Twice the Glory: The Making of the Greatest Bok Team in History

by Lloyd Burnard, Khanyiso Tshwaku

The Springboks made history in France in 2023 when they became the only team to win the Webb Ellis Trophy four times. Who can forget how the Boks won by only one point in three games? Released on the anniversary of this milestone, Twice the Glory by Lloyd Burnard and Khanyiso Tshwaku investigates how this remarkable victory was achieved.

A recurring theme is the relationship between Jacques Nienaber and Rassie Erasmus, one that goes all the way back to their university days, how it developed and how, when watching the Boks play against Ireland in 2017, they decided to come back to SA to ‘turn things around’.

Nienaber is famously self-effacing but in a dedicated chapter and interview, the authors examine the man who rose from physiotherapist to world beating coach. And how he combined with Erasmus to form a world-beating duo.

Rassie and Jacques had only 18 months to turn the Boks around before their triumph at the 2019 World Cup. It’s all here: the Covid disruption, the Siya Kolisi story, Rassie in hot water over THAT video, injury blows and rising new talent as they head off to France to do battle once again.

Twice the Glory is filled with drama, anecdotes and tears. This is a story that will have you on the edge of your seat as you relive the nail-biting moments. But it also includes penetrating analysis of what contributed to making this Bok team the finest one in its history.

224 pages, Paperback

Published November 1, 2024

Reviews

[Craig Haird · Rating 3 out of 5]

I loved Miracle Men the first book in this genre that followed the Springboks at 2019 World Cup and was hoping this would be similar but it felt a bit stretched - perhaps this is because so much of the story is already out there since 2019 but this did not have the same grab as Miracle Men

[Jono Cooper · Rating 4 out of 5]

A fun read going into some of the behind the scenes of the Springboks in recent history. Not too much depth but a fun read for any rugby fan.

[Yolandi · Rating 4 out of 5]

I’ve decided to call this Chasing the Sun in literary form—because I can, and because it carries the same fire and soul as the documentary itself. I read it during the holidays, just before the flu laid claim to my body, and somehow it became the perfect companion for that liminal time between rest and reflection.

This book offers a rare and riveting glimpse behind the curtain—into the daily grind, the strategy, and the sheer emotional grit that shaped Rassie and the Springboks into world champions. With only 18 months to the 2019 Rugby World Cup, and then an interrupted journey through a pandemic-stolen 2020 leading to their historic 2023 victory, the transformation was nothing short of phenomenal.

It’s not just a record of games played and trophies won—it’s about the invisible work: the hours, the trust, the belief. The preparation wasn’t just physical, it was spiritual. And that’s what this book captures so well.

Though the documentary beautifully embodied both World Cup journeys, this book stands on its own as a deeply compelling account. For that, I give it four stars—because while it rides in the shadow of a great production, it shines with its own kind of brilliance.