The day the Bulls shook the(ir) rugby world by beating the British & Irish Lions

• The Bulls remain the only non-Springbok team in 16 matches since 1997 to beat the British & Irish Lions on African shores and have launched a commemorative jersey to buy.
• Labelling the game "the day the men in blue shook the rugby world" might sound over the top, but it's actually highly appropriate.  
• The Bulls of 1997 were a shambles, riddled with infighting and coaching drama, and were expected to deliver one glorious 80-minute round of rugby to trump their fancied opponents.

Here's a pub quiz question for you: which non-Springbok team is the last one to ever beat the British & Irish Lions in South Africa?

It would be understandable if a lot of people aren't surprised to hear that it's the Bulls, especially given how they've become the best team on the local circuit again and also boast a storied recent past.

What's more of a surprise is to realise that the 35-30 victory over the tourists at Loftus was way back in 1997 - a massive 24 years ago.

Indeed, the Lions boast a stellar record of 14 victories from 16 tour matches - one was a draw with the Emerging Springboks at Newlands in 2009 - in Africa.

On Monday, the Bulls announced that a commemorative replica jersey of that match will be exclusively on sale to fans on their app, hailing it as "a tribute to the day the men in blue shook the rugby world".

Now for the true shock - the heading to that media release is not an over-the-top marketing gimmick.

The gusty win was earth-trembling, maybe not for the Lions, but undeniably the men with the Barberton daisy as their badge.

Because the Blue Bulls of 1997 were in absolute disarray.

At the beginning of that year, a group of senior Bulls players were growing weary of the direction of a union that was struggling with the growing demands of professionalism.

At pre-season training, the seniors went to then president Hentie Serfontein and demanded the dismissal of John Williams (the Springboks' first coach after re-admission in 1992), who was doubling up as CEO and head coach.

With the late, legendary Joost van der Westhuizen at the forefront, the players managed to convince the hierarchy to appoint Springbok mastermind Kitch Christie.

But the World Cup-winning mentor only managed to be actively involved in two Super Rugby matches before his leukaemia flared up again so badly that he had to be hospitalised and missed the Bulls' early tour Down Under.

Astonishingly, Serfontein went to Christie's hospital bed and fired - ostensibly because of reservations over his health - and handed the reins back to Williams.

The players were livid and results on the field, predictably, mirrored the off-field dramas.

The Bulls would finished a lowly eighth in Super Rugby and claim fifth spot on the Currie Cup log, a misleading finish given that they lost to "minnows" South Western Districts, the Valke and Griffons.

They also shipped 50 points against the Free State and Western Province.

For one glorious afternoon in a gloomy season though, the Bulls forgot all their problems.

And at the heart of that temporary bit of joy was Casper Steyn.

An underrated stalwart with an uncanny knack for scoring truck loads of points on his own - the utility back would go on to pile up 1 671 points in his first-class career - the then 23-year-old wing left an indelible mark.

"In the change room before that match, we were reminded by our coaching staff exactly who we were playing that afternoon," said Steyn.

"These were great players you had read about, and now you were playing against them. Staring them in the face. I mean, here was Tony Underwood who plays for England, and here I am running out against him at Loftus.

"For a lot of us in the Bulls team that day, it was a great honour. And it felt quite surreal. Last week you’re playing a Currie Cup game, and then suddenly this week you’re playing the British & Irish Lions."

Steyn would go on boast a personal haul of 20 points as the Bulls produced an inspirational performance.

There was also an appropriate moment of proverbial handbag-flinging when Welsh legend Scott Gibbs was cited and suspended for one game after landing a cheap shot at Bulls midfielder Grant Esterhuizen, who would go on to play seven Tests for the Boks.

"I was nervous as hell. I was the rookie on the team that day compared to some of my more experienced team-mates. You don’t know what’s going to happen when you run out onto that field. But we all wanted to give a good performance. As individuals, and as a team. We wanted to keep the Bulls name high. You grew up loving that blue jersey and wanting to wear it," said Steyn.

"As a team you took your knocks in that blue jersey, and you fought your battles in it. You wanted to be better in that jersey, and to not let your team-mates down. I wouldn’t trade that experience for anything in the world."

The momentous, unexpected victory though didn't do much to lift the overall mood.

Van der Westhuizen and co banded together to form the Northern Transvaal Players' Union, with Naas Botha as its first spokesperson, as they heaped the pressure on Serfontein and Williams.

The Bok scrumhalf even went to SA Rugby to apply for permission to leave the province, arguing his national spot was under threat by continuing to play at Loftus.

Williams relented and resigned and contracts were reviewed, but the drama of the year didn't relent until late in 1998.

At least they had 80 stellar minutes against the invincible Lions. 

Replica shirts of that match are available for R650 if bought through the Bulls App.