Veteran sports writer Simnikiwe Xabanisa joins Gurthro Steenkamp to reflect on 25 years of South African rugby, the lessons he’s learned from covering the Springboks, and why he believes that “life is a team game.”

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This episode dives deep into the evolution of the Boks, the media’s changing role, and the mindset that defines great teams and great people. It’s a conversation about truth, resilience and connection — on and off the field.

Chapters

Totally—here’s a tighter set (12 chapters) you can paste straight into YouTube/Spotify:

00:00 – Cold open: “Life is a team game”

01:36 – Intro & why Sim’s here

07:17 – SA Rugby’s evolution: 2000s to Rassie

22:16 – How player access & media changed

27:57 – What a rugby journalist really does (context > clicks)

35:26 – Coaching, performance & integrity (scrum “cheat codes”)

44:40 – Why the Boks keep winning: continuity, depth, transformation

56:09 – The rise of Sasha Feinberg-Mngomezulu

58:14 – France vs Springboks: rivalry, emotion, stakes

01:06:51 – Habits behind a 25-year journalism career

01:14:22 – Setback to comeback: Sim’s toughest years

01:28:06 – Closing thoughts & what’s next

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