Latest news with #KingProtea
IOL News
24-06-2025
- Sport
- IOL News
Springboks unveil stunning new jersey to celebrate 1995 World Cup triumph
New Bok jersey SA Rugby unveiled the new Springbok jersey on Tuesday, the 30th anniversary of the Springboks' first Rugby World Cup victory. Photo: Supplied SA Rugby and Nike revealed the new Springbok jersey on Tuesday, with new title sponsor FNB's logo emblazoned on the front. The new jersey has been well received by fans on social media, weeks after the Springboks' training kit came in for some criticism. The green and gold home jersey does away with the collar and features a zigzag design along the neckline to pay homage to the King Protea, South Africa's national flower and sporting emblem. Inside the collar are four stars that feature as a nod to the team's four Rugby World Cup victories, as well as #ForeverGreenForeverGold. The alternate jersey is all white with the Protea collar in traditional bottle green, while the playing range is supported by a training and off-field range for supporters.
The Citizen
24-06-2025
- Sport
- The Citizen
PICTURES: New-look Bok jerseys unveiled, including special '95 edition
The world champions have a new sponsor this season, with their first match of 2025 taking place in Cape Town on Saturday. The new-look Springbok playing jersey for the 2025 season has been unveiled. And, for hard-core Bok fans, apparel partner Nike have released a jersey commemorating the 30th anniversary of the Springboks winning the 1995 Rugby World Cup. The new-look Bok playing jersey. The release of a heritage jersey recreates the one worn by the Boks in the 15-12 victory over New Zealand at Ellis Park in 1995, while the new team playing jersey incorporates elements of the King Protea in a striking collar design. Also, one of the most noticeable elements of the new playing jersey are four stars that feature inside the collar, honouring the team's four World Cup victories — in 1995, 2007, 2019 and 2023. The Boks' alternate jersey is all-white with the Protea collar in traditional bottle green. The Boks' alternate strip. The recreation of the 1995 jersey is in traditional cotton and features the iconic badge of the Springbok leaping over a wreath of proteas. The 1995 commemorative edition. 'Nike has done a superb job to produce a kit range that both honours the traditions of the Springboks while giving it a modern design edge,' said Rian Oberholzer, CEO of SA Rugby. 'We also chose to honour the 30th anniversary of the 1995 victory that was such a watershed moment for rugby and for South Africa.' The home and alternative jerseys as well as the lifestyle collection will be available from Wednesday (25 June) from Nike stores, major retailers, and online. The Springboks kick off their 2025 season with a match against the Barbarians in Cape Town on Saturday.
The South African
24-06-2025
- Business
- The South African
Revealed: Springboks' eye-catching 2025 jerseys
On Tuesday, SA Rugby revealed the 2025 Springbok kit along with apparel partner Nike, with the traditional green and gold jerseys certainly standing out, while the alternative kit is white and green. 'The unique, new neckline is inspired by the protea in a design that is rooted in green yet 'crowned' by the King Protea's leaves,' a statement read. 'Inside the collar are four stars that feature as a nod to the team's four Rugby World Cup victories, as well as #ForeverGreenForeverGold . 'Cutting-edge materials ensure the kit is not only a celebration of heritage but also a testament to modern sportswear innovation, integrating state-of-the-art fabric technologies. 'The materials enhance breathability, flexibility and endurance for the players while remaining lightweight and durable. The kit also features moisture-wicking properties, ensuring players stay cool and dry even during the most intense matches.' The alternate jersey is all-white with the Protea collar in traditional bottle green, while the playing range is supported by a training and off-field range for the passionate supporter. A newly designed playing kit and a retro jersey honouring the heritage of the 1995 Rugby World Cup winners was also revealed for the first time – 30 years to the day that Nelson Mandela first presented the Webb Ellis Cup to a Springbok captain. The release of a heritage jersey recreates the one worn by the Springboks in the iconic 15-12 victory over New Zealand at Ellis Park, while the new team playing jersey incorporates elements of the King Protea in a striking collar design. The home and alternative jerseys as well as the lifestyle collection will be available from Wednesday (25 June) from Nike stores, major retailers, and online. The Springboks kick off their season against the Barbarians this Saturday. Let us know by leaving a comment below, or send a WhatsApp to 060 011 0211. Subscribe to The South African website's newsletters and follow us on WhatsApp, Facebook, X and Bluesky for the latest news.
Malay Mail
22-06-2025
- Science
- Malay Mail
‘Part of South Africa's DNA': Iconic national flower protea blooms far from home as climate shifts native range
JOHANNESBURG, June 23 — On his farm two hours north of Johannesburg, Nico Thuynsma gestured towards thousands of orange, yellow and pink proteas in flower and thriving 1,500 kilometres from their natural home at the southern tip of Africa. 'They're all different,' the 55-year-old farmer said of the assorted blooms from the diverse Proteaceae family that has more than 350 species in South Africa, from firework-like 'pincushion' varieties to delicate 'blushing brides'. He picked out a majestic pink and white crown, nearly the size of his head, that has taken four years to reach its impressive size. 'The King Proteas are very slow to grow,' Thuynsma said. The largest of the proteas, the King Protea, is South Africa's national flower. Protea flower grower Nico Thuynsma collects one of the Protea flower species growing at his fam in Cullinan, east of Pretoria June 3, 2025. — AFP pic It has lent its name to the national cricket team and countless brands. It features on the currency and is the logo for South Africa's presidency this year of the G20 group of leading economies, which convenes a summit in November. It is also the country's largest flower export with more than 10 million stems sent abroad last year, worth close to 275 million rand (RM63 million), according to the Cape Flora industry organisation. Its status offers the King Protea some protection but almost half of South Africa's other protea species face extinction because of pressures on their native habitats in the mountains of the Cape, according to South Africa's National Biodiversity Institute (Sanbi). These include habitat loss to agriculture, the proliferation of invasive alien species and 'changes to natural fire cycles', Sanbi said in a 2021 report. Biologist at the University of Pretoria Professor Nigel Barker poses for a photograph in Pretoria on June 3, 2025. Professor Nigel Barker is studying the King Protea at a cellular and genetic level. Their research is uncovering how the plant responds to environmental stress and how its natural resilience might be enhanced to adapt to a hotter, more unpredictable climate. — AFP pic Icon 'People come to South Africa to see proteas,' Nigel Barker, a professor in plant sciences at the University of Pretoria, told AFP. 'It's the plant equivalent of the elephant or the lion.' Most proteas are endemic or semi-endemic to the Cape Floral Kingdom biome of 'fynbos' ('fine bush') that stretches across the southern tip of South Africa and is one of the world's richest flora biodiversity hotspots. But climate projections predict 'hotter, drier conditions', Barker said. 'We'll be looking at a completely different vegetation type in the future, semi-desert almost in some places.' 'Many species, because they're so range-restricted, will probably go extinct under those scenarios,' he said. 'The only solution we have is to cultivate them artificially... in greenhouses or farms where you control irrigation,' Barker said. An example is Thuynsma's farm in the grasslands of the north, where he began planting proteas three decades ago. Here, winters are dry and frosty, and the summers rainy — conditions very different to those in the far south where the proteas are at home. Protea flower grower Nico Thuynsma poses for a photograph inside a greenhouse at his fam in Cullinan, east of Pretoria June 3, 2025. Thuynsma is experimenting with different seed varieties to find out which ones can thrive in drier, hotter conditions. His farm has become a testing ground for the future of the species, as climate zones shift northward. — AFP pic Gel for irrigation Through trial and error, Thuynsma has been able to cultivate close to 200 protea varieties, including some long forgotten and abandoned by farmers in their original habitats. In his latest experiment, he has planted 36 varieties with just two litres of saturated gel for irrigation. 'I hope to unlock the power of some of these varieties,' Thuynsma said. 'They come from the Western Cape out of very harsh conditions, so they do have it in them.' 'I learn from them, I learn with them. And, hopefully, in the future I can advise my nursery public — and even estates — how to plant this lovely fynbos without irrigation,' he said. 'I don't think I have a solution for climate change,' he joked, crouched over a small seedling in freshly turned soil. 'But I do have a solution: to plant proteas.' A few metres away, in a warm nursery, thousands of protea sprouts awaited their turn in the soil. 'I love them, I protect them, I collect them,' Thuynsma said. 'The protea is part of South Africa's DNA.' — ETX Studio
eNCA
22-06-2025
- Science
- eNCA
SA's iconic protea flower relocates as climate warms
CULLINAN - On his farm two hours north of Johannesburg, Nico Thuynsma gestured towards thousands of orange, yellow and pink proteas in flower and thriving 1,500 kilometres from their natural home at the southern tip of Africa. "They're all different," the 55-year-old farmer said of the assorted blooms from the diverse Proteaceae family that has more than 350 species in South Africa, from firework-like "pincushion" varieties to delicate "blushing brides". He picked out a majestic pink and white crown, nearly the size of his head, that has taken four years to reach its impressive size. "The King Proteas are very slow to grow," Thuynsma said. The largest of the proteas, the King Protea, is South Africa's national flower. It has lent its name to the national cricket team and countless brands. It features on the currency and is the logo for South Africa's presidency this year of the G20 group of leading economies, which convenes a summit in November. It is also the country's largest flower export with more than 10 million stems sent abroad last year, worth close to R275-million, according to the Cape Flora industry organisation. Its status offers the King Protea some protection but almost half of South Africa's other protea species face extinction because of pressures on their native habitats in the mountains of the Cape, according to South Africa's National Biodiversity Institute (SANBI). These include habitat loss to agriculture, the proliferation of invasive alien species and "changes to natural fire cycles", SANBI said in a 2021 report. - Icon - "People come to South Africa to see proteas," Nigel Barker, a professor in plant sciences at the University of Pretoria, told AFP. "It's the plant equivalent of the elephant or the lion." Most proteas are endemic or semi-endemic to the Cape Floral Kingdom biome of "fynbos" ("fine bush") that stretches across the southern tip of South Africa and is one of the world's richest flora biodiversity hotspots. But climate projections predict "hotter, drier conditions", Barker said. "We'll be looking at a completely different vegetation type in the future, semi-desert almost in some places." "Many species, because they're so range-restricted, will probably go extinct under those scenarios," he said. "The only solution we have is to cultivate them artificially... in greenhouses or farms where you control irrigation," Barker said. An example is Thuynsma's farm in the grasslands of the north, where he began planting proteas three decades ago. Here, winters are dry and frosty, and the summers rainy -- conditions very different to those in the far south where the proteas are at home. - Gel for irrigation - Through trial and error, Thuynsma has been able to cultivate close to 200 protea varieties, including some long forgotten and abandoned by farmers in their original habitats. In his latest experiment, he has planted 36 varieties with just two litres (four pints) of saturated gel for irrigation. "I hope to unlock the power of some of these varieties," Thuynsma said. "They come from the Western Cape out of very harsh conditions, so they do have it in them." "I learn from them, I learn with them. And, hopefully, in the future I can advise my nursery public -- and even estates -- how to plant this lovely fynbos without irrigation," he said. "I don't think I have a solution for climate change," he joked, crouched over a small seedling in freshly turned soil. "But I do have a solution: to plant proteas." A few metres (yards) away, in a warm nursery, thousands of protea sprouts awaited their turn in the soil. "I love them, I protect them, I collect them," Thuynsma said. "The protea is part of South Africa's DNA."
