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Springboks celebrate victory at legendary Mandela site
South Africa's rugby stars on Monday hoisted the World Cup before thousands of ecstatic fans at Cape Town's City Hall, where Nelson Mandela made his first speech after his release from prison.
The Springboks' final stop on their victory tour pounded home the message of unity.
"Look how we are all different, different races, different backgrounds, and we came together for South and we made it happen," Siya Kolisi, the Springboks' first black test captain, told thousands of fans.
"I'm saying to you today, just take a look around you, there is different races, different people with different backgrounds, but look how you are making it special for us."
"It's time for us South Africans to stop fighting, to stop arguing... and move forward as a country," he said, to wild applause from fans in the vast square.
Siya Kolisi dancing with team and fans at #Springboks welcome this morning at City Hall in Cape Town. @TimesLIVE pic.twitter.com/XNq4WagVj1
— Kimberly Wipfler (@wipfler9) November 11, 2019
@Springboks on stage at #CapeTown City Hall (@itchybyte) pic.twitter.com/5qQEjUYfoT
— Team News24 (@TeamNews24) November 11, 2019
It was in that same square in front of City Hall on February 11, 1990, that Nelson Mandela spoke to euphoric crowds hours after his release from 27 years in prison.
That was Mandela's first major speech as a free man and a key moment in South Africa's rebirth.
The Springboks beat England 32-12 victory against England in Japan on November 2, earning their third world crown in rugby's paramount tournament.
But this team broke new ground, being the most racially-mixed in a national sport.
REACH FOR THE STARS
Earlier on Monday, the Springboks visited anti-apartheid icon Archbishop Desmond Tutu, who sported a green Springbok jersey.
"What this group of youngsters has achieved speaks, beyond rugby, to the possibility of what we can be. No matter where we come from, if we reach for the stars, we can actually touch them," said Tutu in a statement.
Dwarfed by most of the squad, Tutu appeared particularly impressed by Trevor Nyakane and Tendai Mtawarira’s size – while scrumhalf Faf de Klerk gave the archbishop a glimpse of his "famously patriotic underwear he revealed to Prince Harry after winning the cup" eight days earlier, said the statement.
When #fafdeklerk met Desmond Tutu ???? pic.twitter.com/VE4Zcfy497
— Nomsa Maseko (@nomsa_maseko) November 11, 2019
This was the content I needed after my exam ???? Archbishop Desmond Tutu reacting to Fafs Springbroekie pic.twitter.com/l835rTJdFw
— Jess (@Jessicaxsam) November 11, 2019
Archbishop Desmond Tutu was thrilled to meet the Rugby World Cup winning Springboks today. He couldn't believe how big they are! He congratulated them, not only for their victory but for bringing South Africans together. Read @TutuLegacy statement here: https://t.co/HNC9ucON3K pic.twitter.com/z7HJaxUG0V
— TutuLegacy (@TutuLegacy) November 11, 2019
The Springbok also met lawmakers outside the parliament building.
The speaker of the legislature, Thandi Modise, told the triumphant squad: "You have enabled South Africa to recall who we are".
"You have again made us able to forget our racial tensions, to forget the gender-based violence and to focus on that which makes us great as South Africa."
She urged them to "continue to unite this country."
"If politics fails, our fallback is sports, because there... we understand the rules of the game, we understand who and what makes us a people," Modise said
In a brief response to the members of parliament building, Kolisi said "we hope that we make you proud and we hope that we have inspired you".
Team members wore yellow T-shirts with inscription "stronger together".
?? Red-hot welcome in Cape Town
— Springboks (@Springboks) November 11, 2019
?? Mother City fans out in full force
???? Trophy Tour concludes on a high
?? https://t.co/Fh3oEFkHhG#ChampionsTogether pic.twitter.com/qQAeLjEmLt
Proud moment from our office as we welcome the #Bokke @WorldRugby World Cup Champions. @CapeTownCCID @WesternCapeGov @lovecapetown @Springboks #SpringbokTrophyTour pic.twitter.com/oFeJIrzaj6
— Our Future Cities (@ofuturecities) November 11, 2019
Their victorious homecoming tour, aboard an open-topped bus. has taken them to Soweto and to the seat of government in Pretoria where they met President Cyril Ramaphosa.
They also took the trophy to Durban, East London and Port Elizabeth, Kolisi's home town.
Throughout the tour, thousands of South Africans, from all backgrounds, have come out to cheer the national team.
WOW!!!! CAPE TOWN HAS BEEN UNBELIEVABLE!!!????????????????#BokTrophyTour @Springboks pic.twitter.com/fhrQzS8RdO
— Buns Out/Abuti Buns/Mr.Buns/Bhanisa/Le Bunza (@MapsMaponyane) November 11, 2019
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