legacy-boards did not begin as a business plan.

​

It began with a love for old rugby stories, signed jerseys, autographs, photographs, and the kind of sporting memorabilia that carries something far deeper than ink on a surface. For many years, I have had a passion for collecting autographs and signed sports items — not because of their monetary value, but because of what they represent. Every signature tells you that, for a brief moment, a story, a person, a memory and a piece of history were all present in the same place.

​

That passion eventually led me to oom Moaner van Heerden.

​

What started as informal conversations slowly became something much more meaningful. Oom Moaner’s stories, his humility, his memories of rugby and life, and the way he spoke about the men he played with and against, opened my eyes to something important: many of these stories are still here, but they will not be here forever.

There is a whole generation of rugby legends whose memories shaped South African sport. They played in a different era. They played before social media, before professional contracts, before everything was filmed, clipped and shared instantly. Many of them carried their stories quietly for decades. I began to realise that if someone did not sit down with them, listen properly, record those memories and preserve them in a respectful way, some of those stories might simply disappear.

​

That was the beginning of legacy-boards.

​

The first idea was simple: create something beautiful and collectible that could honour a legend, carry his signature, and connect the owner directly to his story. But the more we worked on it, the clearer it became that this could not be just another signed item. It had to be more personal than that. It had to combine the physical and the emotional. It had to be something you could hold in your hands, display in your home, and also use as a doorway back into the legend’s own voice and memories.

​

That is why every legacy-board is designed the way it is.

​

Each board includes the image and story of the legend, a dedicated space for the autograph, and a QR code that links back to the interview content. The board is not just there to show a signature. It is there to preserve a moment. When a legend signs the board, and when that story is captured on video, the board becomes more than memorabilia. It becomes a record of connection. We experimented with different materials in the beginning. Wood had a beautiful, classic feel. Steel had strength and weight. But both came with challenges. We needed something that would last, display well, travel well, and still feel premium without becoming too heavy or impractical. Eventually, we found that a light composite board worked best. It is strong, clean, practical and water-resistant. It gives the artwork a crisp finish, it is easy to display, and it allows the signature to stand clearly on the board. The legends sign the boards with a Sharpie, which gives that familiar, bold autograph feel that collectors know and love. The final result is something simple, elegant and meaningful — a board that honours the player without trying to overshadow the story.

 

But legacy-boards could never have existed through passion alone.

​

From the very beginning, Beyers Slabbert from SNA Architects made an extraordinary contribution to this project. He believed in the idea when it was still young, fragile and uncertain. Through his support and sponsorship of the first series, he helped turn a dream into something real. Without Beyers and SNA Architects, the first series would never have had the foundation it needed. Then I met Warwick Sour from PulseWorks. Warwick did not simply arrive as a videographer. He immediately understood the heart of the project. He saw that this was not just about filming interviews. It was about capturing respect, memory, dignity and emotion. Very quickly, Warwick became part of the company and part of the journey. His eye, his patience and his commitment helped give legacy-boards its voice on video. Without Beyers Slabbert and Warwick Soar, legacy-boards simply could never have existed.

​

One helped make the first series possible. The other helped us capture the stories in a way that people could feel. Together, they became part of the foundation of everything this project stands for.

 

At its heart, legacy-boards is still a passion project.

​

It is about sitting across from legends and listening. It is about giving them the space to tell stories in their own words. It is about preserving memories from a special era in South African history. It is about creating something that families, supporters and collectors can keep — not just as a product, but as a piece of living history.

​

Every board carries a signature.

Every QR code carries a voice.

Every interview carries a memory.

​

And every legend reminds us why these stories are worth preserving.