GO SPRINGBOKS!

GO BOKKE

“No other team plays under more political pressure than the Springboks” – Jake White, World Cup-winning coach.

Thank you Springbokke!

 for bringing us the Webb Ellis trophy for the third time.

I’m very obviously not a huge sports freak since I’m only writing about our national team’s victory, last Saturday, today.

The Springbok rugby team plays in green and gold jerseys with white shorts, and their emblems are the Springbok and the King Protea. The team was absolutely formidable last Saturday on the Yokohama field in Japan when they beat the British team with a final score of 32 to 12.

The Springbok rugby team has been representing South Africa in the international rugby union since 30 July 1891, when they first played a test match against a British touring team.

The story of South African rugby would not be complete without reflecting on the political issues that have prevailed since day one.

The Afrikaners in South Africa came through the crucible of rough frontier life stretching over several centuries and two bitterly fought wars of independence against the might of the biggest imperial empire of the world at the time, Great Britain, who’s famous leader, sir Winston Churchill once wrote, after he was captured near Ladysmith, Natal by the Boers during the second “War of liberation”:

“What men they were, these Boers! I thought of them as I saw them in the morning, riding forward through the rain–thousands of independent riflemen, thinking for themselves, possessed of beautiful weapons, led with skill, living as they rode without commissariat or transport or ammunition column, moving like the wind,  and supported by their iron constitution, their faith”.

“Dear Lord, may we Boers, also one day be allowed to simply exist as a people and do what we were ever born to be, which is that humblest of professions, “Boers”, farmers, providing, through your abundant grace, produce for your children and animals.”

Amen.

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