‘Siya for president’
President Cyril Ramaphosa yesterday joked during the Boks’ victory parade that the team would win if an election was held now and captain Siya Kolisi would be president.
‘I saw victory written all over their eyes. They went to war and won.’
Thousands of people lined the streets of Johannesburg and Pretoria yesterday as the Springboks stopped at the Union Buildings with the Webb Ellis Cup they brought back from Japan after becoming Rugby World Cup champions for the third time.
Springbok captain Siya Kolisi was met with a hero’s welcome, handing the trophy over to President Cyril Ramaphosa, who joked that he was glad it’s not election season. “What I am pleased about is that we are not about to hold an election … if we were about to hold an election, I have no doubt that the entire rugby team would be in parliament and in Cabinet,” he said.
“Kolisi would have been the president and Erasmus would be the minister of finance.
“I’m glad I don’t have to compete with Siya Kolisi right now.”
The Boks began their trophy parade through the streets of Pretoria and Johannesburg yesterday and will move to other parts of the country in the coming days.
Ramaphosa hailed the national rugby team as the first truly diverse one to win the tournament for South Africa.
“Everything that can contribute to nation-building [and] social cohesion must be utilised by all of us as South Africans,” the president said.
Ramaphosa noted there were “2.5 billion people watching the match for 80 minutes”, saying the team had put South Africa on the world map.
He said although both he and the team were nervous at times, the victory did not surprise him. “I saw victory written all over their eyes.
“When I was in Yokohama and went to meet them, they allowed me the rare moment to say a few words. Before I did … I asked some of them how they were feeling. Siya was feeling nervous.”
Ramaphosa admitted that he, too, was nervous at certain points during the game. Ultimately, however, the team “went out to war and they won and brought the trophy back to South Africa where it belongs”.
South African Rugby Union president Mark Alexander said the World Cup victory was a tribute to the “spirit of Mandela”.
The Springboks stopped at the Union Buildings to kick off a fiveday trophy parade, which will end in Cape Town on Monday.
Ramaphosa used his final words to hit out at those who were “dismissing” the victory.
“You have helped unite the country and you have lifted the spirit of the country,” the president said.
“Thank you for having done so. You have consolidated the unity of the nation and we want to savour this moment.
“We thank you for being the catalyst to ensure we can continue to build our nation,” Ramaphosa said.