APA-Johannesburg (South Africa) South Africa’s victorious rugby team received a heroes’ welcome when they landed at Johannesburg’s OR Tambo International Airport on Tuesday after clinching a record fourth Rugby World Cup title in France last weekend.
The Springboks were received by hundreds of adoring fans who packed the arrivals section of the airport.
Springboks captain Siya Kolisi dedicated the Webb Ellis Cup to the people of South Africa.
“We made a decision that we had already won the World Cup in 2019 – it’s not about us as players anymore. We wanted to make sure that this one is for the people of South Africa,” Kolisi said.
He said the trophy was “for every single person in South Africa. Rich, (or) poor… it doesn’t matter where you come from.”
The South Africans were crowned kings of rugby on October 28 after a nail-biting 12-11 win over New Zealand’s All Blacks at the Stade de France in Paris.
The team s expected to embark on a celebratory trophy tour in the coming days in Gauteng, the Western Cape, KwaZulu-Natal and the Eastern Cape, with more satellite tours set for next year.
The tour would start in Pretoria, Johannesburg and Soweto on Thursday, before moving to Cape Town on Friday and Durban on Saturday. It would conclude in East London on Sunday,.
JN/APA