Three members of South Africa’s triumphant Rugby World Cup squad will accompany the Webb Ellis Cup on its journey to Kimberley, the third stop of the RWC Trophy Blitz.

Springboks Malcolm Marx, Duane Vermeulen, and Deon Fourie will arrive in the Northern Cape capital on Friday, bringing the coveted trophy to the Diamond Pavilion Shopping Centre (13:00).

Fans will have a chance to meet the players and take pictures with the Webb Ellis Cup before it heads to Suzuki Stadium for the top-of-the-table SA Cup clash between Griquas and the Pumas.

“Kimberley will be a hive of sporting activity this weekend, with lots of school teams in action as well as the big SA Cup clash between Griquas and the Pumas,” said Mr Mark Alexander.

“These two teams met at the same venue in the Currie Cup final of 2022, and we saw back then what a huge following rugby has in the Northern Cape. Griquas is also one of our oldest provinces, so it’s great to have the opportunity to thank the people from that part of the country for their support of the Springboks.

“The first two stops on the Trophy Blitz, in Gqeberha and George, have underlined how passionate South Africans are about the Boks and rugby in general, and we are excited to head north on this third stop of the tour.”

The Springboks held a trophy tours in Gauteng, Durban and Eastern Cape, but they couldn’t go further as many players had to return to their clubs, with others having found new teams such Bok skipper Siya Kolisi in France and coach Jacques Nienaber leaving to join Leinster in Ireland. 

The Springboks won the fourth World Cup in a dramatic fashion over their biggest nemesis – New Zealand 11-12 at Stade de France, Saint-Denis on 21 October.