celts in the near future.  Doesn't everyone north of Watford have mostly Viking DNA anyway?  That's how the girls can go outside in winter with bare legs.

A Viking-Celtic alliance isn't as unrealistic as it sounds.  We'd have all the oil, water and windfarms.  The Home Counties can have the banks and the 'foodie restaurants'.

We'd have a great Lions team too.

If you're interested read "Origins of the British" by Stephen Oppenheimer. Original welsh are derived from ice age migrations from Northern Spain apparently (why you have exotic faces such as Chris Coleman, Gavin Henson etc) not these spanish sailors from 16th century as many believe. Very few brits have large viking dna, the anglo saxon migration is also apparently not seen en masse, all over exaggarated when you do genetic profiling... well according to this chap anyhow.

Casartelli wrote:I'm reasonably confident that all North & West 'England' will join forces with the Celts in the near future.  Doesn't everyone north of Watford have mostly Viking DNA anyway?  That's how the girls can go outside in winter with bare legs.

A Viking-Celtic alliance isn't as unrealistic as it sounds.  We'd have all the oil, water and windfarms.  The Home Counties can have the banks and the 'foodie restaurants'.

We'd have a great Lions team too.

No, London is the world city and the country within a country.
London = Population of Scotland+Wales combined, plus economic GDP about x 100 bigger, and about 100 ethnic sub groups.
London will declare UDI one day and leave the UK altogether.

TrailApe wrote:I think the term 'British' has changed meaning over the last few decades.

He himself classed himself as British... as back in his day, all British kiwi's did according to him.

Back in those days (from what I have read) being British was not so much about coming from Britain but more about being associated with the organisation of the British Empire.

The plebs were still Kiwi's, English, Welsh, Scots etc but the upper echelons all considered themselves 'British', no matter where they came from. And you will often find that confusingly, 'England' was often used for 'Britain'. Nothing to do with being English, it's just that the deciscion makers were all concentrated in or around London, hence the term 'Home Counties'.

These memories of Empire are slowly dying out, but because they were in the main, a vehicle to keep the powered class in power, they have survived much longer than they should.

Even until recently if a major happening was taking place outside of London and was being reported by the BBC, the reporter would be introduced as "Our (insert region of Britain) Correspondant, Huge Feernly-Withinspoon, is on the scene now"

It's like Wales, the North of England, Scotland or the Irish were outside the realms of civilisation and needed a special correspondant.

I think that until the 1970's anyone who had a passport for the old "Dominion" countries was automatically British as well as Australian, Canandian or whatever, I have a vauge memory od my uncles Canadian passport from that time having the Canadian crest on it and "Dominion of Canada" at the top and then "British Passport" on the bottom.

British Queen is still head of state in Canada, Aus NZ, so you can still see a 'British' connection in that regard.

Can I just say that I really love the difference in meaning of that word between Ireland, England/Britain and The US of A.

Ain't that the truth.