South Africans will debate a Springbok selection until the cows come home. But what if the real question is not who deserves to wear the jersey, but who looks like they already belong in it? Klipdrift has taken that question to wonderfully chaotic new heights with its Same Same but Klippies campaign, putting thousands of rugby fans through the ultimate Bok look-alike test.
Through the Same-Same Scanner, rugby supporters uploaded their photos to discover which Springbok they most resembled. Facial similarity technology then did the very important work of deciding whether you have the face of a prop, lock, winger or, apparently, a future Bok.
And South Africans showed up.
Since launching in June, the scanner has recorded more than 38,500 scans. That is a lot of people staring at their screens and wondering whether they have secretly been living a double life as a professional rugby player.
Meet South Africa’s biggest Bok look-alikes
The results have delivered some fascinating surprises.
Neethling Fouché claimed the top spot, with 1,885 fans being identified as his closest look-alikes. Lood de Jager followed with 1,577 matches, while Wilco Louw rounded out the top three with 1,469.
So, somewhere out there, almost 1,900 people apparently have the face of Neethling Fouché.
I have questions…
South Africa accounted for 95% of all scans, proving that our national obsession with the Springboks remains very much alive. The United Kingdom came in second, while Gauteng dominated participation within South Africa, generating almost half of the scans. The Western Cape followed.
The campaign has effectively uncovered a second Springbok squad. Except this one probably has significantly more day jobs and fewer international caps.
More than just a look-alike game
What makes the campaign interesting is how quickly a simple digital experience became part of the broader rugby conversation.
Friends challenged each other to scan. Families compared results. Social feeds filled with Bok doppelgängers. And, inevitably, somebody discovered a resemblance that everyone else immediately disagreed with.
That playful competitiveness sits at the heart of Same Same but Klippies.
According to Donné Wolk, Marketing Head of Spirits, the campaign began as a light-hearted celebration of rugby. It soon became something bigger, reflecting the connection South Africans have with the Springboks and the desire to feel part of their story.
That connection stretches beyond the rugby pitch.
The Springboks have a particular ability to bring South Africans together across generations, provinces and backgrounds. Whether you are screaming at the television, arguing over team selections or checking whether your face belongs in the Bok squad, rugby has a way of creating shared moments.
And now, apparently, shared cheekbones.
The final whistle
The Same-Same Scanner may have officially reached the end of its campaign, but it has left South Africa with its own unofficial Bok Look-alike Squad.
It is a squad built not from professional contracts, training camps or Test caps, but from thousands of selfies and a little facial-recognition magic.
The results prove one thing: South Africans don’t simply support the Springboks.
Some of us apparently look like we could be playing alongside them.
And honestly, I would like to know where the scanner puts me.
