Unity Through Sport (1995 Rugby World Cup)

The 1995 world cup was one of the most important events ever in South Africa to forward anti-apartheid efforts and unite the country. At this point apartheid laws had been officially repealed and abolished, but the country remained separated. Post-apartheid South Africa much resembled the post-Civil War south; while the slaves were free by law, they were still underprivileged and had no real means to make a good living for themselves. People were still treated unequally, no longer by De Jure discrimination, but by De Facto discrimination. The Apartheid traditions, and unethical treatments had been imprinted into the minds of the citizens, and native people were not treated fairly. The 1995 Rugby World Cup took a huge step towards true equality in South Africa. This championship made the whole country unite towards one cause and one common goal. Everyone was cheering for South Africa; no matter their race or age, everyone was able to put aside their differences to cheer on the South Africa Springboks in the world cup of Rugby. This unity may have not lasted for ever, but it took a giant step in the right direction.

The World Cup was a huge event for South Africa. It was the largest sporting event in many years and a bright spot in contrast the dark past of apartheid. While at first the rugby team was not well liked by many native South Africans. It was a white man’s sport. Rugby was a sport that separated the classes. The whites watched rugby, and because of this, natives innately chose to not enjoy South African Rugby. However, as the World Cup progressed, and the nations pride and unity grew, statesman Nelson Mandela saw the potential of this event. He understood the importance of sports and how unifying they can be. When people are cheering for the same team, they have no preconceived ideas, they see each other as fans, and become united by the team they are watching. "Sport has the power to change the world, It has the power to inspire, it has the power to unite people in a way that little else does." Mandela knew that a shared love of sports was a perfect opportunity to try and unite South Africa. In order to bring together a fragmented country, separated by racial barriers, Mandela openly showed his support for the Rugby team, followed them, endorsed them, and praised them, to bring attention to them and work towards a common interest.

Mandela was an idol to almost all of South Africa’s natives and seeing Mandela accepting, and rooting for a sport that was widely considered that of white men, inspired them and drove them towards unity. Mandela chose to exploit the country’s love for sport in order to unite it. By donning the springbok’s uniform, traveling to Johannesburg to support the team, and openly endorsing the team, he helped repair a fragmented nation. This action helped the people of South Africa realize that they are not that different, and that they are more than two separated communities. Today, most of South Africa has become peaceful, with much less segregation and disparities. Both communities have become much more accepting and tolerant. The people of South Africa can live in harmony, but the apartheid customs still linger. Apartheid behaviors are still abundant in South Africa. They may be disappearing, but every now and then the old ways show themselves again.

The World Cup was one of the most influential events, to help end post-apartheid discrimination and has had a huge lasting impact. Mandela’s brilliance in utilizing rugby as a way to bring everyone together has left a powerful, long lasting effect on South Africa. To me this was really creative, and inspiring. I think it was genius for Mandela to utilize sports as he did. It was a brilliant idea and clearly it worked to his advantage.His creativity really helped unite South Africa after apartheid ended. I would really recomed looking into this topic more. It is really interesting how one idea and one action can influence and change the course of history so much. By simply supporting the national rugby team Mandela completely changed the course of a nation. This is a really cool concept and I would definitely recommend that you continue reading about it. 
Of course, after the world cup final was over, this unity faded slightly. With the victorious hysteria and joyful celebrations over, the country slowly returned to its old state, but not without change. The discrimination was still apparent, and true objectivity was yet to be obtained; but what remained was pride to be a South African, hope for a brighter, equal future, and the idea that anyone, no matter their race, or ideological views, can be united through a collective love of sports.

-Jack M.

Fihlani, Pumza. "South Africa 'rugby Unity': Fact and Fiction." BBC News. BBC, 12 Nov. 2009. Web. 18        Dec. 2013.

Greenberg, Chris. "1995 Rugby World Cup Final Put Nelson Mandela's Belief In The Power Of Sports On                 Display." The Huffington Post. TheHuffingtonPost.com, 05 Dec. 2013. Web. 18 Dec. 2013.

"The Full Nelson." How a Sports-savvy Nelson Mandela Used Rugby to Unify His. N.p., n.d. Web. 18 Dec.             2013.