“A Salute to Rugby World Cup Champions and Their New-Mother Spouses”

3 mins read
mother's day rugby world cup champions

The Springbok rugby champions celebrated their first Mother’s Day with their new-mother spouses, expressing heartfelt tributes on social media. The athletes acknowledged the strength and resilience of motherhood and how it has transformed their spouses into glorious matriarchs. The celebration was an ode to the love and respect they hold for the mothers of their children and an affirmation of the extraordinary women they are.

A Salute to Rugby World Cup Champions and Their New-Mother Spouses

Springbok rugby champions celebrated their first Mother’s Day with their spouses, who had become mothers for the first time. The rugby players took to social media to express heartfelt tributes to their wives, acknowledging the strength and resilience of motherhood. This celebration of motherhood was also an ode to the love and respect they hold for the mothers of their children.

Newsletter

Stay Informed • Cape Town

Get breaking news, events, and local stories delivered to your inbox daily. All the news that matters in under 5 minutes.

Join 10,000+ readers
No spam, unsubscribe anytime

A Global Celebration

As dawn broke last Sunday, it was more than just another day around the world. It served as a festivity in honor of mothers, recognizing the unseen yet formidable power in our lives. Partaking in this worldwide celebration were the wives of three Springbok rugby champions, who were experiencing the joys of motherhood for the first time, bathing in the affectionate admiration of their triumphant husbands.

The stage might have shifted, but the essence of the game remained unaltered; a relentless pursuit of resilience, grit, and immeasurable love. As Eben and Anlia Etzebeth, Faf and Mine, as well as Handre and Marise Pollard, greeted their first-born offspring in 2024, the divisions between the rugby pitch and real life started to blur. The robust rugby athletes softened into loving fathers, and their spouses morphed into glorious matriarchs.

Heartfelt Tributes

Amidst the international festivities, these rookie fathers took to social media platforms to express their heartfelt tributes to their wives. Faf De Klerk, filled with raw emotion, posted, “Happy 1st Mother’s Day to my incredible wife! She is managing motherhood like a pro, and Remi-Ré is indeed fortunate to have you.” The words were succinct, but the sentiment ran deep.

The celebration carried on as Handre Pollard unveiled glimpses of Marise in her newfound role as a mother and their newborn son. His brief but touching message stated, “Happy first Mother’s Day my love @marisepollard.”

Perhaps the most impactful of all was Eben Etzebeth’s tribute to his wife, Anlia. He penned, “Over the past 4 months, I’ve learned that motherhood likely ranks as the toughest yet most rewarding job in the world. I hold immense respect for all mothers; women are extraordinary!” This affirmation of women’s might and acknowledgment of their role reflects their shared journey into parenthood.

Seasoned Dads Join the Chorus

Enhancing the chorus of appreciation and respect were seasoned Springbok fathers Siya Kolisi and Cheslin Kolbe. Siya, with admiration brimming in his heart for his wife Rachel, posted a series of family snapshots accompanied by a modest but moving message: “Happy Mother’s Day babe @rachelkolisi.”

Cheslin Kolbe too, didn’t shy away from expressing his love for his wife, Layla, and his mother. His message was, “Happy Mother’s Day to all the incredible mothers out there! To my mom, I miss and love you.” And to his wife, he expressed, “You are the best thing that could’ve happened to us, couldn’t manage without you.”

These titans of the rugby pitch, epitomes of strength and persistence, dropped their defenses, uncovering the loving husbands and fascinated fathers within. Their wishes to their other halves on their “first Mother’s Day” stands as a tribute to the extraordinary women they are.

An Ode to Strength and Resilience

This Mother’s Day was not merely a glorification of motherhood. It was an affirmation of the strength, resilience, and love that these women personify. As the global populace celebrated, these Rugby World Cup victors and their spouses joined in. While they may be new to parenthood, their celebration of this day was as enduring as the love and respect they hold for the mothers of their children.

What did the Springbok rugby champions celebrate with their new-mother spouses?

The Springbok rugby champions celebrated their first Mother’s Day with their new-mother spouses, expressing heartfelt tributes on social media.

What did the rugby players acknowledge about motherhood?

The rugby players acknowledged the strength and resilience of motherhood and how it has transformed their spouses into glorious matriarchs.

What was the celebration an ode to?

The celebration was an ode to the love and respect they hold for the mothers of their children and an affirmation of the extraordinary women they are.

How did the rugby players express their tributes to their wives on social media?

The rugby players took to social media to express heartfelt tributes to their wives, acknowledging the strength and resilience of motherhood.

Who else joined in the chorus of appreciation and respect for mothers?

Seasoned Springbok fathers Siya Kolisi and Cheslin Kolbe also joined in the chorus of appreciation and respect for mothers.

What did this Mother’s Day celebration affirm about motherhood?

This Mother’s Day celebration was not merely a glorification of motherhood. It was an affirmation of the strength, resilience, and love that these women personify.

Tumi Makgale is a Cape Town-based journalist whose crisp reportage on the city’s booming green-tech scene is regularly featured in the Mail & Guardian and Daily Maverick. Born and raised in Gugulethu, she still spends Saturdays bargaining for snoek at the harbour with her gogo, a ritual that keeps her rooted in the rhythms of the Cape while she tracks the continent’s next clean-energy breakthroughs.

Previous Story

Leading Environmental Conservation: Cape Town’s ‘I am a Smart Driver’ Initiative

Next Story

South Africa: The Motherland of Global Icons

Latest from Blog

Dawn, Dirt and Dinner: A Willowvale Kitchen Without Walls

In Willowvale, farmers cleverly plant in manurefilled pits to save water and feed the soil. They also build special ditches to catch rainwater, making sure not a single drop goes to waste. Cooking happens outdoors, over crackling fires, using fresh food grown right there. They even turn old things into new cooking tools. It’s all about living close to the earth and making every bit count, showing a deep love for nature.

Cape Town Quietly Rewrites the Rules Between Tradition and the State

Cape Town is cleverly changing how it supports traditional initiation camps. They now treat these camps like temporary city areas, providing water, toilets, and trash pickup. This helps keep everyone safe and healthy, using smart data to track everything. It’s a quiet revolution, making sure old traditions fit smoothly into modern city life, and other cities are starting to notice this clever plan.

South Africa Plays Hardball on Hoof-and-Mouth: A Five-Year Blitz to Reopen R7 Billion in Beef Trade

South Africa is launching a massive fiveyear plan to crush FootandMouth Disease for good. They’re upgrading labs, getting tons of vaccines, and working with villages to tag and track every animal. This tough new strategy, backed by big money, aims to reopen a R7 billion beef trade with countries like China and the EU. They’re using strict rules, new tech, and even special meetings with local leaders to make sure no sick animal slips through. It’s a fullon war to protect their cattle and bring back their valuable beef exports!

South Africa’s Gateways in November 2025: 3,1 Million Footprints in 30 Days

In November 2025, South Africa saw a massive 3.1 million people cross its borders. This huge number of visitors, especially 2.37 million noncitizens, made it the busiest November for foreign entries since before COVID hit in 2019. It was like a river of people flowing in, showing how popular South Africa had become again.