THE FIRST LADY SPRINGBOK RUGBY
When the Springboks won the 2019 Rugby World Cup, Annelee Murray, drew the curtain on her illustrious career with the national rugby team. But, true to her spirit, she could not just end matters there… With decades of memories and experiences, she had a story to tell. Alongside writer and journalist Mark Keohane, she authored her autobiography titled:
Annelee Murray – The First Lady of Springbok Rugby, published in 2021 by Highbury Media.

“I wrote the book to give every Springbok supporter some insight into the team and the players they love. I hope the book can educate and inspire supporters equally when it comes to the Springboks and the dynamics around the greatest rugby team in the world.”

Annelee Murray spent 21 years with the Springboks as their PR and Administration manager, and is known fondly in circles as the “mother “of the Boks”

Why share my story I get asked- if anything, to give every Springbok supporter some insight into the team and the players they love.

I have not experienced anything as unique as the Springbok supporters and am blessed to have enjoyed 21 years as part of team management.

I’ve:

• worked with 21 captains,

• 7 national coaches and many management colleagues and SA Rugby staff over the course of 244 matches.

• Seen 248 players be capped in national colours

I hope my story can educate and inspire supporters equally when it comes to the Springboks and the dynamics around them and also give insight on what it takes to actually put a team out on the field every week. I also hope it serves as aspiration as much as inspiration for any young women who want to work in sport and, in this instance, in rugby. It can be done. I am proof of that, as are several other wonderfully talented professionals who worked with me.

I hope that my journey does allow supporters to see the players differently from just men who play 80 minutes of Test rugby on a Saturday. I have tried to humanise them and articulate how I experienced working alongside them.

The highs are obvious, from the World Cup wins to the 2009 series victory against the British & Irish Lions, and the lows taught me how to tackle adversity head on, and how to lean on each other when it felt like that was all we had.

I tell a story, filled with moments, anecdotes, observations and insights, and mostly I just celebrate Springbok rugby and the players, coaches and management who I’ve worked with.