The two Springbok legends who started their own beer company

Steven Kitshoff is one of South Africa’s best-known rugby players who represented Western Province, Bordeaux, Ulster, and the Springboks as a loosehead prop.

2011 was his breakthrough year when he made five substitute appearances for the Stormers and five Currie Cup appearances for Western Province.

He played regularly for these two teams in the next few years, before joining the French Top 14 side Bordeaux in 2015.

He spent two seasons in France before returning to Cape Town in 2017. In 2021, during his second stint with the Stormers, he was named captain.

Kitshoff joined the Springboks in 2016 and was named in South Africa’s squad for the 2019 and 2023 Rugby World Cups. They won both tournaments.

Kitshoff suffered a serious neck injury during the Currie Cup match against Griquas in 2024. On 25 February 2025, he announced his retirement from professional rugby.

Malcolm Marx made his senior debut for the Golden Lions in the 2014 Vodacom Cup and later played for the Lions in the 2014 Super Rugby season.

Marx was selected for the Springboks for the 2016 Rugby Championship, making three appearances for his country that season.

He was part of South Africa’s squad for the 2019 Rugby World Cup, which went on to win the tournament. Marx was also part of the Springbok team that won the 2023 Rugby World Cup.

In August 2020, Marx joined the Kubota Spears Funabashi Tokyo Bay, a top Japanese rugby club in the Japan Rugby League One.

Last month, he led the Kubota Spears to their Japan Rugby League One Final in three years after a win over the Wild Knights.

Marx is widely considered one of the best hookers in world rugby who players a crucial role in many Springbok victories.

Steven Kitshoff and Malcolm Marx join forces

Kitshoff and Marx played numerous Springbok matches side-by-side and were also roommates for many years.

Kitshoff told MyPlayers that they often spoke about starting something after rugby and that they were passionate about business and beer.

They had been discussing the idea of a beer for a few years, and in March 2023, it became a reality with the launch of BombSquad Beer.

They partnered with Saggy Stone Brewery in Robertson, founded by brothers Phillip and Adrian Robinson, to brew their BombSquad lager.

“They created a recipe for us. When I tried the beer for the first time, they had it spot on,” Kitshoff told the Playbooks Production podcast.

They had their first prototype ready a month later, and they launched Bomb Squad Lager in South Africa soon afterwards.

He said the craft beer market in South Africa was growing, and they saw a space in the sector to launch a new brand.

Marx said they were initially nervous about the new venture, but when it all came together, it was a great feeling.

Kitshoff said they settled on a lager because most South Africans drink lagers, and it is smooth, easy to drink, with a nice colour.

He told MyPlayers that the name of the beer was inspired by the famous “Bomb Squad” label given to the Springbok forwards during the Rugby World Cup.

His wife, Aimee, encouraged them to use the name. “Aimee insisted on calling it BombSquad Beer, and she was right. It was the perfect fit,” he said.

Kitshoff and Marx, who are household names across South Africa, are closely involved in the marketing and management of the business.

Their names helped them to open doors and strike retail deals with big retailers like Checkers, Pick n Pay, Makro, Norman Goodfellows and Spar.

“Getting retailers to back our product was challenging, but closing those deals has been one of the most rewarding parts of the journey,” Kitshoff said.

The local growth has been so good that BombSquad Beer expanded to the United Kingdom, targeting the South African community in London.

“Australia might be next on the expansion list, given its large South African population and the build-up to the 2027 Rugby World Cup,” he said.

BombSquad Beer and Bomb Squad Lager

Issued on BusinessTech by Staff Writer | https://businesstech.co.za/news/business/826353/the-two-springbok-legends-who-started-their-own-beer-company/