Bok arrival: I needed a thick skin

Talk about a stampede! … I was fortunate enough to be at the OR Tambo International Airport on Tuesday to welcome the heroic Springboks back after their fantastic World Cup win.

But wow, never did I expect to be pushed and shoved and mobbed as I tried for what felt like ages to make my way into the media centre.

You simply had to be at the airport at around 2pm if you had any hope of finding a parking spot ahead of the first group’s arrival at 4.30pm and eventually when we made it out after 10pm it felt like a marathon day.

As soon as I eventually got to the media centre we ended up waiting until after 4pm.

Then the pushing and shoving started in all earnest, but to my shock I discovered I didn’t have my “letter”.

We were sent an “entry letter” earlier but on it, it just stated where filming is permitted and where it is restricted,

Suddenly at the media entrance between all the frenetic pushing I was told: “Sorry, no entry without the ‘letter’.”

It took a lot of begging and pleading as a security officer attached to the Ministry of Sport stood his ground saying: “No letter, no entry.”

So I had to stand back thinking how I am going to explain to my boss that I couldn’t gain entry to the media centre.

No access meant no article, which no doubt wouldn’t have gone down well with my superior.

Apologies for having to namedrop here, but Saru’s De Jongh Borchardt eventually came to my rescue telling security I had to gain access, but at the same time expressing his dipleasure at my not having the required “letter”.

Once inside the real wait started, as once inside, we were not allowed to go back out, avoiding another potential confrontation with security personnel.

So from 4.30pm the wait started until the first batch of players arrived. Once they finished their first press conference and I had filed my first piece, we had to stay put to wait for coach Rassie Erasmus and captain Siya Kolisi’s flight to arrive, which had already been delayed once.

It was finally due to arrive “after 8pm” but once they had been cleared by customs they took forever to make their way through the throng of supporters. But the night was far from over.

My parking debt came to R164 due to the fact I was at the airport for countless hours – the Airports Company must have made a killing.

Oh, the sacrifices a journo has to make to get a story out on time.