SPRINGBOK TRIUMPH UNITES SOUTH AFRICA

South Africa has become the first team ever to win the Rugby World Cup four times. But their triumph over New Zealand was more than a victory on the pitch. Just under half the Springboks squad comprised players who were Black or people of colour. Quite a transformation from 1995 when they won their first World Cup, with just one Black player in the team.

Back then, rugby was still seen as a symbol of White oppression. Blacks were banned from playing the sport during apartheid. However, in the years that followed, rugby chiefs and the government pursued a goal of inclusivity. Quota systems were introduced to make the game more representative of the country’s demographics. Critics argued it was just tokenism, but you can’t argue with results. This Springboks side has made sporting history - and you can’t be the best in the world through tokenism.

Of course, we shouldn’t forget that 80 per cent of South Africa’s population is Black, so there’s still some way to go to make rugby fully representative. And the game still needs to grow in poorer communities and beyond the realm of white-dominated fee-paying private schools. But the success achieved in less than three decades is substantial. And there’s every sign the whole country is now getting behind their Springboks side. There are even calls for a public holiday to mark this latest World Cup triumph.

Congratulations to the Springboks!