Two Springbok legends launched the Bomb Squad brand with their own beer, boerewors, and clothing line

Two Springbok front-row legends, Steven Kitshoff and Malcolm Marx, joined forces to launch the Bomb Squad brand with their own beer, clothing line, and food products.

Kitshoff and Marx are South African rugby royalty. They are Rugby World Cup champions and represented the country in numerous tests.

Steven Kitshoff 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. He repeated this feat in 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.

At 32 years old, he remains a force in international rugby and played a key role in the Springboks’ recent series victory over the All Blacks.

Former Springboks captain John Smit said that Marx is the greatest player to have ever worn the number two shirt for the country.

Steven Kitshoff and Malcolm Marx created Bomb Squad

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

They often spoke about starting something after rugby and about being 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.

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 beer’s name was inspired by the famous “Bomb Squad” label given to the Springbok forwards during the Rugby World Cup.

Their names helped them open doors and strike retail deals with major 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 strong that BombSquad Beer has expanded into the United Kingdom, targeting the South African community in London.

More recently, they launched Bomb Squad Brandy, which brings together the spice-driven character of French oak with the rounded sweetness of American oak.

“This creates a smooth, balanced finish that can be enjoyed neat, over ice or with your mixer of choice,” they said.

Bomb Squad goes beyond beer

Kitshoff and Marx have expanded the Bomb Squad brand beyond beer and now sell branded clothing and food products.

The Bomb Squad clothing line consists of rugby jerseys, graphic tees, crewneck sweaters, fleece hoodies, trucker caps, dad hats, and beanies.

The apparel blends classic athletic elements with modern casual streetwear, tailored for fan gear and everyday wear.

The Bomb Squad clothing line is available through its main online platform, as well as select retail distribution partners in South Africa.

Kitshoff and Marx have also partnered with Pick n Pay to offer a new range of food products, including their own burger patties and boerewors.

The PnP Bomb Squad Oukraal Boerewors is a specialised braai wors range seasoned with traditional South African braai spices.

It is available at Pick n Pay butchery counters as standard Bomb Squad Oukraal Wors, Thin Oukraal Wors, and bulk packs.

Pick n Pay also stocks PnP Bomb Squad Beef Burgers, thick beef burger patties co-branded under the Bomb Squad line alongside the Oukraal Boerewors.

They are formulated as thick braai patties using the same rugby-inspired, heavily spiced meat blending as the rest of the meat collection.

Pick n Pay further stocks official Bomb Squad condiments produced in partnership with South African sauce manufacturer Catercorp.

These condiments include Bomb Squad Braai Sauce and Bomb Squad Braai Spice, adding value for braai lovers.

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Bomb Squad photos

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