One of the spinoffs of the Springboks winning the Rugby World Cup in 2023, is that club rugby in the country is booming. Quietly, without fuss, and without much wider public or media attention, the numbers are climbing. They have done so for the last four or five months. And it’s good that they’re doing so now, because we stand poised on the cusp of club rugby season.South African club rugby has a protean durability at the best of times, this is true. Estimates suggest, for example, that the country possesses 150 000 players at approximately 1500 clubs scattered across the land, making the South African club system second largest in the world behind France. Donate to The Luke Alfred Show on Patreon.Buy your copy of my book: Vuvuzela Dawn: 25 Sporting Stories that Shaped a New Nation. Get full written episodes of the show a day early on Substack.Check out The Luke Alfred Show on YouTube and Facebook.