The Springboks' winning start to the home Test season has reignited one of rugby's favourite questions: "What are they feeding those guys?"

It's a question that has become part of South African rugby folklore. When Eben Etzebeth bulldozes through defenders or when Ox Nché dominates another scrum, someone inevitably asks it. It's echoed by commentators, shared in memes, repeated on social media and joked about from the sidelines of school rugby matches.

The fascination isn't just local. Around the world, rugby fans marvel at the size, strength and endurance of South Africa's rugby players and wonder what helps build athletes capable of competing at the highest level.

Pick n Pay and SA Rugby are now inviting South Africans to discover how to eat like a champion, through the retailer’s new campaign, which will take fans beyond the rugby field and into the kitchen – revealing the surprisingly simple foods that underpin elite performance.

Forget protein powders, expensive supplements and complicated diets. The foods behind one of the world's most physically dominant rugby teams are refreshingly ordinary and the same ingredients found in millions of South African homes, says Katherine Madley, Chief Marketing Officer at Pick n Pay.

Banana bread in the changing room. Steak and potatoes after training. Oats, eggs and yoghurt at breakfast. Family meals built around fresh ingredients, quality protein and balanced nutrition.

“‘What are they feeding the Springboks?’ has become part of our rugby culture. Behind the humour, though, is genuine curiosity. People admire the physicality of our teams and wonder what makes South African rugby players so strong, resilient and consistently competitive. Eat Like a Champion was inspired by that very question,” says Madley.

This has come to life through a new cinematic television commercial (watch it here) that playfully explores this mystery that has fascinated rugby fans for years, before revealing that the foundations of championship performance aren’t out of reach, but that they begin with the same fresh, everyday food found around the family table.

The retailer has also launched a first-of-its-kind editorial leaflet series, developed with the Springbok nutritionist and Pick n Pay dietitian, featuring recipes, nutrition insights and practical meal ideas inspired by the foods that fuel elite athletes - bringing those learnings into everyday South African homes.

The first of three editions is now in stores, revealing one of the Springboks' most unexpected staples:  banana bread – described as the "slice of calm before the collision".

Springbok dietician, Robyn Moore, shared that banana bread is a staple across the national teams, served as a top-up snack and kept in the changing room as players prepare for one of the toughest 80 minutes in world sport.

An article also debunks the myth that elite athletes avoid carbohydrates. In reality, foods like pasta and potatoes are essential for building and restoring the energy needed to withstand repeated collisions and high-intensity efforts across 80 minutes of Test rugby.

Even family favourites feature prominently. A Springbok-inspired lasagne recipe incorporates extra vegetables into the mince, creating a nutritious meal for "future forwards" and showing that the same principles fueling athletes can also support growing, active children.

"For us, this campaign is about much more than rugby; it's about making the principles behind great nutrition accessible to every South African family. We believe everyone deserves access to fresh, healthy food at great value, because the same everyday ingredients that fuel champions can help families live healthier, more active lives.

"The Springboks inspire us on the field, but every great performance starts somewhere much more familiar – around the kitchen table at home,” concludes Madley.

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