South African Lockdown quiz unites sports fans
Sports enthusiasts have been loving a lockdown quiz that has included some pretty epic South African sporting stars; you can join in on the fun!
South Africa (25 June 2020) – Covid-19 put an abrupt end to all sporting events worldwide, causing an unprecedented drought in the world’s most unifying entertainment medium. Nevertheless, across-the-board production company Rayder Media has managed to plug the all-important sporting gap for suffering sports fans with its Lockdown Sports Quiz, which is growing in popularity daily.
Who is Africa’s most decorated Olympian?
Who is the current darts world champion?
Name this Formula One track…
These are just a few of the many, many questions that sports lovers and stars alike have been asked every Tuesday over the past three months, all thanks to the Rayder Media Lockdown Sports Quiz.
While sport came to a grinding halt as a result of the global Coronavirus pandemic, Rayder Media managed to plug the gap for many fans – from across South Africa and beyond – to keep those competitive juices flowing.
The Lockdown Sports Quiz has proven to be extremely popular, with dozens of participants reserving their Tuesday evenings for the online trivia tournament. Competitors log in from the comfort of their homes as they attempt to answer a series of (somewhat challenging) sporting questions compiled and presented by renowned broadcasters Derek Alberts and Tyron Barnard. The questions vary in format and include photos, videos, sound bites and a notorious, tension-filled finale known as The Shootout.
Players are assigned to teams which often include a well-known sporting personality or two, with the quiz having attracted some very high-profile guests. A plethora of sport stars have already taken part, including Proteas Rassie van der Dussen, Aiden Markram, Chris Morris and Farhaan Behardien, as well as former Proteas women’s captain Mignon du Preez and leg spinner Sune’ Luus. Other renowned sports personalities who’ve tried their hand at the quiz include Springboks Warren Whiteley and Waylon Murray, hockey stalwarts Justin Reid-Ross, Lisa Deetlefs and Jess Lardant, football representatives Gavin Hunt, Matthew Booth and Daine Klate, Dakar Rally winner Giniel de Villiers, Comrades Marathon legend Bruce Fordyce, Olympic golfer Paula Reto and South African motor racing Hall of Famer Graham Duxbury, among a host of others. The guests are not just limited to sport, with musicians Elvis Blue and the band Goodluck having also competed, as well as sports media personalities Cindy Poluta, Janina Oberholzer and Cato Louw.
“Initially, Tyron and I created the quiz to entertain our close friends and keep some form of sporting conversation flowing during these very frustrating times,” says Alberts, who founded Rayder Media in 2017 with business partner Raymond Herbst.
“The guys absolutely loved it, so we took it to the public and the response was overwhelming. We now regularly host around seventy people per quiz. It’s been incredibly humbling to witness the bonds that have been formed between teammates and competitors,” he adds.
Chartered accountant AB Moula, captain of the highly successful Team Silver outfit that captured a total of six quiz victories in the 11-week run of Season 1, describes the event as his weekly highlight.
“I’ve always espoused Nelson Mandela’s belief that sport has the power to change the world, while inspiring and uniting people in a way that little else does. The Lockdown Sports Quiz is a prime example of that. My Tuesdays will never be the same,” says Moula.
Former broadcast journalist Altaaf Kazi, who now heads up the communications arm of SA Tourism, echoes Moula’s sentiments.
“In the midst of these challenging times, where social interaction is at a minimum, the quiz has been able to fill that void in a certain way, and I’ve made a host of new friends as a result.
“The quality of the questions and the content of the quiz is such that we are still able to learn so much more – on and off the sports field. For about three hours a week, it’s all fun and joy, and the difficulties of the world are forgotten,” says Kazi.
Kazi is a member of one-time winner Team Blue, with all sides assigned colours to differentiate themselves from each other. The teams have all embraced their newfound personas with gusto, branding themselves with logos and handles.
Some even have their own social media profiles.
“We’ve been blown away by everyone’s commitment to the quiz,” says Rayder Media partner Barnard, who has acquired a reputation for asking extremely difficult questions related to two of his favourite sports, hockey and darts.
“Teams have really embraced the experience, and the social media banter has been something to behold. The hashtag #LockdownSportsQuiz regularly trends on Twitter, particularly on Tuesdays in the build-up to the main event.”
Several of the VIP guests have become regular members of certain teams. Whiteley showed up twice for the Silverback Guerrillas, while racing legend De Villiers has represented Team Blue on three occasions, an experience that Kazi describes as “amazing”.
Team members are able to interact with their illustrious teammates on a personal level, and Moula is still coming to terms with the fact that he’s now on a first-name basis with people he idolises.
“I regularly chat to Aiden (Markram) and Warren (Whiteley) about all things sport thanks to them having played on our team. If you’d have told me this would have been the case three months ago, I would never have believed you. The friendships that the Lockdown Sports Quiz has created are simply astounding,” says Moula.
UCT Philosophy student Lace Hallendorff – a regular on the Tuesday quiz who also appeared alongside Whiteley in Episode 2 of the Thursday night live edition – concurs.
“The Lockdown Sports Quiz has been a constant source of happiness, enjoyment and connection for me. I’m really grateful to have virtually befriended so many sports fanatics and genuinely great people. The Lockdown Sports Quiz is undoubtedly one of the best things that I’ve been a part of,” she says.
It’s no wonder that interest in the quiz has escalated considerably over the past three months, with corporates wanting in on the action too. In response, the Rayder Media team has made themselves available for corporate events, with a general knowledge quiz as part of its offering.
Email info@rayder.media for more information.
Source: Good Things Guy