09 WHEN NELSON BECAME A BOK
It was maybe only 10 or more years after the 1995 World Cup that a wider audience understood what the tournament had done for South Africa.
It was a huge builder of bridges and healer of wounds and while New Zealanders were gutted the All Blacks lost in the final, the bigger story that played out for South Africa was inspirational.
Newly elected president Nelson Mandela used the Boks – a symbol of apartheid and all that had been bad about old South Africa – to show all that could be good about the new rainbow nation.
Instead of ignoring the World Cup or condemning the Boks, Mandela became a huge fan. He built a close relationship with captain Francois Pienaar. Rather than hate the Boks, Mandela used them to show the power of forgiveness and there could have been no more powerful gesture than his decision to wear a Springbok jersey when he met the two teams prior to the final.
It was a huge, huge moment – with deep and lasting political significance. It was the moment that the new South Africa was truly born.