In South Africa, thousands of supporters welcomed rugby players, recent world champions, on their return from France. The president even declared December 15 a national holiday.
The metro was free for the occasion. At the airport Johannesburg, in South Africa, thousands of supporters welcomed the Springbok on their return from France. The players have just won the Rugby World Cup for the fourth time, after 1995, 2007, and 2019. South Africa becomes the most successful nation in world rugby, enough to bring people together.
Thousands of South Africans came to see their stars, and especially their captain Siya Kolisi, acclaimed as a hero. “I came to see Siya Kolisi. He has two World Cups, we support him because he is a good captain”, says a supporter. It was then that Kolisi appeared bounding into the airport hall, dressed in a cape over his shoulders in the colors of the South African flag. “Siya is my hero”says another Springbok fan.
Siya Kolisi hands the trophy to the crowd, he tries to have a look for everyone, a word for everyone, during the press conference: “We wanted to ensure that this Cup was for all South Africans, rich or poor, no matter where you come from, like our team which is very diverse, which is magnificent.”
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“This World Cup is special”, adds Kolisi. “In 2019, people were surprised by the victory, but this year they were asking for it.” The fervor has grown, confirms this supporter: “Four years ago, we did the same ceremony, but at the time there were a lot fewer people. This team represents our entire country, that’s why people worked so hard to come here. “
A holiday and a cross-country tour
With the historic success of the Springboks, even South Africans who were not interested in rugby fell in love with the national team and made the trip. “I’m not much of a rugby guy, but it was huge when I saw that South Africa had won, it moved me. I had to be there to welcome the boys,” testifies a South African. A young woman next door completes: “We don’t actually watch rugby, but we love Siya”
The supporters always come back to Siya Kolisi… Except this little 8-year-old boy with blond hair, whose hero is Faf de Klerk. The child is accompanied by his mother: “Yes, I’m very happy, but also disappointed not to have seen them up close. Yes, we saw Faf, but from afar, we weren’t close enough.”
South Africans disappointed at not having seen their idols will be able to approach them until Sunday November 5. The Springboks will parade in six cities across four provinces, including Cape Town, Durban, Soweto and Pretoria. THE South African President Cyril Ramaphosa, for his part, announced a public holiday to celebrate this victory, next December 15.