Johannesburg - Look, every four years the Fifa World Cup comes around like a juggernaut, crushing everything in front of it. So, it was interesting to see just how much a handful of rugby players were following the showpiece event in Qatar.
On Wednesday, IOL had an opportunity to ask three rugby players – Francke Horn and Edwill van der Merwe of the Emirates Lions; and former teammate and now Sharks man Vincent Tshituka about who they were backing to win the tournament.
Just like the rest of us, it was hard to pin down who the favourite for this edition of the World Cup is. Let’s start with Lions eighthman, Horn.
“I actually like watching sport.
“We trained during the Argentina game but I did watch the highlights,” he continued referring to the Argentines shock loss to Saudi Arabia on Tuesday. “My team is Brazil – always has been – and I know they are the favourites. I am rooting for them.”
Meanwhile, Van der Merwe admitted that he is not one for football, but would support the defending champions.
“I don’t watch soccer really,” he said. “I am more into my American sports – basketball and NFL – but I used to support France, so maybe I will keep track of how they are doing.”
Down on the coast, some 600km away from Joburg, Tshituka had a similar sentiment.
“I haven’t followed soccer closely in the past two years just because, flip, once you get wrapped up in rugby it is hard to unwrap yourself from the game.
“I have always been a big fan of Germany. It has always been a team that I have supported from the very first World Cup I watched in 2010. I am still rooting for them.
“I haven’t watched much but I couldn’t miss the big disappointment of Argentina losing.”
They can all be forgiven for missing out on the action. Both the Lions and the Sharks are currently hard at training preparing for a return to United Rugby Championship action this weekend.
They both play on Sunday against the Dragons and Cardiff Rugby at Emirates Airline Park and Hollywoodbest Kings Park, respectively. Those matches kick-off at 4pm and 6pm.
IOL Sport