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The 1995 Rugby World Cup was historic, but the nation’s real victory lies in overcoming centuries of division.
South Africa captain Francois Pienaar holds aloft the Webb Ellis trophy as the rest of the team celebrate after their 1995 World Cup Final victory over New Zealand at Ellis Park on May 24, 1995 in Johannesburg, South Africa. (Photo by Shaun Botterill/Allsport/Getty Images)
There have been few bright, shining moments in the history of our brutal, unequal country.
Two of the brightest, though, came from sport, leading many to believe that, in a sports-crazed nation like South Africa, it was on the playing fields that society’s unequal playing field would be levelled.
The first magic moment was on 24 June, 1995 in the Rugby World Cup final at Ellis Park stadium, when Joel Stransky’s extra time drop put the nail in the All Blacks coffin for the most famous Springbok victory in history.
The second was just under 15 years later, on 11 June, 2010, when Bafana Bafana striker Siphiwe Tshabalala’s left boot rifled a shot past Mexico’s goalkeeper to score the first goal in the first Fifa World Cup tournament on African soil.
In those moments, we dreamed the impossible dream – and saw it come true.
This week, as we mark the 30th anniversary of the triumph of Francois Pienaar’s Boks, the euphoria of 1995 seems far off … and our current reality a nightmare more than a dream.
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With each year that passes, 1995 and all that – Nelson Mandela, “Rainbow Nation”, “Shosholoza”, call it what you will – becomes less relevant.
The majority of our population is under 30, which means they weren’t even born when Madiba handed over the Webb Ellis Cup to Pienaar.
So, is it the case that the dream of greatness belongs only to the older generation?
That may well be the case… but it could also be that it was a naïve, unrealistic dream in the first place.
Overcoming more than three centuries of racebased oppression will not be achieved simply through the good vibes of a major sporting victory.
It’s going to take maturity, patriotism and compromise to heal our wounds. If we get even halfway there, it will be a win.
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