South Africa’s Cup success bigger than rugby alone

Liam Napier

South Africa’s Rugby World Cup success cannot be defined solely in a rugby context. No, this is a triumph for all those who believe in sport’s power to unite and inspire.

As New Zealand continues to process its disappointment, surely if there’s one nation we can embrace claiming the Webb Ellis Cup, it’s South Africa, our fiercest and most respected rugby foe.

The Springboks defeating England to claim their third global crown won’t fix all problems in their troubled land but it will again help break down barriers, just as the 1995 success did.

Twenty-four years on from those iconic scenes of Nelson Mandela lifting the Cup alongside Springboks captain Francois Pienaar and the rugby symbol that once represented the apartheid regime, this side proved no matter their skin colour, background or inherent affiliations, anyone can rise to the top of the world.

At a time when many in the political world are intent on driving divisive messages for personal gain, the Springboks represent the opposite. They represent progress towards unity. That is something everyone should celebrate and strive to follow.

South Africa is a strikingly beautiful country with many welcoming, generous warm-hearted people. But it is also a place where rape, murder, robbery, unemployment and economic crisis are day-to-day realities. “This is Africa” the locals say to compartmentalise their challenges.

In this regard, South Africa makes you appreciate just how fortunate we are to grow and live in a haven such as New Zealand. It’s also why so many South Africans seek refuge here.

In the past two years, South Africa coach Rassie Erasmus embraced the government-mandated transformation quota selection policy attached to his team to lead the way on diversity. He and the team now reap the ultimate reward.

From assuming the reins after one of South African rugby’s lowest ebbs — their 57-0 embarrassment against the All Blacks in Albany — to this high is quite some journey.

Erasmus struck a chord postmatch when he revealed his side had talked about how pressure in South Africa is not having a job or when one of your close relatives is murdered, and how the team had the power to drive change.

“Hope is when you play well on Saturday and people watch the game and have a nice braaivleis and feel good afterwards,” Erasmus said after his side’s 32-12 victory in Yokohama.

“No matter if you’ve got political differences or religious differences or whatever; for those 80 minutes, you agree with a lot of things you might disagree on. We just believed that this was not a burden, it’s our privilege, and the moment you see it in that way, it becomes a hell of a privilege to try and fix those things.”

In many ways Siya Kolisi, South Africa’s first black captain, is the new symbol of hope. His oft-told story of emerging from his grandmother’s shack in a rural, disadvantaged community near Port Elizabeth, where he did not have enough money for shoes and would go days without eating, shines a light on his power to inspire.

Wing Makazole Mapimpi scored one of South Africa’s two tries in the final. He, like Kolisi, hails from a poor township where others will now seek to follow.

“This means a lot for me,” Mapimpi

said. “I’m blessed. It’s been a long, long journey. I’ve seen a lot of things. Things I don’t like. We fight to push those things away. Girls getting raped, things like that.”

From a rugby perspective, the Boks reminded New Zealanders that this sport does not always have to be beautiful. Brute force remains at the heart of this game. The power of England’s forward pack crushed the All Blacks in the semifinal, only for South Africa’s man mountains to then steamroll the English in the finale.

From a symbolic and social perspective, the Springboks should teach us much more. They represent all that we hope sport to be. Their success is much bigger than rugby alone.