Rugby fans have been known to go to great lengths to show their support for the Bokke – including adding Springbok horns to the bonnet of their cars, painting their houses green and gold and of course donning Springbok gear at the office every time a match is played. But if you are willing to shell out a bit of cash, you could be the proud owner of the ultimate supporter gear.
Rugby fans have been known to go to great lengths to show their support for the Bokke – including adding Springbok horns to the bonnet of their cars, painting their houses green and gold and of course donning Springbok gear at the office every time a match is played. But if you are willing to shell out a bit of cash, you could be the proud owner of the ultimate supporter gear.
Superfan and 3D designer Lance Eggersglusz made the headlines when he debuted his Iron Buck suit at the Springboks vs Wales match at uMgeni Park in June last year. The suit, modelled after Iron Man’s iconic Iron Patriot armour, was painstakingly constructed over the course of a month using compressed foam similar to the materials used in yoga mats.
“I had done a bit of research on software that makes paper flat and used the contours to shape the Iron Patriot character's exoskeleton which I had a drawing of,” says Eggersglusz. “I then used the cut out of the drawing and glued it onto bits of compressed foam I had bought from a local company. I then shaped the foam, painted it, and bit by bit it began to take shape.”
Unlike Iron Man’s suit, the Iron Buck’s eyes light up in gold and features a brightly lit-up Springbok logo. Not surprisingly, the suit was a huge hit with both fans and the Bokke themselves. "It was amazing, I was wondering what the reaction would be and was stunned by the fans. It took my family over an hour to get to our seats, because of the number of selfies fans took with me. Don't let me get started on trying to get to the toilet at half time. Even once the game was over, we had to wait for a long time to get out of the stadium!”
Jannie du Plessis, Zane Kirchner, Elton Jantjies, JP Pieterson and other Boks have signed the suit, which is now for sale on Gumtree. Eggersglusz hasn’t put a price to the item, but welcomes offers.
Claire Cobbledick, Head of Gumtree Marketing, says that the suit is definitely an one-in-a-million item, but she wouldn’t be surprised if Eggerglusz finds a buyer soon. “What better way to show that you are the ultimate Iron Fan?”
Cobbledick says that there are several rare sports items for grabs on the site at the moment, including the Zakumi mascot suit from the 2010 World Cup as well as Fernando Alonso’s winning World Championship gloves from 2005 (selling for R35,000).
“We often take time just to marvel at the things that end up on Gumtree – we’ve certainly seen it all,” she states. “But there are still plenty of options for fans that prefer a more run-of-the-mill item, such as a Springbok jersey or cap, which can be picked up for a song second hand!”
sport@grocotts.co.za
