As South Africans we are blessed with the greatest sports coverage in the world thanks to the various Supersport channels. Not only do we get to watch every big game live and now even in HD, but we are spoiled further with knowledgeable and passionate sports presenters who bring it all to life.

All the sport, whenever you want it - marvelous.

One such man and a man who you will start to see more and more of in the future is Sias du Plessis. Easily the most likable and well known ginger in S.A, the ever present Supersport presenter/host and all round sports guy on the Gareth Cliff morning radio show on 5fm, took some time out to answer some question for TheBounce.

TheBounce: You have become a very recognizable face, and of course voice, in the world of South African sport over the past few years as the backbone of the Supersport Blitz channel and as the sports presenter on the Gareth Cliff morning show. Where did it all start?

Sias: Actually on a dare, I was having a beer with some of my mates and they dared me to go for an audition at Tuks FM, I was told I was too boring and that I would suck as a DJ. I then got a call asking if I would be interested in being the sports presenter on the breakfast show with Rian van Heerden. I was also told I would host a 30 minute sports show the next Friday – talk about the deep end! I then tried to complete my studies in Criminology and eventually succeeded. I then started reporting on Bulls games and sat next to Docky Dockrat who employed me at 702 where I did weekends for 3 years. I got rejected twice from SuperSport before I cracked the nod on the old Update Channel and then Blitz. I was fortunate to get approached by 5fm 3 years ago and the rest is history.

Beer drinking - only good can come from it.

TheBounce: Quite the whirlwind start. You are one of the hardest working men in sports broadcasting due to your demand, what does an average day entail for you?

Sias: I love what I do so I don’t really regard it as work, but the hours can be demanding. I am up at 4am Monday to Friday to get to 5fm on time for our laugh in the morning and then if I have Blitz I leave 5fm to get to Randburg and finish there at 5pm. On travel days it can be very hectic, I once flew to Durban for a school boy rugby match at 7am on a Saturday and then flew back to do Six Nations back in Joburg, ended up getting home at 1am!

Sias starts his day before this little fella breaks wind.

TheBounce: What has been the coolest sporting event that you have covered to date?

Sias: The Hong Kong Sevens has been the ultimate for me, I must add sitting on the deck of Shosholoza in the Cape Town harbour was up there, then covering the Dusi canoe marathon also rates as one of my favourites, but Hong Kong and the party after the Sevens is amazing.

Hong Kong 7's - proper jol.

TheBounce: If you could choose one single event to report live from, what would it be and why?

Sias: I would love to do Wimbledon – the history, players, tradition and just the feeling of being at a truly special sporting event. I also think covering the 2012 and 2016 Olympic Games will be super cool, so in terms of live events those three would be the ones I pick.

TheBounce: You are quite fond of tennis, from your informed position why is it that a country with as much sunshine and sporting ability as South Africa have failed to get a tennis player on the map since that obnoxious ginger Wayne Ferreira?

Sias: Was he ginger? I think a lot of money has been poured into the wrong avenues and not into the correct development structures, tennis needs big money backing and high performance centres. These days a lot more is being done with technology available, but it is the mental side of the game that needs to be developed. Loads of guys and girls have sick talent, but put them under pressure and mentally they struggle. I think we are getting back on track with guys like Mike de Jong, John-Laffnie de Jager and Neville Godwin getting the mental aspect right. Personally the lack of development and the poor mental strength has been responsible for the lack of Ferreiras.

Call it out again and i will klap you wiff my fist.

TheBounce: Interesting point, Wayne himself was a rather short tempered ranga with mental shortcomings which certainly eroded his amazing natural ability. With the football World Cup just months away, how involved will you be during the tournament?

Sias: I will be presenting the live Blitz World Cup bulletin on weekends and then be a roving reporter in Jozi and Pretoria. From a radio point of view I hope to cover some games for 5fm and give the Nation the latest news on Bafana and the event every week day morning from 6 to 9am.

TheBounce: Who would you say is the greatest guy in sports broadcasting out there in S.A today?

Sias: That is a tough one, because I think there are great broadcasters and some really crap ones who are there for the wrong reasons.

Gerald de Kock is a world class cricket commentator and I really rate him, while I think Darren Scott’s relaxed manner is quality. Robert Marawa has a big personality and is fantastic at what he does, the same with Neil Andrews, he captivates his audience and is a top guy. I also like Sasha Martinengo and his F1 team, the passion is great and you feel like you are part of the chat. Some people make the mistake of preaching and you feel like they are gracing you with their presence.

TheBounce: With all your experience in and around sport, do you have a good story you would like to share with us?

Sias: My first ever story I was sent on by TuksFM was a Engen athletics meet in Pretoria, I did not know many of the athletes, but I knew who Maurice Greene and Tim Montgomery were. I was asked to interview a sprinter from the UK ( I won’t mention his name) but I did not have clue what he looked like, so thinking he was a white guy I went up to the athlete who I thought was the person I had to interview only to find out when asking him for a comment that he was not who he was supposed to be and that the black guy behind him was the athlete I needed to interview – epic fail! Let’s just say the interview did not happen. Oh yes, the time on radio I called Danie Coetzee – Danie Rossouw – another epic fail! My producer has swapped the numbers by accident!

A boob - Sias made one of himself with his first interview.

TheBounce: Who is the most famous sports star on your cell phone?

Sias: Sir Alex Ferguson – only kidding! Did interview him once though. I would say Oscar Pistorius, John Smit and Graeme Smith.

TheBounce: Nice! Finally who knows more about sport on the breakfast show, Gareth Cliff or the colourful newsreader Leigh-Ann Mole?

Sias: A tie – Gareth sounds like he knows what he is talking about, but actually doesn’t and Leigh Ass just does not have a clue, so a close race with G.C sneaking it by a nose.

I should really have thrown the studio wall clock into the reckoning there to make it a three horse race!

It all started with a beer for this qualified criminologist who has since improved his knowledge of international athletes and traveled far and wide to do what he loves – follow sport.

Sias du Plessis is another fine example of someone who makes sport great, a true fan through and through. Be sure to catch Sias weekday mornings 6-9am on 5fm on The Gareth Cliff show, channel 200 for Supersport Blitz as well as sharing his pearls of Rugby and Tennis wisdom across the sports bouquet.

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