It’s a Saturday morning: The Springboks are playing their oldest rival, the All Blacks. WhatsApp groups are buzzing with location pins and braai prep has officially started. Where are we watching the game? Who’s bringing the salads? Do we have a flag? (Don’t forget, red at the top!)
Few things unite South Africans like a good, competitive, edge-of-your-seat game of sports. In this instance particularly, a rugby game. The four-times Rugby World Cup Champions™ (a title worthy to be trademarked, we reckon), have victoriously claimed the Lions series, the Freedom Cup, and more recently, The Rugby Championship (TRC) back-to-back, notwithstanding the Nelson Mandela Plate and Qatar Airways Cup. The Springboks seem to have the je ne sais quoi that unites South Africans. We call it Ubuntu.
Sports as a Unifier
For decades, South African sports have been a Nation Builder, uniting our country amid the most challenging times. The US News and World Report has just released a study, ranking South Africa 4th amongst the most athletically talented nations in the world. From the Springboks, we learn not only about exceptional rugby skills, but also cast light on what can be achieved through teamwork, leaning on individual strengths pulled together for a unified goal.
Ironically, we may all have our favourite teams and the chances are strong that you could spot a black and white jersey or two somewhere at Ellis Park Stadium. But ultimately, what was meant to divide us has brought us closer together.
So, what is it about a Springboks game, a choppie on the coals and a sea of green & gold jerseys, flooding every restaurant that helps us to forget about our challenges and differences, even just for 80 minutes?
Why the Springboks are the G.O.A.T (Greatest of All Time)
First things first, let’s pay our dues, give our flowers and give credit where it is due. The Springboks have done more than bump South Africa up in the World Rugby rankings. Take a moment to reflect on the infamous charge-down by speedster Cheslin Kolbe in the 2023 World Cup match against France, that allowed the Springboks to win with one point. It was also one point against New Zealand that secured the 2023 World Cup Championship title for Mzansi. More recently, Flyhalf Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu’s hat-trick of tries against Argentina which has now been recorded as the “highest ever scored by a Springbok in a single Test match”. In the same series, the Springboks experienced ebb and flow in their performance, bouncing back from a big loss to a major win, giving the All Blacks their biggest defeat to date. It also comes as no surprise that the documentary Chasing the Sun 2 was nominated for a prestigious International Emmy Award in the category: Best Sports Documentary. This tear-jerking documentary encapsulates the real- life stories of the men behind the rugby ball. Stories that resonate with all South Africans.
Perhaps the most significant win to consider has been the emergence of a completely new, younger generation of players and the impact on aspiring sports stars, who walk on the backs of giants, now boasting the most diverse team South Africa has ever seen. This transformation and dominant energy accurately reflect the evolution and growth within the industry. The reviewing and adaptation of sporting codes and a changing of the guards will continue to lead us to many dramatic victories.
Are we the best rugby team in the world? Undoubtedly. Do we have the fastest Wing? Absolutely. But more than a record-breaking drop kick and an implausible amount of tries in one test match, the Springboks have, over the past three decades, taught us a lesson or two about how much more can be achieved together, in unity. They have taught us that the formula to being a winning team lies in knowing how to rise from heartbreaking losses and setbacks, to come back stronger than before.
A Scrum that Tugs at the Heartstrings
You need not dig very deep into your bank of emotions to know that for South Africans, a Springboks win evokes pride, patriotism and a sense of hope for the girl and boy child who dreams of becoming the next Siya Kolisi or Nolusindiso Booi (Springboks Women Captain). Deeply etched in a game of sports is the hope for a brighter future.
This year marks 30 years since that historic Rugby World Cup win, where the late Tata Madiba lifted the Webb-Ellis Cup alongside former Captain Francois Pienaar. That win marked the turning point of unity and healing for South Africans. That win also showed that sport is a deeply ingrained part of the South African culture and the Springboks have produced some of the most memorable matches in rugby history, cementing a rich cultural history!
The Springboks’ story is a proud South African story and our hearts are #ForeverGreenForeverGold.
Additional sources: US News and World Report, SA Rugby, Good Things Guy; SuperSport
By Roxanne Francis
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