‘Gore Them!” The legend was in Afrikaans but for those unable to decipher the language, the caricature of a raging bull was a dead giveaway. This was not a message of goodwill.
Around Orlando Stadium the blue-clad Bulls fans held-up the placards with the words Gaffel Hulle! – Gore Them! – below a picture of an angry beast. Other signs stated “Soweto Loves Bulls”. At the end of their Super 14 semifinal the Crusaders knew this was not just a gimmick.
All week the Crusaders had talked up their chances of beating the Bulls in Soweto, brushing aside fears they would be weary from the heavy travel schedule, playing at altitude and in front of a vociferous South African crowd.
They were confident, but a high error-rate – an inability to control the high ball or make vital passes stick, meant it all turned to porridge.
Having rested 14 of their players from the previous weekend’s match against the Stormers, the Bulls could have been vulnerable. It wasn’t to be.
They made a dream start by absorbing the Crusaders early attacks, turning over the ball and then sending monster No8 Pierre Spies over for the opening try.
Forced out of their home ground in Pretoria, the Bulls relocated their semi and rugby into the unknown – the exotic location of Soweto, a sprawling township on the outskirts of Johannesburg.
For many Bulls supporters, the white Afrikaners from Pretoria, this was their first visit to the home of millions of South Africa’s black population.
So many things could have ruined this occasion, not least the nasty traffic snarl that prevented many fans from getting inside the stadium until halftime and later. Yet it was surely viewed as a success.
Mention Soweto and images of crime and poverty jump to mind for South Africans and tourists alike, but the sport of rugby did its bit in breaking down some of those perceptions.
For the majority of the white Afrikaners who travelled into the township to watch “their” game in Orlando, this rare foray opened up a new world.
Although the stadium was not quite a sell-out, the crowd still partied like they were back at Fort Loftus. A hospitality area had been constructed behind the ground, smoke from the braais billowed out, beers were guzzled at a frightening pace and a band dusted off a scary number of country and western numbers.
As the cars snaked their way towards the ground, some of the black population shouted “welcome” and waved Bulls flags.
Adding to the occasion, before kick-off a squadron of planes swooped over the stadium amid loud cheers and the ubiquitous hoots of the supporters’ horns helped create rugby history in Soweto yesterday morning.
After the bitter taste of their 39-24 defeat has faded, the Crusaders should consider themselves fortunate to have been a part of it.
Sure looked like one hell of an occasion…
Think the parties will be even bigger this weekend after people got to know each other and the area a bit…
GO BULLS !!!!
goooooooooooooooooooooooo f*** yourself bulls!!
@ Blouste:
The party will be bigger this weekend as the capetonians are coming to the party with snoek and wyn vir die bulls se pyn…
#2
hehehe…brilliant.
Moegoes !!! 👿
hmmmm, after reading quite a few articles on how well the bulls was welcomed by the population of soweto, i cant help but wonder:
1. whether ths occassion has altered the view of the majority of the white population regarding the soccer world cup (the general view around the wc amongst especially whites have been quite negative up to now)
2. or whether we can remember with fondness the welcome in soweto and/or people dancing in the streets after the ’95 wc victory, but when it come to what matter most to them (the soccer wc), we couldnt care less?
…
btw, this is NOT politics, NOT racism, just something thats been bothering me for a while!!
@ Ashley:
Exactly the point I made on a different thread, go check it…
I think a lot of perceptions have been changed…
blouste @ 7
i’ve seen it, thanks bru
@ Ashley:
Asley my mind is changing towards the soccer, i am going to run a soccer section here too. But only for the WC. That game does not excite me enough.
My colleagues are just as excited about the Bulls, i work with a majority of black technicians, the ratio is 1 to 4 in their favor. No there is a definite change of perceptions.
The guy who wrote this Article for stuff.co.nz, Richard Knowler, sat next to me at Orlando… I translated “Gaffel Hulle” to “Gore Them” for him…. hehehe
@ superBul:
For the world cup Soccer I am all worked up and will blog here on it. But otherwise it bores me a bit (and I played it myself for several years – lot more fun to play than to watch).
There are enough soccer blog sites. Let’s keep this one to rugby post-WC.
GOOOO BAAFFFFAAAANNNNNNAAAAA!!!!!
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