While the Welsh national rugby team travels to South Africa to take on the world champions, presenter Eleri Siôn and rugby coach Rowland Phillips join them for a different take on life in the country.
In a new two-part series Rowland ac Eleri ar y Boks, the pair will face a range of challenges. They’ll also be getting to know the Welsh supporters on the streets of South Africa – from Cape Town to Johannesburg.
“The series follows our adventure in South Africa. Unfortunately Nigel Owens, our co-presenter on chat show Jonathan, has accepted an offer to referee New Zealand’s match against Ireland in Wellington, so he won’t be able to come. But it’s not a huge loss,” jokes Eleri. “We’ll find some way of getting him there in spirit.”
As well as coming face-to-face with the Welsh and Springbok supporters, Rowland will be riding ostriches during the series. The duo will also meet a famous Welsh face in the second episode, who joins them on an interesting safari.
Eleri, who will also present highlights of the two tests between South Africa and Wales on S4C, says, “We’ll be playing Ar y Pyst on location with human posts, but I’m quite worried that I may have to be one of the posts!” Ar y Pyst is a game played regularly on the Jonathan series where guests are challenged to kick a rugby ball between the posts.
Rowland will also try to emulate South Africa’s world-famous winger, Bryan Habana, who raced a cheetah in order to raise awareness of the animal’s plight. Eleri reveals that the Neath coach is currently undergoing extensive training in an attempt to complete the challenge.
“Rowland will be showing off his many talents in the two-part series and he’s currently in training at home with his highland terrier!”
But how will Eleri, from Ciliau Aeron near Aberaeron, cope with working with Rowland on her own?
“Working with Rowland is like being at war; there’s danger coming from all angles and you need a pair of eyes in the back of your head. But I’m secretly hoping that he will keep his trousers on during the series, because he’s going through a phase of promoting his River Island underwear to everyone who’ll look,” she adds.
© 2008 S4C
O Gymru / Made in Wales