1995 world rugby cup

South Africa won the match by three points in their first Rugby World Cup Final, which was also the first to require extra time. Unusually, the points were scored by only one player from each team, with Andrew Mehrtens of New Zealand scoring all 12 of the All Blacks points, three penalties and one drop goal and Joel Stransky tallying all 15 points three penalties and two drop goals for the Springboks, 1995 world rugby cup, including a drop goal in extra time, which sealed the victory and their first ever Rugby World Cup title. The final was contested by the hosts, South Africa, 1995 world rugby cup New Zealand. Both teams finished at the top of their pools, both undefeated in the pool stages.

On Saturday in Paris they meet again. Fifteen men were dressed all in black and 15 men wore green, gold and white. They obviously had no idea then that 28 years would have to pass before these two giants could face each other again when it matters most — in a World Cup final. This Saturday in Paris, the All Black and Springbok squads will emerge from the tunnel at the Stade de France with the knowledge that the two countries they represent have each won the World Cup three times. By the time the next tournament begins, in , the World Cup will have been in the possession of either New Zealand or South Africa for 24 successive years. The final, however, went beyond sport.

1995 world rugby cup

Winning the Rugby World Cup was a long shot, but it was something Nelson Mandela knew South Africa had to do - for the sake of the entire nation. Handing him the trophy was the South African president, Nelson Mandela, who had worked tirelessly so that this moment could be realized. This was a triumph of peaceful unity against apartheid and a triumph of an entire nation succeeding in avoiding the very real threat of civil war, which loomed like the Sword of Damocles over the South African population in the early 90s. For many South Africans, what the Springboks and Nelson Mandela had achieved was almost unthinkable and nigh impossible. The story of how it came to pass is a fascinating example of how humanity can overcome the most dangerous and difficult of obstacles. For decades, South Africa had been shunned by the international community for its mandated racist policies. South Africans lived in an isolated world rife with paranoia and government censorship. By the late s, the country was struggling. Internal strife, economic sanctions, and a decades-long war took their toll on South Africa. Black people were fighting to end the regime.

The forgotten goal was a truly mighty kick, in an era when monster penalty goals were nowhere near as common as the YouTube hits you see these days. Killarney Film Studios. Castle Kyalami.

The match stands as a hugely symbolic moment in South African history. Apartheid's gross human rights violations had long made South Africa an international pariah. In , a UN resolution declared apartheid a "crime against humanity. President Mandela saw rugby as a way to help lessen divisions between Black and white South Africans and foster a shared national pride. The sport had been a unifying force before, among the nation's competing colonial forces. A Springbok tour of the British Isles proudly featured players from both sides in the bitter Boer War between English and Afrikaners, including one player who had been imprisoned in a British concentration camp. To heal the wounds this time, Mandela—who had himself been jailed for 27 years for challenging the white minority-led apartheid system—had to first acknowledge and address the widespread pain and division apartheid had wrought.

With an appearance from Nelson Mandela to the waterlogged semi final, the tournament delivered some truly unforgettable moments. Additionally, it was the first Rugby World Cup to be hosted by one country. As such, all 32 matches were contested in South Africa. Hosting the tournament was a momentous occasion for South Africa. Firstly, it came just three years after the IRFB readmitted the country into international competition. Although New Zealand entered as the standout favourites, South Africa seized the title. From the qualifying nations to the stadiums, as well as the final standings and top players, here are all of the key statistics from the Rugby World Cup. The competition was contested by 16 nations. The first eight places were automatically filled by the eight quarter-finalists from the previous tournament. Plus, South Africa qualified automatically as hosts.

1995 world rugby cup

It was hosted and won by South Africa, and was the first Rugby World Cup in which every match was held in one country. The World Cup was the first major sporting event to take place in South Africa following the end of apartheid. The World Cup was also the last major event of rugby union 's amateur era; two months after the tournament, the IRFB opened the sport to professionalism. The eight quarter-finalists from the Rugby World Cup all received automatic entry, as did South Africa, as hosts. The remaining seven of the 16 positions available in the tournament were filled by regional qualifiers. The qualifying tournaments were broken up into regional associations: Africa, the Americas, Asia, Europe and Oceania. The tournament was the first Rugby World Cup to be hosted by just one country, and thus, all the venues are within the one country. South Africa were given the rights to host the tournament in , after a meeting between the IRB and both the government led by F. Six of the nine stadiums were South African Test grounds.

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Pienaar was on his haunches, fingers squeezing his nose as if he might push back the tears. I was born into apartheid and grew up in a country which had jailed Mandela for 27 years. Mains and Kitch Christie watched on. The world watched on. The Leonardo Michelangelo Towers Montecasino. Pen: Elwood 4 4', 15', 23', 39'. Gavin Johnson. Western Samoa. The altitude that had been sucking the energy out of the All Blacks since was suddenly about to become their best friend. Chester Williams, the only black player in the Springbok squad, was a technical consultant. When Mandela appeared in the stadium wearing the Springbok green, the mostly Afrikaner crowd shouted, "Nelson, Nelson, Nelson! To this point, New Zealand had led the tournament in production, outscoring their opponents —, while South Africa had outscored their opponents —

It was the first World Cup for South Africa, as the nation had been kept out of the competition during apartheid, so the victory was a meaningful one—but, as anyone who has seen the film Invictus knows, the game was even more meaningful for what happened off the field. In South Africa, rugby had been seen as a sport for white Afrikaaners, but President Nelson Mandela saw that the tournament could be a chance for a broader social reconciliation. Pienaar reflected on his relationship with Mandela, the link between sports and politics, and the moment he realized that June 24 game would go down in history:.

The match, won by the Boks at Ellis Park, may well be the most famous ever played and was set against a backdrop of drama, intrigue and politics. He became close friends with Francois Pienaar, the captain of the Springbok rugby team, and the two of them worked together on promoting unity between black and white South Africans. Though All Blacks fly-half Andrew Mehrtens almost kicked a late drop goal, the score remained unchanged at full time, forcing the game into extra time for the first time in a Rugby World Cup final. Then, just before the very end, Joost van der Westhuizen passed to Joel Stransky. Sign Up. The points system that was used in the pool stage was unchanged from :. Analysis - Did we learn much from the All Blacks' performance? Black South Africans wanted to destroy any symbols of the apartheid regime. This was more like the year before in the New Zealand mud, a close quarter bout involving numerous shots, workovers and feints. Article Talk. On February 11, , after 27 years in prison, Nelson Mandela was released. Retrieved 24 September