South Africa 2011 Rugby World Cup - The Springboks

The Springboks are to South Africa as the All Blacks are to New Zealand. For the 2011 Rugby World Cup, the South African Post is releasing on 19 August 2011, a sheetlet of 10 stamps featuring the Springboks emblem used since its inception. The first stamp in the sheetlet shows the emblem used from 1906 to 1933, followed by stamps showing the emblem used from 1937 to 1962 and the South African Rugby Board badge used from 1935 to 1972. Other stamps feature the rugby emblems used from 1963 tot 1964 and 1965 to 1989; the South African Rugby Union badge used from 1966 to 1991, the emblem used from 1992 to 1995; 1996 to 2003; 2004 to 2008 and lastly, from 2009 to the present year.

Guinea 2008 Tortoises & Rugby Players

This issue has a curious mixture of themes, but that is the nature of philatelic material created specially for collectors, and little postal utility. The theme is African tortoises, and here they are all associated with international South African rugby players! We might imagine the rugby forwards ploughing through the field like these giant tortoises, but a few of these players are in wing positions! The players featured are Bismarck du Plessis, Bryan Gary Habana (IRB 2007 Player of the Year), John Philip "Bakkies" Botha, Jaque Fourie & Schalk Burger. The tortoises are Aldabra Giant Tortoise (Geochelone gigantea), African Spurred Tortoise (Geochelone sulcata), Leopard tortoise (Geochelone pardalis) & Karoo Cape Tortoise (Homopus femoralis).

Watching Invictus

I wanted to watch Invictus when I first found out about it early January, because the movie is linked to 3 favourites/heroes of mine - rugby, Nelson Mandela and Morgan Freeman. I only managed to watch it 10 days ago. Of course, it also reminded me of a few South African stamps in my collection, issued over the years, one for François Pienaar, another for South African celebrations featuring the Web Ellis Cup, and the set of stamps commemorating the momentous event in 1995.
This set of 3 stamps and one souvenir sheet was issued on 25 May 1995 to commemorate South Africa hosting the 3rd Rugby World Cup.
This pair of stamps was issued on 28 June 1995 to celebrate South Africa winning the Rugby World Cup!