Every iconic try, every bone-crunching tackle, every tearful victory captured for eternity, someone has to be there with finger on the shutter. Thys Lombard isn’t just a photographer. He’s a custodian of rugby dreams, documenting Springbok legends from their barefoot primary school days to World Cup glory.

Based in the Western Cape with Paarl Gimnasium as his alma mater, Lombard has trained his lens on some of South African rugby’s brightest stars long before the world knew their names. In a candid chat with The Rugby Factory, proudly brought to you by BOSSA, he reveals the moments that defined his photographic odyssey.

“I was a very young kid when my dad took me to club rugby in Strand. I think the flame was ignited there,” Lombard explains. His own playing career peaked in Paarl Gim’s under-19 E team, the Eagles, where passion trumped prowess. “I wasn’t a very good player, but I never lost in an Eagles jumper. I just played because I loved the game.”

That love found its perfect outlet through the viewfinder.

From barefoot brilliance to Bok stardom

When Lombard first pointed his camera at a primary school kid tearing up the fields at Somerset Primary, he had no idea he was capturing a future World Cup-winning flyhalf. Handré Pollard’s father had been Paarl Gim’s first team captain, and whispers circulated about this special youngster who could swim and play rugby with equal brilliance.

“Only years later when he became a top player I realised I’d photographed six games of him playing barefoot rugby,” Lombard recalls with obvious pride. “How special is it to photograph someone in primary school, high school, provincially for the Bulls, I would have preferred a Stormers jersey, Junior Boks and Springboks. For me it’s just these memories. I can remember the moment when I took these photographs.”

Paul Roos prodigy Damian Willemse was another future Bok who started as just another face in the frame. Lombard photographed him in Grade 8 against Paarl Gim, part of the famed 15 strong Methodist Primary contingent that arrived at Paul Roos.

After the 2019 World Cup, gratitude came full circle. “Damian gave me a white Asics top with the Springbok badge that he wore in the World Cup to say thank you for all the photos,” Lombard says, the emotion evident.

More than just photographs

That humility and connection defines Willemse’s character. One Saturday evening in Stellenbosch, Lombard sat with a friend from Upington whose son idolised the Springbok utility back. At 19:00, he took a punt and phoned Damian, who was driving into town to visit his girlfriend. “I told him I was sitting at this café with a friend whose son really loves you. He came to shake the young man’s hand.”

The list of stars Lombard has documented reads like a Springbok team sheet: Ben Jason Dixon, captured on Lombard’s daughter’s first day of school; Bath prop Thomas du Toit; Evan Roos; Markus Muller, who greets him by name at Cape Town Stadium.

“I remember the day Thomas was capped as a Junior Springbok. I was walking past him and his dad, and his dad kissed him goodbye as he was going on tour. I just thought some moments don’t need to be photographed,” Lombard reflects.

It’s that sensitivity, knowing when to press the shutter and when to simply witness, that separates a snapper from a storyteller. He’s built friendships with coaches like Pieter Roussouw and Sean Erasmus, offering encouragement during Boishaai’s tough patches.

“For me the biggest compliment I can get is when coaches ask me for clips,” he says.

Thys Lombard doesn’t just freeze moments. He preserves legacies, one click at a time.