SPRINGBOK FACTORY: What it takes to be a Bok - Softcover

MCGREGOR L

Softcover

ISBN 10: 1868424693 ISBN 13: 9781868424696

Synopsis

"Imagine a Springbok as a finished product coming off a factory assembly line. What are the components required? And what does it take for them to cohere into a successful team? Author Liz McGregor spent two years behind the scenes interviewing the players, coaches, wives and girlfriends, mothers and teachers. She also spoke to the Bok doctor and physio, the sponsors, brand managers and the logistics guy. And then there's the boss, the South African Rugby Union. What she discovered is as fascinating as it is complex: that parents play a crucial role, as do those early coaches and teachers who identify and nurture talent; that injury lurks behind every corner; that it takes incredible courage to go back onto the field to face another battering; and that the 'business' of the Springboks is one that is both well and poorly managed, depending where you look. By the end of her journey, McGregor had developed a deep regard for the players and many of the people who work to put the best team South Africa can offer onto the field. Nelson Mandela showed how a Springbok team can unite a nation. But there are parts of the Springbok Factory that are in urgent need of repair or, indeed, replacement. "

About this title

About the Author

Liz McGregor is a veteran author and journalist who started off her career on leading South African newspapers including the Sunday Times and the Rand Daily Mail. Her other books are Touch, Pause, Engage! Exploring the Heart of South African Rugby, Khabzela: The Life and Times of a South African and she is the co-editor of At Risk: Writing On and Over the Edge of South Africa and Load Shedding.

Edition details

• Publication date: 2013
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 1868424693
• ISBN 13: 9781868424696
• Binding: Paperback
• Edition number: 1
• Number of pages: 1