Springboks Champions Tour takes on Durban

THE newly-crowned world champions, the Springboks, took the streets of Durban for the Durban leg of the Springbok Champion Trophy tour on Friday.

The crowd eagerly waited for their heroes as police officers scattered about to control and set the scene for the bus-bound Bokke.

The energy from last Saturday’s historic win was still intact with supporters of all ages chanting the captain’s name “SIYA!” (Siya Kolisi) and the retiring cult hero “BEAST!” (Tendai ‘Beast Mtawarira).

ALSO READ: Springbok Champions Tour kicks off in uMhlanga

Escorted by police vehicles, the gargantuan green bus took the turn onto Anton Lembede Street and cries of shosholoza soon rang around the scene.

Like he did at the Yokohama Stadium in Japan, captain Siya Kolisi hoisted the William Webb-Ellis cup up high into the cloudy Durban sky and the crowd erupted. The bus took a slow drive towards the Durban City Hall with players like Lukanyo Am, Makazole Mapimpi and Faf De Klerk (fully clothed) waving at the partisan crowd.

ALSO READ: In Pictures: Rugby World Cup celebrations 

There was a point where the audience were only chanting Mapimpi’s name while eThekwini mayor, Mxolisi Kaunda, was speaking and the serial try-scorer blew a kiss to his admirers.

The five-day open-top bus trophy tour continued in East London, Port Elizabeth and Cape Town.

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