Springbok winger Cheslin Kolbe holds the Webb Ellis Cup after the South African team's RWC victory against the All Blacks on 28 October at the Stade de France, in Saint-Denis, Paris, Photo: Franck Fife / AFP
The coveted Rugby World Cup (RWC) trophy, the Webb Ellis Cup, is safe and sound after a brazen burglary at the offices of the South African Rugby Union (Saru) in the Cape Town suburb of Plattekloof on Monday night.
The break-in was confirmed by a Saru spokesperson on Tuesday.
“They [the burglars] entered the ground floor of the office complex and gained access to Saru House’s offices. All the trophies, which include the Webb Ellis Cup, are safe, however,” the spokesperson told Netwerk24.
Western Cape police spokesperson Captain FC van Wyk said that according to reports, two well-dressed men entered the business park in a white Toyota Corolla at around 8pm.
He confirmed Saru’s account that the two burglars gained entry by forcing open a window on the ground floor.
Five signed Springbok jerseys, whisky and eight laptops were stolen from Saru’s offices.
The replica of the Webb Ellis Cup is kept in a safe at Saru House.
The Webb Ellis Cup is a floating trophy that is handed to the Rugby World Cup champions every four years. The winning team, however, is given a replica of the trophy to put on permanent display.
Following their 12-11 victory over the All Blacks in France on 28 October, the Springboks now have a record-breaking four of these replicas in their trophy cabinet.
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During the team’s triumphant trophy tour victory parade in Cape Town on 3 November, a video of a man reportedly trying to steal the Webb Ellis Cup from the Springboks’ tour bus went viral.
In the video, a man on the bus points to a person in a green T-shirt holding what looked like the Webb Ellis Cup.
A person on the bus is then seen pointing accusingly at the man, who is then assaulted by enraged members of the crowd who are under the impression that he was “trying to steal the trophy”.
SA Rugby, however, denied social media users’ claims that the man tried to swipe the trophy, saying the Webb Ellis Cup never left the bus.
“It never leaves the bus, and [the trophy] is always accompanied by security,” a SA Rugby spokesperson told News24 following the incident.
In another trophy tour bus incident in the Mother City, Springbok captain Siya Kolisi’s wife, Rachel Kolisi, was hit on the head by a rugby ball thrown onto the bus by a fan.
South Africa’s “First Lady of Rugby” was, fortunately, not seriously injured. Take a look:
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