South Africans are putting a new spin on rugby match day

There are few things quite as South African as settling in for a big rugby game with good food, something to drink and a room full of people who suddenly have very strong opinions about the referee.

For many supporters, the final whistle is only one part of the experience. The real match-day ritual happens around it – at home, around the braai, in a national team jersey and, increasingly, with a glass of wine in hand.

A new survey of nearly 300 South Africans points to a shift in what people are drinking when they watch rugby, with wine emerging as a popular part of the occasion.

Rugby is bringing people together

The survey paints a familiar picture of South African rugby culture.

Four in five respondents say they usually watch rugby at home, either at their own house or at a friend’s. And while the match remains the reason everyone is gathered, the social side of the day appears to be just as important.

Spending time together was identified as the most important part of match day by 37% of respondents, compared with 32% who chose the game itself.

That helps explain why rugby viewing can feel less like simply watching television and more like a small social event.

The food and drink play their part too. More than eight in 10 respondents say enjoying drinks is part of their match-day tradition, while 69% include a braai and 58% say wearing a national team jersey is part of the occasion.

In typical South African fashion, watching the game also means talking about the game.

A striking 98.7% of those surveyed say they comment while the match is taking place. Another 89% say they debate the action, while 49% believe they could do a better job than the coach. Even the referee is not spared, with 27% saying they have something to say about the officiating.

Wine is finding a place beside the braai

The most interesting change may be happening at the drinks table.

Wine was the most popular alcoholic drink among those surveyed, with 91.2% saying they enjoy it while watching rugby. Beer followed at 51.1%, while 20.4% chose spirits.

Wine also appears to be moving beyond being an occasional choice.

More than four in 10 respondents, or 43.4%, say they drink wine more often while watching rugby than they did a few years ago. Only 2.9% say they drink it less often, while 50.4% say their consumption has stayed about the same.

The survey also found that 42% enjoy wine while watching sporting occasions more broadly, with 38% specifically connecting wine with rugby.

That suggests the familiar rugby combination of food, drinks and conversation is not necessarily tied to one particular type of beverage anymore.

For many South Africans, match day is about creating an atmosphere – and wine appears to be increasingly part of that picture.

A family story behind the 221 range

For Alvi’s Drift, the relationship between rugby and wine is more than a modern match-day trend.

The family story stretches back to 1928, when Albertus Viljoen ‘Oupa Alvi‘ van der Merwe became the first player to score a try against a touring New Zealand side on African soil.

He later represented South Africa as national team player No. 221 and went on to lay the foundations for what became the family wine estate.

That number has since been carried forward through Alvi’s Drift’s 221 wine range.

There is also a direct link between the family’s rugby history and its winemaking today. Oupa Alvi’s grandson, Alvi van der Merwe, is the winemaker at the family estate.

The current 221 range includes Chenin Blanc, Sauvignon Blanc, Pinotage and Special Cuvée Red, bringing a nearly century-old family connection into a very modern match-day setting.

More than a game

South African rugby has always had a strong social side. A big match can turn an ordinary afternoon into an occasion, whether that means gathering around the television, preparing food or arguing over a controversial decision long after the players have left the field.

The survey reinforces that idea.

Three quarters of respondents say the atmosphere, food and drink are important to their match-day experience. The same proportion believe commenting and talking about the game is as important as the match itself.

It is perhaps why the match-day ritual can continue even after the final whistle.

The result matters, of course. But so does the gathering around it.

And as South Africans continue to find different ways to make rugby part of a shared social experience, it seems the traditional braai and jersey now have another familiar companion at the table: a glass of wine.

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