Nelson Mandela & Francois Pienaar in 1995 with the World Cup trophy.
South African Rugby Union president Oregan Hoskins on Wednesday congratulated and thanked the Springbok squad involved in the 1995 Rugby World Cup as they celebrated the 20th anniversary of their epic World Cup final win in Johannesburg.
The Springboks won their 1st Rugby World Cup on 24 June 1995, beating New Zealand, 15 / 12, in a memorable final played at Ellis Park. The result unleashed a tide of goodwill and nation-building across South Africa, which a year earlier had celebrated democracy after decades of racial segregation.
“We proudly celebrate this day as a rugby family, because this team helped Nelson Mandela unite a country,” said Mr Hoskins. “It was a moment that astonished a nation and provided one of the foundation stones for the country we were to become. It was arguably the greatest day in our rugby history.
“Mr Mandela together with that Springbok team pointed the way to a new future for our people and 20 years later that day still has a massive resonance.
“We continue to salute the 1995’ers for what they achieved as a rugby team and what they meant to a nation.”
Mr Hoskins said it was also a day to remember and honour the legacy of the fallen heroes from that day, President Mandela, the Springbok coach Kitch Christie and flanker Ruben Kruger.
“They will never be forgotten for their role they played in shaping the country and the game we love so much,” said Mr Hoskins.
The Springboks’ achievement and Mr Mandela’s support meant that the team enjoyed the full support of all South Africans for the 1st time. The newly elected South African president famously wore the jersey of Springbok captain, Francois Pienaar, at the final, provoking chants of “Nelson, Nelson” from the predominantly white crowd.
Pienaar, in his winning speech, declared that the team had not the support of the 60 000 people in the stadium; it had had the support of 43 million South Africans across the country.
On Wednesday, Pienaar said: “I will never forget the emotions in the change room before the match, when Mr Mandela entered and how every one of us got ready for this huge match – some of them quiet, some of them jumping around in the change room, others bringing massive energy to the squad.
“We had a sense this was big, but never in our wildest dreams did we think that this game would have such an impact on every single person in South Africa.”
The 1995 squad reunited at the same venue on Wednesday, now called Emirates Airline Park, to re-live the event that shaped the history of the country and that of rugby forever.
All available members of the team joined up for a team photograph in front of a banner reading, “Still One Team, Still One Country” recalling the famous 1995 team slogan, “One Team, One Country”, on the spot where flyhalf Joel Stransky kicked his famous match-winning drop goal.
In a social media 1st for South African rugby, supporters were able to relive the final on Twitter with live commentary by members of the team while the match was re-broadcast on SuperSport.
“They were a special team that achieved special things,” said Mr Hoskins. “This is their day and we honour them and thank them for a legacy from which we still benefit.”
The late great, Reuben Kruger
Joost van der Westhuizen, one of the all-time great Scrumhalves the game has seen.
Andre Joubert, the Rolls Royce of fullbacks… played with a broken hand
James Small, the team rebel who tackled Jonah Lomu all day
Joel Stransky slots the winning drop goal ahead of a storming Andrew Mehrtens
A game that haunts many a New Zealander…but as the days & years roll on,,,you can’t help reflecting that a Bok win was the best thing.
Whatabout that slut, Susan Dawn Von Dronkalaar.
No Award.
Not even a picture.
She did more damage to the AB backline, than a 1000 Joggie Jansen’s or Dannie Gerber’s could ever have hoped to do.
😡
I know the rugby sequences in the Invictus movie were a bit feeble but for an ‘outsider’ it helped me to understand the significance of the day.
Just saying !!
HELLOOOOOOOOOOOOOO RUGBY TALKERS
Ok I know match day is chat day….
Fark, I miss the Night Owl times….. Log after a long day at work and chat to some hilarious. some feisty, some narky, some well informed, some gorgeous Southern Hemisphere Bloggers!!
WHERE ARE YOU ALL ?
Blue Bird wrote:
Middle of winter.
Continuous black outs.
Working looooong hours.
Moving house.
Take your pick. Or maybe all of the above.
Oh for those loooong hours of dsaylight in the rolling meadows of the Cotswolds, with chilled glasses of wine at the Wild Duck!
Oh k@k. There goes the power!
@ Scrumdown:
Hi Scrumdown, sounds like a real horror story!!
Sun goes down at 10pm and yes I am enjoying a chilled glass of wine as I watch Motorhead play at Glastonbury on the tv! 🙂 Lemmy must be preserved in alcohol and nicotine!
My commiserations to all you enduring the load shedding !! (BTW is that supposed to sound less annoying than the phrase ‘Power Cuts’) ?
Blue Bird wrote:
Here as well, you can still walk around outside after 10pm without a flashlight
It’s going to be hot this weekend, 27 C
@ Victoriabok:
Don’t you just feel for the poor Saffas struggling with their winter?
I am ready for some sun, bring it on!! 🙂
Blue Bird wrote:
Not really, you can’t call the 2 1/2 month SA winter really winter, wait until you have a five or six month one 😛
The winters there aren’t that bad, it starts out at -1C or so, and by 01:00pm it’s 15-18C and only starts to get cold when it gets dark
The day length also doesn’t differ that much, it gets light about an hour later and the sun sets an hour earlier
No patch to our 08:15 sunrise and 04:20 sunset in winter 🙁
The houses in SA are much colder though, they’re built to let heat escape and they don’t have heating like a furnace. So they get colder than a witches tit inside
We’ve had sun for the last couple of months already, but now it’s really getting hot
We’re close to the sea so the humidity makes it uncomfortable once you get past 25C
9 @ Blue Bird</b
Hello Carol, how you doing? Hope well.
How is this for winter for you. Today in Umhlanga its gonna be 26 degrees day with full sun! That is more like a summer for England? 😉 night temp 14. Have not had a heater on this winter not once. Our winter down here in the East Coast is brilliant. Best weather in the world right now during our 2 winter months. No humidity no wind just briliant sunshine.
Sorry typo: meant – brilliant
@ Puma:
Puma.. Long time, no speak.
We are expecting a heat wave this coming week…. up to 30 degrees, nearly unheard of here!
I have been so busy, have not even done my superBru this season! No time to catch up here either. But no complaints though, it is just life!
Hope to blog on a match day when you are on. Bring on The RWC !! 🙂 Hope to speak soon
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