The Blitzbox, South Africa’s rugby 15s team, added another world title under their belt, making it four in total after a hard-fought win against New Zealand’s All Blacks in Paris on Saturday, October 28.
They won 12-11 against New Zealand in the world cup final, a heavily contested match; New Zealand finished the match a man down after a player received a red card for foul play.
And it’s theirs for another four years after winning it two times in a row.
They have now won it in 1995, 2007, 2019 and 2023 making them the most successful nation on matters rugby world cup. What a remarkable success for the African rugby giants?
South Africa’s rugby teams have become a phenomenon to marvel over the past decade or so, shining on their way towards the world’s biggest platform.
Talk of the 7s team winning the HSBC series on numerous occasions, their 15s counterparts, as mentioned earlier, winning the World Cup on four different occasions, without excluding their women’s teams and the youth setup as well.
They have all managed to impress the world by their ever-exemplary performances, raising the bar even higher, setting the standards for other African countries, and the world at large to follow.
Getting to the top requires hard work but staying at the top requires something special. And well, sure to say, they have warmly embraced the challenge gladly.
Bringing you back home, this is the exact juxtaposition. Since Shujaa won the 2016 HSBC series under the tutelage of the late Benjamin Ayimba, it has been a slide, from grace to grass, unfortunately.
Shujaa ended up being relegated from the HSBC rugby sevens series earlier this year and with no signs of invitation any time soon, we shall be out in the cold.
Kenya Rugby Union should be jotting down something from their South African counterparts.
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