Supporters outside Loftus Stadium were seen celebrating as the Springboks passed on the celebration bus, 7 November 2019, Pretoria. Picture: Jacques Nelles
Celebrations are in full swing as South Africa’s beloved Springboks kick off their victory tour following their historic fourth Rugby World Cup triumph.
The reigning Rugby World Cup champions received a hero’s welcome from the nation on Tuesday morning at a packed OR Tambo International Airport after they became the first team to win the Webb Ellis Cup four times on Saturday in Paris.
To celebrate their success, the team will embark on a four-day trophy tour in Tshwane, Johannesburg and Soweto on Tuesday, Cape Town on Friday, Durban on Saturday, and the Eastern Cape on Sunday.
The Boks also announced satellite tours to Bloemfontein, Nelson Mandela Bay, and other centres in 2024.
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The Johannesburg Metropolitan Police Department (JMPD) and Tshwane Metro Police Department (TMPD) announced the roads that will be affected by the tour in Tshwane and Johannesburg on Thursday.
Both JMPD and TMPD said their officers, the South African Police Service (Saps), Gauteng Traffic Police, and other law enforcement agencies will be deployed to escort and monitor the tour.
“JMPD officers will correspondingly assist with traffic control on the victory tour route,” said JMPD spokesperson Xolani Fihla.
“Motorists are urged to exercise patience throughout the parade and avoid the affected routes.”
The Gauteng leg of the victory tour will start at the Southern Sun Hotel on the corner of Steve Biko Road and Pretorius Street and proceed to the Union Buildings, where President Cyril Ramaphosa will receive the trophy from 8:30am until 9:15am.
TMPD said the Springboks will then parade through Hatfield, Sunnyside, and Church Square and end at Tshwane House in the CBD at around 11:30am. At Tshwane House, they will meet the Tshwane mayor, Cilliers Brink, who will congratulate the champions on behalf of Tshwane residents.
JMPD said the Boks will parade through Braamfontein, the Joburg CBD, past Riverlea into Soweto, and end at the FNB Stadium, where Johannesburg mayor Kabelo Gwamanda will give a keynote address at around 4pm.
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From the Southern Sun Hotel, the Boks will transfer into the open bus and move along Steve Biko Road, then turn right onto Stanza Bopape Street. They will proceed straight east, using Stanza Bopape Street, until they reach the Union Buildings. From the Union Building, they will get into Stanza Bopape Street and proceed until they turn into End Street in Hatfield.
From End Street, they will turn right to get to Pretorius Street and proceed west, then turn left onto Gordon Road, right onto Burnett Street, and left onto Park Street. From Park Street, they will turn left onto Kirkness Street, pass Loftus Versfeld Stadium, and turn right onto Jorissen Street in Sunnyside.
From Jorissen Street, they will proceed along the A Re Yeng bus route to Kotze Street. They will then turn into Nana Sita Street and turn right into Paul Kruger Street. They will pass by Church Square, turn right onto Madiba Street, and continue until they reach Tshwane House on the corner of Madiba and Lilian Ngoyi Street.
The route is highlighted in green on the map below, with the points of stop and estimated times in gold.
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The parade will start at 2pm at Helpmekaar Kollege on Melle Street in Braamfontein, turning onto Ameshoff Street, left onto Jan Smuts Avenue/Bertha Street, travelling across the Nelson Mandela Bridge/Ntemi Piliso Street, turning left onto Lilian Ngoyi Street, and right onto Simmonds Street towards FNB Bank City, where FNB CEO Jacques Celliers will give a speech from the Springbok bus roof.
The parade will then travel down Simmonds Street and turn right onto Commissioner Street, which becomes Main Reef Road. The bus will then turn left at Nasrec Road, past Riverlea, and past the Johannesburg Expo Centre. The parade will then turn left onto Rand Show Road, which becomes Ben Naude Street in Diepkloof. They will turn left onto Immink Drive and right onto Chris Hani Road, travelling towards Maponya Mall.
The tour will turn right onto Klipspruit Valley Road, left onto Kumalo Main Road in Orlando West, left onto Vilakazi Street, and right at Moema Street towards the Hector Pieterson Memorial. The bus will travel down Kumalo Main Road, turning left onto Klipspruit Valley Road and right onto Soweto Highway.
The parade will then take the Shaft 17 offramp and turn right into SAFA House Gate to FNB Stadium for a lap of honour and a keynote address by Gwamanda at 4pm.
The route is highlighted in green on the map below, with the points of stop and estimated times in gold.
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