VIDEO: Bad DJs and good music keep Boks grounded
The defending World Cup champions, South Africa, are constantly being portrayed as a bunch of brutes.
They are indeed some of the most physical specimens on the globe.
However, when the team buss head to Stade de Marseille on Sunday, for an encounter with Scotland at the start of their campaign, there will be a diverse collection of songs to ‘motivate them’.
The genres will range from gospel music to Mongolian throat-singing.
Their music tastes are as broad as their cultures and they embrace each other’s tastes and choices just as eagerly as they do each other’s personalities.
It is what makes them the Springboks.
Springbok captain Siya Kolisi quipped that lock RG Snyman has been ‘banned’ from selecting motivational songs for the bus ride to the stadium – because of his love for Mongolian folk metal, the throat-singing band called The Hu.
Snyman earlier this week proudly discussed his curious taste in music, which includes a Mongolian folk metal, throat-singing band called The Hu.
However, on a more serious note, the Bok skipper said every player is entitled to suggest one song and then the emcee conducts the program of ‘entertainment’ and ensures the players arrive at the stadium in the right frame of mind.
(WATCH as Springbok captain Siya Kolisi reveals who is the team’s ‘best’ disc jockey is and he listens to before matches…)
“We all have a different taste in music,” Kolisi said, adding: “The biggest DJ [the player most often tasked with providing the entertainment] is Sous [Franco Mostert].
“Sometimes he plays horrible music, but we bear with him.”
Asked about his personal taste in music, Kolisi said he listens to a wide variety.
“However, for matchday it is worship music.
“It gives me peace and settles me down.”
He said during the week’s South Africa’s Director of Rugby Rassie Erasmus and coach Jacques Nienaber hypes them up.
“I need something to pull me down and keep me level-headed,” Kolisi said, adding: “It also gives me a lot of strength.”
His favourite artists include Maverick City, Bethel and Elevation Worship.
“My new favourite song is Make a Way by Maverick City and Chandler Moore,” he said.
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