Francois Pienaar has hailed South Africa’s World Cup win as more significant than their historic first triumph in 1995, when he was captain.
When the Springboks lifted the Webb Ellis Cup on home soil, Pienaar and then South Africa President Nelson Mandela stood together with the trophy in an iconic moment in the nation’s post-apartheid history.
But Pienaar believes this team’s diversity makes this a “bigger” triumph than the 1995 or 2007 successes.
“This is bigger because it is a transformed team, 58 million people watching in South Africa and all races would have woken up wearing green, which wouldn’t have happened in my time,” said Pienaar.
“It has evolved from my time. Seeing South Africa in the final, Siya Kolisi, the first black captain of South African rugby in his 50th game, his dad flying for the first time in his life to watch his son play. Wow. You don’t get more emotion than that.”
The South African President, Cyril Ramaphosa wore the No6 jersey that both Kolisi and Pienaar played in ahead of the final.
“And then I see my number and the President wearing the number, which Mr Mandela wore, and I know that Cyril was very close to Mandela,” said Pienaar. “It’s more than rugby in most countries, but in South Africa we are tender.
Our country needs to rebuild. To rebuild you need to unite, and sport comes along and shows you that.”
At the World Rugby Awards in Tokyo last night, South Africa swept the men’s honours, with Pieter-Steph du Toit crowned men’s player of the year,
Rassie Erasmus leading coach and the Springboks the top team. England centre Emily Scarratt was named women’s player of the year.
