Green and gold: Backing the Boks brings us together again

It’s more than a little ironic that the one thing which consistently brings us together was for a long time recognised as a symbol of our nation’s dark past.

After apartheid was abolished, Nelson Mandela did well to use rugby as a way to start breaking down the extreme divide that existed between us at the time.

But it didn’t simply happen overnight, and for a long time black sport fans were reluctant to attend live rugby matches, largely out of fear that they would be rejected by the sport’s majority white fans.

A lot of investment has gone into rugby development, however, and a lot more kids from previously disadvantaged backgrounds are taking up the sport.

In terms of our nation’s demographics, the number of white players in the squad indicates there is still a long way to go to find equality on the field of play.

But we are getting there. Not only is the Bok captain a globally respected black player, but every player of colour in the squad is there on merit, which is crucial in terms of what ultimately makes the sport as attractive as it is to South Africans: we’re very good at it.

National pride

Unlike the relatively useless national men’s football team, and the inconsistent cricket side, the Springboks have consistently produced world-class performances and won major titles.

While national women’s teams are on the rise, most SA men’s sides have repeatedly struggled at the highest level of their respective sports. The only real exception is rugby.

Even in pressure situations, when they are forced to dig deep at the death, more often than not they deliver. And even when they lose, they always carry our flag with pride and they fight for every inch.

The respect the players have for the national jersey is unprecedented and when they hit the field it always feels like they are more than just a rugby team. They are the best representatives we have in the world of elite sport, and they reflect the best parts of who we are (and who we want to be) as South African people.

Our collective pride in the Boks has never been more evident than it has been over the last few weeks, in the World Cup playoffs, with the nation painting itself green in support.

It has become a bit of a cliche that rugby unifies us, but like all cliches, it is repeated for a reason. When the Springboks win, we all win.

Let’s go Bokke!