The 1995 Rugby World Cup: The Reunification of a Nation
For many years, Rugby had been viewed as a white man’s sport, closely associated with South Africans of Dutch descent known as Boers or Afrikaners. Adding to this persona, is the fact that throughout the Apartheid era, South Africa’s National Team, The Springboks, which in theory should be representative of the country, was kept segregated. To the black population of South Africa, the Springboks were a remaining vestige of Apartheid and a symbol of black oppression. To the white population, the Springboks were a symbol of national pride and an important part of their culture and history. These seemingly intransigent positions were indicative of the national attitude as a whole. Many black South Africans desired justice for the decades of unfair and unjust policies, and believed that the Springboks should have been dissolved in the name of progress, while white South Africans feared that the ANC led government elected in 1994 would destroy white culture, and believed that the Springboks were too culturally and historically important to destroy. With this level of tension, perpetuated by mutual hatred and mistrust, nothing could be done. With ambitions to become an internationally relevant country and regional power, South Africa’s political gridlock, disjointed and fragmented population, and numerous scars from a history of oppressive rule would have to fixed. The only way for South Africa to progress as a nation and overcome these issues would be through unification.
Left: Nelson Mandela, first Black President of South Africa and champion of sports as a tool of Unity
Middle: Francois Pienaar, captain of 1995 South African National Rugby Team
Right: Chester Williams, first Black player on the Springboks
Middle: Francois Pienaar, captain of 1995 South African National Rugby Team
Right: Chester Williams, first Black player on the Springboks
According to the United Nations Office for Sports and Development, “Sport plays a significant role as a promoter of social integration and economic development in different geographical, cultural and political contexts. Sport is a powerful tool to strengthen social ties and networks, and to promote ideals of peace, fraternity, solidarity, non-violence, tolerance and justice.” In 1995, South Africa was still a nation divided. After decades of racial segregation and discrimination mandated by Apartheid laws ended, the future of the country was unclear. Realizing that a divided country would not and could not grow, an effort was made to unify. With the history of success world over using sports as a force for unification and reconciliation and with the winning bid for the 1995 Rugby World Cup, the Springboks were the best choice as a tool for national unity. The team that once stood as a symbol of black oppression became a rallying point for the country. Nelson Mandela, a hero to black South Africans once as a revolutionary fighting Apartheid and later as the first black president, very publicly supported the Springboks. To him, the Springboks were no longer an institution of Apartheid, they were a symbol of unification and progress, and as more and more people followed Mandela’s lead, it became a self fulfilling prophecy. By the time the Springboks had surprised the world by making it deep into the tournament, the team had strong support from both sides of the racial divide.
The 2010 FIFA World Cup and South Africa's Foreign Relations
Notice that the official logo depicts the African Continent
When looking for a host country for the 2010 World Cup, FIFA President Sepp Blatter stated that they wanted an African World Cup. After a lengthy process, Egypt, Morocco, and South Africa were selected as the finalists. To win the coveted opportunity to host one of the world’s largest sporting events, each country would have to prove that it was truly a representation of the African continent.
South Africa’s bid was not built upon a national or global identity like many mega-events, but instead on a Pan-Africanist platform, opting to build a continental identity as well as strengthen the South African national identity. At its core, the 2010 World Cup was billed as an African showcase, as an opportunity to show the world how far not just South Africa, but the continent as a whole had progressed, and by selecting it as the host country, FIFA would confirm South Africa as the representative of Africa. This position would be the culmination of an extensive public relations scheme that was meant to make South Africa the gateway to the continent, making it the first point of contact for foreign investors and foreign diplomats. By hosting four mega-events in a 15 year period, South Africa became a name brand, a talked about country, who’s new found attention would make it the world’s next great investment. This in the end, is the big political goal of holding the Olympics or World Cup. In most cases, the vast quantities of sponsorship dollars and profits from tourism go unseen by the average citizen of a country, because in most cases, mega-events are not tools for economic prosperity (Since 1976 for example, only 7/16 Olympic Games have made a profit and 3 of those were in the US). The real reason that any country would want to host an event like the World Cup is so that they would be placed in the spotlight of the international stage and showcase themselves in the hopes of garnering political respect and future foreign investment.
South Africa’s bid was not built upon a national or global identity like many mega-events, but instead on a Pan-Africanist platform, opting to build a continental identity as well as strengthen the South African national identity. At its core, the 2010 World Cup was billed as an African showcase, as an opportunity to show the world how far not just South Africa, but the continent as a whole had progressed, and by selecting it as the host country, FIFA would confirm South Africa as the representative of Africa. This position would be the culmination of an extensive public relations scheme that was meant to make South Africa the gateway to the continent, making it the first point of contact for foreign investors and foreign diplomats. By hosting four mega-events in a 15 year period, South Africa became a name brand, a talked about country, who’s new found attention would make it the world’s next great investment. This in the end, is the big political goal of holding the Olympics or World Cup. In most cases, the vast quantities of sponsorship dollars and profits from tourism go unseen by the average citizen of a country, because in most cases, mega-events are not tools for economic prosperity (Since 1976 for example, only 7/16 Olympic Games have made a profit and 3 of those were in the US). The real reason that any country would want to host an event like the World Cup is so that they would be placed in the spotlight of the international stage and showcase themselves in the hopes of garnering political respect and future foreign investment.
Note the refrain: "This time for Africa", denoting the importance of the Pan-African identity in the 2010 World Cup
In some respects, one could argue that South Africa achieved their goal. Although it did not ascend to prominence like the BRIC nations (Brazil, Russia, India, and China), it did gain a lot of respectability. In the lead up to the World Cup, South Africa was hit with a flurry of skepticism. Many believed that it would not finish its stadiums on time, other thought that its extensive crime problem would hinder the fan experience, and some newspapers, mostly British tabloids, speculated that with the wave of white Europeans entering the country, an all out race war would begin and no white person would be left living in the country. Instead, the 2010 World Cup went off without a hitch. And although many people berated the deafening drone of the vuvuzela, a symbol of South African soccer, few can deny that the event was not a success. The clear progress made from 1995, when they hosted the Rugby World Cup to 2010 demonstrated to the world that South Africa was emerging from its bleak, underdeveloped 20th century form to a burgeoning success story 15 years later. The direct economic benefits of hosting such an event are yet to be seen, but South Africa’s main goal, to become Africa’s leading nation and an internationally relevant political entity, have definitely been achieved.