Gateway Chronicle 2021

17
early 1990s. The sports boycott had rendered them
unable to play the amounts of international sport as
the other leading rugby nations and this was beginning
to show when the All Blacks toured in 1992.
This was their first tour to South Africa since 1976
and it resulted in an All Black victory. The Springboks
were booed and berated by their country not
only for their poor quality of sport but due to the
team’s history as an elitist white organization that
was representative of everything that was wrong
with South Africa. In the 1992 tour, the ANC made
several demands: that the old South African flag
not be flown and that the anthem, Die Stem van
Suid-Afrika, not be played. These both held strong
connections to the supposed glory of apartheid and
focused on the triumphs of minority rule. However,
the crowd of 72,000 waved the old flag and
the anthem was played through the stadium’s PA
system, along with racial chants and slurs from the
stands. In addition, the blacks would often cheer on
the opposition in defiance of white supremacy. The
gaping chasm between blacks and whites was still
evident and without a unifying force, the idea of
Nelson Mandela’s “Rainbow Nation” was looking
increasingly unlikely. It is important not to forget
that going into the world cup South Africa were
ranked ninth in the world so a high placed finished
could help to rectify this and change attitudes to the
Springboks.
Another interesting dynamic is that the Springboks
had one ‘token’ black player in the World Cup squad
named Chester Williams. He was the first nonwhite
to play for South Africa since 1984 when his
uncle, Avril Williams, and Errol Tobias were members
of the squad. Due to the separate sport governing
bodies for blacks and whites, coloured players
had not been selected to represent South Africa
before the removal of apartheid in 1991. Being the
third non-white to represent the Springboks carried
a burden. It is undeniable that this was the beginning
of a process that is continuing in South African
rugby, a particular highlight being Siya Kolisi
becoming the first black Captain, but by no means
was this perfect solution. Chester, being the only
player of colour on the team, resulted in him being
paraded as a victory by the rugby board instead of
the start of things to come. However, this also led
to Chester being viewed as a folk hero among rainbow
nation supporters. He became the poster boy
for the world cup with billboards being used to win
around black South Africans to come out in support
to Springboks. There were critics on both sides of
Hidden Voices
the spectrum; those who believed Chester was a glorified
publicity stunt and that there should be more
black players on the team and those who believed
he shouldn’t have been called up in the first place.
However, his popular following by black and white
South Africans alike help to sow the seeds of unity
that would flourish under their unbeaten campaign.
The group stage got off to an excellent start with
South Africa winning all three of their matches including
one against world champions Australia and
a 20-0 victory over Canada. Wins against Western
Samoa and France in pouring rain saw them placed
against New Zealand in the final. The All Blacks
had also won all their games so far and the Springboks
faced them, bitter from their defeat three years
ago.
The final took place in the Ellis Park stadium, in
Johannesburg, in front of a crowd of 63,000. A
myriad of new South African flags greeted the
players as they walked out onto the pitch and the
new national anthem was sung. Mandela had requested
that all the players know the lyrics to Nkosi
Sikelel’ iAfrika to help reinforce unity. 62,000 of
the 63,000 in attendance were of white Afrikaans
decent, the audience that traditionally supported
the Springboks, but the difference this time was
that those who traditionally opposed or berated the
Springboks came out in support of them, watching
in their millions up and down the country. The first
half saw no scores added to the total and the second
half left the two nations at level pegging as the
clock ticked over to extra time. A penalty for each
side left the scores 12-12 but in the last minute of
the first half of extra time, a drop goal from Joel
Stransky wrapped up the match and South Africa
were crowned champions.
After the final whistle had blown, Nelson Mandela
walked out sporting a green and gold jersey and
cap of the Captain François Pienaar. In front of
crowds of adoring South Africans, he shook hands
with Piennar and presented him with the William
Webb Ellis trophy. The shirt that had become synonymous
with racism and apartheid being worn by
South Africa’s first black president was possibly the
greatest public symbol of unity, one that no money
could buy. The symbolic handshake showed the unanimity
of the old and new South Africa and more
importantly it perfectly conveyed Mandela’s desire
for a rainbow nation - a nation where blacks and
white do not just co-exist but care for and respect