Prison journalism: The Journey of the Springboks to Rugby World Cup Glory
01/11/2023
by Marissa Naidoo
01-11-2023 12:13
in Prison Journalism
Rugby work cup trophy
Image by Dan Sheridan/INPHO/Shutterstock/Backpagepix.
The William Webb Ellis Trophy. That is what it is all about. The world in union, the Rugby Union World Cup.
--
Early Years and the Absence of the Springboks (1987-1991) We've had ten editions, and eight of them involved the real-world champions. Initiated in 1987, won by the New Zealand All Blacks. While the tournament was a success, the real-world champions were not present. New Zealand and Australia emerged victorious in 87 and 91, respectively. Again, a world championship without the mighty Springboks from South Africa was not a true event.
Jean Schuster and the Emergence of a Multiracial Team (1992) By 1992, South African comedian and household name Jean Schuster made the brave call in one of his sketches that, as the All Blacks did the Haka, the Springboks would perform the Shaka.' Well, almost! However, the truth that was called was that a multiracial fifteen would take on New Zealand and win at Ellis Park. There was a hero named Chester Williams who won the hearts of the racially divided nation when he crossed the line four times in a heated and physical quarter final.
The semi-final in a rain-soaked Durban showed the mental toughness of the Springboks. They clutched onto their minor lead and dug deep to overcome the talented and ambitious French outfit 15-12. For all to recall is the final scene of the Ellis Park battle royal between two rugby union giants. The scores were level at full time, and the Springboks held their nerve. Cool as ice, Joel Stansley changed the captain's call to run the blindside and sat deep in the pocket. The field goal resulted in three points, just enough to overcome the All Blacks.
--
ALSO READ: Prison journalism: Transforming perceptions of offenders for a better society
Reigniting South African Rugby and the Mandela Era (1995-2007) Now that was then, forward to 2007. The nation had been through some teething periods, and yes, there was plenty of pain. I always say that a happy South Africa is a successful Springboks. Schoolmaster Grace White took his philosophy of history and national pride from U19 level to senior level. With John Smit, the great and widely respected communicator as his skipper, he built a massive squad of very talented and proud warriors. After some unlucky RWC performances, the mighty Bokke once again ascended to the top of the Rugby Union Mountain.
Mr. Mandela in attendance in '95 with Fran ois Pienaar. Mr. Mbeki flew to France with John Smit to lift and receive the William Webb Ellis Trophy. By the time our rainbow nation had reached 2015, there were more unnecessary calls for reform. The quota of black players had been met, and by this point, South Africa wanted to see an all-black back team and all-black skipper. Granted!
--
The Rise of Siya Kolisi and a Unified South Africa (2015-Present) Siya Kolisi debuted as a 20-year-old tearaway flanker. In 17 minutes, he scored one try, had several running meters, and made smoking tackles on defence. He was named Player of the Nation. Many sceptics wouldn't have seen this event, and if only by accident, he was named provincial captain due to a minor injury to Eben Etzebeth, leaving him as the only option.
A strong man with unparalleled passion for his fellow man and pride in his nation, he would bring to life what was once fiction (re: Jean Schuster). The black skipper would lead the mighty Bokke to the RWC championship. Our nation was no longer racially segregated but bound by honour. You see, change is possible, and it can be constant. We love South Africa!
ALSO READ: Prison journalism: Challenges in Pollsmoor Prison
DISCLAIMER: Submission published as received
RESTORE is an NGO based in Cape Town, South Africa, providing inmates at Pollsmoor Prison with restorative justice opportunities.
If you have any questions you would like to ask our prison journalists, WhatsApp us on 060 011 0211.
Do you have contact with a prison inmate who would like to write for The South African website? If so, send an email to info@thesouthafrican.com or a WhatsApp to 060 011 0211.
You can also follow @TheSAnews on Twitter and The South African on Facebook to get the latest prison journalism articles.
Is jy Afrikaans? Kliek hier vir nuus in jou taal!
LINK: | https://www.thesouthafrican.com/culture/prison-journalism/prison-journ... |
See more stories from thesouthafrican |
Most recent headlines
04/08/2024
Dalet Appoints Santiago Solanas as CEO to Lead Next Era of Growth and Innovation
Dalet, a leading technology and service provider for media-rich organizations, is excited to announce Santiago Solanas as its new Chief Executive Officer (CEO)....
03/06/2024
Dalet and Veritone Reach Agreement to Distribute, Transact and Monetize Media Archives
Dalet, a leading technology and service provider for media-rich organizations, a...
09/05/2024
Factories of the Future: Aerojet Rocketdyne Completes Key Milestones in Expansion and Modernization Effort
Aerojet Rocketdyne is achieving key milestones executing the $215.6M Cooperative...
09/05/2024
Join Calrec at MPTS 2024
Join Calrec at MPTS 2024 | May 15 -16 | Booth A40 | Olympia, London We're looking forward to meeting up with customers and partners at this year's Media...
09/05/2024
NHL Draft to be First Live Televised Event from Vegas' Sphere
The 2024 Upper Deck NHL Draft will be held at Sphere in Las Vegas on Friday, June 28 and Saturday, June 29, marking the first time the event will be held in Las...
09/05/2024
WBD Nears 100M Streaming Subs, Streaming Profits Up
NEW YORK In its Q1 2024 earnings report, Warner Bros. Discovery continued to see growth in its streaming operations, adding 2 million streaming subs in Q1 2024 ...
09/05/2024
Custom Consoles Unveils M-Desk Refinements
LEIGHTON BUZZARD, U.K. Custom Consoles has announced refinements to its M-Desk Technical HA heavy duty height-adjustable desk workstation....
09/05/2024
Veritone Rolls Out AI Consulting, Services Group
DENVER Veritone has launched a consulting and services group focused on bridging the marketplace gap it says exists for seamless artificial intelligence (AI) im...
09/05/2024
How sound (and the technology behind it) can set the tone and enhance emotions in film and TV
Sefi Carmel, CEO and founder of SphereTrax, talks about the importance of the so...
09/05/2024
Yale University's Center for Collaborative Arts and Media (CCAM) Cultivates Creativity with Blackmagic Design
Yale University's Center for Collaborative Arts and Media (CCAM) Cultivates ...
09/05/2024
Blender: Awesome Rack Focus Rig
Blender: Awesome Rack Focus Rig Simon Ubsdell May 9, 2024 0 Comments In which we build a focusing rig in the Blender compositor to enable selective fo...
09/05/2024
Peacock Orders The Office' Offshoot
Peacock has picked up a series from Greg Daniels, who developed The Office for NBC, that is set in the same universe, according to the network, as the NBC hit...
09/05/2024
Sinclair Net Income Drops To $23 Million in First Quarter
Sinclair reported lower net income in the first quarter as distribution revenues rose and ad revenue excluding political spending dipped....
09/05/2024
Vizio Reports $12.1 Million Loss for First Quarter
Vizio Holding Corp., which has agreed to be acquired by Walmart, reported a loss in the first quarter despite growth in its advertising and data businesses....
09/05/2024
Kathleen Keefe, Broadcasting Exec, Dies at 68
Kathleen Keefe, who served as VP of sales for both Hearst Television and Post-Newsweek Stations, died peacefully in her sleep at her home in Roxbury, Connecticu...
09/05/2024
Future Today Adds Movies From Warner Bros Discovery to Fawesome
Streaming company Future Today said it made a deal with Warner Bros. Discovery that will bring 46 movies to Future Today's Fawesome channel....
09/05/2024
Warner Bros. Discovery Reports $966 Million First-Quarter Loss
Despite reporting a profit for its direct-to-consumer business, Warner Bros. Discovery reported a big loss as it took huge write-downs in the first quarter....
09/05/2024
Nexstar Reports Higher Net Income in First Quarter
Nexstar Media Group reported higher first-quarter earnings and said that it cut losses at The CW by $50 million year-over-year....
09/05/2024
Fubo Grabs Viewer Attention, According to TVision Study
Fubo, the sports-focused streaming service, scored high in getting its viewers attention, according to a study conducted by measurement and analytics company TV...
09/05/2024
SailGP Expanding LiveLineFX Graphics Platform to Other Sports
LONDON SailGP, which sponsors high-speed boat racing events worldwide says it is developing its LiveLineFX sports graphics platform for use in other sports....
09/05/2024
Disney, WBD to Offer Streaming Bundle Starting this Summer
BURBANK, Calif. Starting this summer, U.S. consumers will be able to purchase a new streaming bundle offered by Disney and Warner Bros. Discovery that includes ...
09/05/2024
Sony and Apollo plan to break up Paramount'
Companies are expected to sell off Paramounts linear channels as well as close Paramount Plus By Jenny Priestley Published: May 9, 2024 Companies are expe...
09/05/2024
Paramount Global Selects Amdocs Vubiquity to Provide Mana...
Amdocs (NASDAQ:DOX), a leading provider of software and services to communications and media companies, today announced that Vubiquity, an Amdocs company, has b...
09/05/2024
CueScript Awarded Best of Show for CueFlip at NAB 2024
CueScript, the leading developer of professional teleprompting solutions, has announced that its CueFlip screen-to-screen folding field prompter has won in this...
09/05/2024
Mother's Day Ideas from CBC
Capitol Broadcasting has a myriad of ways to celebrate Mom! In honor of Mother's Day, here are a few ideas CBC divisions have to help you honor, or remember...
09/05/2024
Scripps Appoints New President and CEO of the Scripps Howard Fund
CINCINNATI Meredith Delaney has been appointed president and CEO of the Scripps Howard Fund, the philanthropic arm of The E.W. Scripps Company....
09/05/2024
Walmart Launches the Onn. 4K Streaming Device
Following leaks earlier this month of Walmart's plans to launch a new 4K streaming box, Walmart has officially unveiled the Onn. 4K Pro, a hybrid streaming ...
09/05/2024
DirecTV Adds More CW Stations
DirecTV continues to add CW affiliates to its streaming line-up, with the addition of four stations owned by Gray Television....
09/05/2024
Takeshi Kitano's film KUBI graded with DaVinci Resolve
Takeshi Kitano's film KUBI graded with DaVinci Resolve Brie Clayton May 8, 2024 0 Comments Blackmagic Design today announced that DaVinci Resolve ...
09/05/2024
zweiB updates to latest version of R&S CLIPSTER
zweiB updates to latest version of R&S CLIPSTER Brie Clayton May 8, 2024 0 Comments Specialist in deliverables for cinema, events and trade shows Ro...
09/05/2024
Simplify Your Filmmaking with Portable Lights
Simplify Your Filmmaking with Portable Lights Sean Alami May 8, 2024 0 Comments Discover the sleek, mobile Zhiyun lights that enhance cinematic scenes...
09/05/2024
The Benefits of using an Audio Interface
The Benefits of using an Audio Interface Colin Smith May 8, 2024 0 Comments This tutorial takes you through the hardware and software benefits of usin...
09/05/2024
Mother's Day Idea from CBC
Capitol Broadcasting has a myriad of ways to celebrate Mom! In honor of Mother's Day, here are a few ideas CBC divisions have to help you honor, or remember...
09/05/2024
Lachlan Murdoch Sees Progress Toward Sports Streaming Product
Fox CEO Lachlan Murdoch said his company, The Walt Disney Co. and Warner Bros. Discovery are in a two-minute drill to get their streaming sports joint venture t...
09/05/2024
Dale Earnhardt Jr. Joins Prime Video's NASCAR Team
NASCAR legend Dale Earnhardt Jr. is joining the Prime Video broadcast booth when the streaming network begins NASCAR Cup Series coverage next year. Earnhardt Jr...
09/05/2024
Nexstar Pitches Sports on The CW, Extra Reach Via Stations (Upfronts)
If upfront advertisers are looking for reach, Nexstar Media Group believes its base of local stations gives it a unique way to achieve that goal....
09/05/2024
Pluto TV Debuts NBCUniversal Local Streaming News Channels
NBCUniversal Local's 15 NBC and Telemundo local and regional streaming news channels begin launching on Pluto TV this month, starting May 8 with five channe...
09/05/2024
Don't Tell Mom the Babysitter's Dead' Debuts on BET Plus May 16
BET Plus said it has set May 16 as the premiere date for its original movie Don't Tell Mom the Babysitter's Dead....
09/05/2024
Disney's Rita Ferro Is Banking on Sports, Streaming, Tech (Upfronts)
Heading into the upfront, the advertising market is noticeably healthier than it was a year ago, Rita Ferro, president of global advertising sales at The Walt D...
09/05/2024
Laying the foundations of a new partnership with Chandler Homes
Posted on 09 May 2024 Getting into the hearts and minds of people looking for modern and stylish apartment living on the Lancashire coast is the focus of a mar...
09/05/2024
Fox Corporation Chief Financial Officer Steve Tomsic to Participate in MoffettNathanson's Media, Internet & Communications Conference 2024
Fox Corporation Chief Financial Officer Steve Tomsic to Participate in MoffettNa...
09/05/2024
Exhibition Schedule 2024
It's exhibition season again, and dB will be at several major shows, eager to meet as many visitors as possible. At The Media Production & Technology Show ...
09/05/2024
Prison Journalism: Challenges of foreign citizens' imprisonment in South Africa
Prison Journalism: Challenges of foreign citizens' imprisonment in South Afr...
09/05/2024
Prison Journalism: Pray for liberation and healing
Prison Journalism: Pray for liberation and healingThabo Mthembu was incarcerated in Pollsmoor Prison from 2014 to 2019. Read Thabo's story by Thabo Mthemb...
09/05/2024
Taylor Swift's European Eras tour kicks off in Paris TONIGHT
Taylor Swift's European Eras tour kicks off in Paris TONIGHTThe highest-grossing tour in history has finally arrived in Europe as Taylor Swift kicks off her...
09/05/2024
Tonight on Scandal: MaHilda and Phakamile are forced into navigating a tense truce
Tonight on Scandal: MaHilda and Phakamile are forced into navigating a tense tru...
09/05/2024
RT Supporting the Arts: What's On this May
RT Supporting the Arts: What's On this May Watch our YouTube promo here This May RT is delighted to support Dublin Dance Festival along with 20 other ar...
09/05/2024
Honkai: Star Rail' Blasts Off on GeForce NOW
Gear up, Trailblazers - Honkai: Star Rail lands on GeForce NOW this week, along with an in-game reward for members to celebrate the title's launch in the cl...
09/05/2024
Rohde & Schwarz showcases operational efficiency at MPTS
Rohde & Schwarz showcases operational efficiency at MPTS Uncompromised quality and reliability coupled with simplicity and efficiency Rohde & Schwarz will ...
08/05/2024
Saved! and Rudo y Cursi Among Films With May Anniversaries
Diego Luna's character Beto aims to play professional soccer in Carlos Cuar n's film Rudo y Cursi....