It's this woman in her fifties whom we met in a sports bar, who sees the South African rugby team as "the hope of the country, when nothing else works." This editorialist, who apologized to Les Bleus in a post on X (formerly Twitter): "South Africa needed this more than you did. For us, it's beyond rugby," after the World Cup quarter-final victory. Or this Boks coach, for whom the matches are "an opportunity to think about something else." In South Africa, rugby lifts people's spirits.
Even as the competition goes on, the clouds are gathering over the rainbow nation and its 62 million inhabitants. Crime and corruption, unemployment and poverty are compounded by inflation, an electricity crisis, potholes on the road, egg shortages due to avian flu, and the return of cholera to Pretoria's troubled waters. The picture is bleak, and locals are feeling blue. Amidst all of this, their safe haven is the green and gold colors − hope and fortune − of the Springboks.
National team jerseys have been snapped up. Those for the 2023 World Cup are nowhere to be found, having sold out in authorized stores. Nike, the supplier, is accused of not having produced enough and of having limited the number of retailers. Fans are so frustrated that one of them sent a long letter to the American multinational to remind it of what the national team represents. "South Africa is a land of many problems. (...) We have mass corruption, poverty, a health, food, water and energy crisis. There are few lights at the end of the tunnel in South Africa. One of them is our beloved Springboks," wrote 33-year-old Thomas Connolly. But despite his lyricism, store shelves are still empty as the semi-final between South Africa and England approaches at 9 pm on Saturday, October 21.
Old jerseys or unauthorized replicas, South Africans are invited to wear the national team's colors every Friday for "Bok Friday." "It's good for South Africa, it brings us together," enthused Gerrit Kruger, whose children swapped their school uniforms for the nation's uniform on this occasion. "It's every day of the week that you'll see people dressed in Springbok accessories during the World Cup, we're very patriotic," added Non Welsford, manager of the Pirates Club bar in Johannesburg. "Stronger together" is the Springbok's slogan.
The country has rallied behind captain Siya Kolisi. It's his face that is in the front row as he takes to the pitch on match nights. He has led the way for his teammates and has drawn an entire country into the fray. "There's a lot to be said for his management skills, his flair and his ability to bring people together," says supporter Charl van Rooyen. Kolisi also reflects the image of a diverse South Africa, with its different communities reconciled. "Rugby was once the sporting embodiment of white minority rule in South Africa, but it has since been transformed (...) The team itself is more representative than it's ever been," affirmed columnist Zakithi Buthelezi in the Sunday Times.
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