We always had in the back of our mind as a team...
...we’re playing for the country, we’re playing for Nelson Mandela
This is what I was wearing on the day
Nelson Mandela, like 20 minutes before the Rugby World Cup final started...
...Nelson Mandela walked into the changing room as a big surprise for us...
...and the changing room went dead quiet, you could hear a pin drop
And with a huge smile on his face he said to the team...
...“Hello my fellow South Africans I’m here to support you...
...and I want you to know that I’m your biggest supporter today...
...and the whole of South Africa stands behind you”
And then he walked around and shook everybody’s hand...
...as to say congratulations and good luck for the game
Francois Pienaar stood up and he said to the team that...
...“Enough said, Nelson Mandela was in our changing room...
...let’s go out there and make Madiba proud”
And you know what the rest is history, we won the Rugby World Cup
Being a rugby player as a so-called black or coloured player in South Africa...
...was challenging times because of apartheid you know...
...you were not allowed, for instance we’d go and play but then...
...you sometimes have to change on the bus...
...because I mean, you were not allowed to go and change...
...the after-match functions, you would go straight on the bus and go home...
...because often the after-match function was only for whites
You know you wanted to compete and you wanted to prove to everyone...
...that actually, that we as black people can also play rugby...
...and be the best in that sport
You have to prove every single time why you need to be in the team
Rugby will always have the power to unite people...
...and to bring people together
Everybody forget about the politics...
...what they have at home, what they don’t have at home
They think about the Springboks, the Springboks rugby...
...the Springboks can just be happy and socialise
And that is what rugby brings to South Africans