Ramaphosa dismisses allegations that Springbok win creates ‘false sense of unity’
President Cyril Ramaphosa has congratulated
the Springboks for being the first rugby team to win the Rugby World Cup on
three continents.
Ramaphosa held a reception for the players at the Union Buildings in Pretoria on Thursday after they won the tournament for a third time by beating England 32-12 in the final in Yokohama.
That meant they became the first team to win the Rugby World Cup in Africa (1995), Europe (2007) and Asia (2019).
Ramaphosa said the Springboks are also the most diverse team to have lifted the William Webb Ellis Trophy.
“And we were going into that match as underdogs. Everybody thought that the English team would win. It was good that we went into that match as underdogs, when everybody undermines us and didn’t think we would win.”
The president also rubbished comments that the win by the Springboks only succeeded in creating a false sense of national unity.
“We say that everything that can contribute to nation building, to social cohesion, must be utilised by all of us.”
Springbok captain Siya Kolisi used the opportunity to thank South Africans for inspiring them during the tournament.
“I really hope Mr President, we inspired everybody by doing what we love the most, doing what we love, and we hope this doesn’t end here,” he said.
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The national rugby team kicked off their Rugby World Cup trophy tour in Pretoria on Thursday morning.