Let Them Cook: The celebration generation

OPINION: Dylan Jack argues that rugby’s new generation of expressive players — from Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu to Damian Willemse and Henry Pollock — are showing why the sport needs more personality.

Rugby has for very long been a game of restraint. Tries were there to be scored, not savoured. Celebrations were a simple handshake and a jog to the halfway line. Anything else was met with a stink-eye, or worse, talk of arrogance.

But that mindset is shifting – and it’s about time.

A new generation of players is bringing fresh life into a game that badly needs it. Feinberg-Mngomezulu, Pollock, Willemse, Cheslin Kolbe, and Edwill van der Merwe are just a few examples of players whose celebrations and charisma have become extensions of who they are.

Whether it’s a grin, a dance, an arm pump, or a roar to the stands, their gestures are reminders that rugby can be disciplined and expressive.

Rugby’s restraint, while noble, has sometimes left the sport looking sterile. Compare it with football or basketball, where players’ celebrations and individuality form part of their identity and add to the sports’ mass appeal.

Modern fans don’t just support teams — they connect with personalities. The social media generation wants to know what brands their favourite players are wearing and what they do away from the game.

In that sense, players like Willemse and Van der Merwe represent something fresh.

Willemse’s calm intensity and sense of style have made him a modern rugby icon – a player comfortable both on the field and in his own skin.

Van der Merwe, meanwhile, wears his joy like a badge of honour. When he does a headstand after scoring a try, he’s sharing an authentic part of himself with the crowd in the stadium.

It’s no coincidence that this new wave of expression has emerged in the social media era. Rugby is no longer just a game played on grass – it’s a story told in clips and moments that travel far beyond the stadium.

The story continues below…

When Feinberg-Mngomezulu has the sheer audacity to pull off an insane cross-field kick or offload, it becomes clipped up in seconds and shared across the globe.

Even a simple moment, like Willemse’s famous signal to the ref to call a scrum from a mark in his own 22 at the 2023 Rugby World Cup, can become GIFs and memes shared thousands of times.

These are the moments that catch the attention of casual fans – the ones rugby has struggled to reach. Younger audiences are drawn to emotion and relatability. They want to see that players care in the heat of the moment.

Beyond the spectacle, personality has a deeper value for the sport. It creates role models who feel real and gives fans someone to follow, not just for what they do, but who they are.

In the past, rugby’s stoicism often made players seem remote – great athletes, but not always accessible personalities.

Now, players like Feinberg-Mngomezulu are changing that. They’re proud of where they come from, confident in how they play, and unafraid to show emotion.

Physicality and tactics will always matter, but emotion is what keeps people watching. As the sport tries to grow globally, it can’t rely only on the product – it needs personalities who inspire loyalty, joy, and curiosity.

Pollock’s try celebrations aren’t an act of rebellion. They are a symbol of what rugby could be if it embraced emotion instead of suppressing it.

Rugby doesn’t lose integrity when its players express joy – it grows the game. With the ‘celebration generation’ leading the way, it’s wonderful to finally see this being embraced.

@dylmjack