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Rugby fans are rejoicing the return of the game after a long winter sports famine. The fever has been spreading, the braais are waiting to be lit, and the vuvuzelas are ready to be brought out again.

Added to this excitement is the edging closer of the premiere of the highly anticipated documentary series, Chasing the Sun.

Even if you can’t tell a rugby ball from a bumblebee, Chasing The Sun is for you. It tells the rousing tale of the Springboks’ path to redemption and World Cup glory in 2019. The powerful five-part SuperSport documentary heads to your screens on Sunday, 4 October, on M-Net (DStv channel 101) and concludes on November 1, on the eve of the one-year anniversary.

Watch on Catch Up

Coaches Rassie Erasmus and Jacques Nienaber were an integral part of the Springbok World Cup victory. We caught up with them to learn more about how they inspired the Bok players and ultimately the nation, to believe that we really are stronger together.

The building blocks

“When Jacques and I joined the Springbok coaching team, our main goal was to make the team competitive again,” says ex-Bok Rassie, who was the head coach of the winning team in Japan. “It was vital for the team to be consistently among the top-three rankings in world rugby. We wanted to increase squad depth [with the Rugby World Cup in mind] and wanted to win with a transformed team.”

Securing that as a foundation was the first step, then stacking the blocks was the next.

Jacques, who was part of the coaching staff in Japan and is now the head coach of the South African squad, agrees. “Forming a foundation is crucial, and then you implement a strategy,” he says.

“Our strategy for the tournament started long before we landed in Japan. The management did a lot of groundwork to gather important details on the playing conditions, logistics, travelling and so on. Then, from an on-field perspective, through our consistent emphasis on team alignment, we ensured every squad member was on the same page regarding our preparation and playing philosophy.”