There haven’t been such crowds at Oliver Tambo International Airport in Johannesburg for a long time. Hundreds of people came on Tuesday morning to give the Springboks a welcome befitting real heroes. Over several floors, fans colorfully whitewashed the arrivals area with South African flags and green and yellow jerseys. Some were there as early as five in the morning. With a lot of noise, singing and cheering, the team, accompanied by police officers, was greeted with the golden trophy at eleven o’clock.
Claudia Broell
African political correspondent based in Cape Town.
Since Saturday evening there has been no other topic in South Africa than the national team’s victory in the Rugby World Cup. The narrow 12:11 win against New Zealand once again united and motivated the nation in a way that no other sport and certainly no politician can do. Aware of a historic moment, South African President Cyril Ramaphosa took the opportunity on Monday evening to provide an additional holiday – and not just for the “Springboks”.
“We will ensure that no one is left behind”
“We declare it a day of hope, a day of celebration and unity. Our athletes have shown us what is possible. We will succeed and ensure no one is left behind,” Ramaphosa said at the end of a televised address to the nation. There had already been speculation over the weekend that there would be a public holiday, whereupon the government quickly announced that everyone had to report to work on Monday.
The images from Saturday evening brought back memories in South Africa of the victory in the legendary Rugby World Cup final in 1995, when Nelson Mandela, wearing a Springboks jersey, congratulated then captain Francois Pienaar. A year after the first democratic elections, this moment was a powerful signal that apartheid is over and blacks and whites can be united. During times of racial separation, the “Springboks” were an almost exclusively white team, for which white fans in particular were enthusiastic.
On Saturday, Ramaphosa stood next to French President Emmanuel Macron in the pouring rain at the Stade de France in Paris and hugged almost every Springboks player. Later, videos from the locker room further increased the enthusiasm for “our boys”. “Faf” de Klerk skipped around in his now famous swimming trunks in the colors of the national flag. Tennis star Roger Federer, whose mother is South African, was there to congratulate.
Words of encouragement from the Springbok captain
The Springboks have finally shed their reputation as a “white” team. This is largely due to Siya Kolisi, the first black captain. The South African from a village near Gqeberha, the former Port Elizabeth, who was discovered at a young age and made it to one of the well-known rugby talent factories thanks to a scholarship, is now the idol par excellence. The team had already won the World Cup under his leadership in 2019. With their fourth victory in a World Cup, South Africa has now also set an international record.
In an interview after the final, Kolisi not only commented on the game, but also said the encouraging words that everyone had been waiting for: “There are so many things that separate people in the country from each other, but we are showing that it is possible “To bring people from different backgrounds together in South Africa, not just on the rugby field but in life in general,” he said.
“There were people before me who fought so that people who look like me could play on this team. They had never had this experience. My job is to give everything for this jersey to inspire the next generation.”
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“Trophy Tour” through South Africa
Starting on Thursday, the Springboks will travel with the trophy through South Africa for four days, to Pretoria, Johannesburg, Cape Town, Durban and East London. There were protests in Gqeberha that Kolisi’s hometown was not included. “We prayed every day. We want to see our Siya. He is the hope of our townships. He is the light of our world,” complained the chairman of an association of traditional community leaders.
However, the fans have to take time off for the “Trophy Tour”. December 15th was chosen as an additional holiday, one day before the annual “holiday of reconciliation”, which was introduced after the end of apartheid and traditionally marks the start of the summer and Christmas holidays.
