South Africa: In Photos - Springboks Arrive Home

Ihsaan Haffejee / GroundUp (CC BY-ND 4.0)
Springbok Captain Siya Kolisi greets fans while holding the Webb Ellis Cup, October 31, 2023.
31 October 2023
GroundUp (Cape Town)
By Ihsaan Haffejee

Thousands of fans gather at OR Tambo Airport to welcome back the Rugby World Cup champions

Thousands of people gathered at OR Tambo International Airport on Tuesday. They wore green and gold as they welcomed the four time rugby world champions home from France.

Springbok captain Siya Kolisi emerged through the arrival gate carrying The Webb Ellis Cup. He lifted it high into the air sending the crowd wild.

Chants of "Siya Siya Siya!" rang around the airport hall as people clamoured into any space they could find to get a glimpse of their heroes.

The Springboks became the first men's team in rugby history to win the world cup four times after their nail biting 12-11 victory over New Zealand's All Blacks.

Thabo Nkosi from Tembisa arrived at the airport at 6am to get a good spot. He said that the Springboks were setting a good example for South Africans. "You see they have good leaders in the squad and you can see that they all work together and they work for each other. They also remain humble and never give up. These boys have done us proud and they are a good inspiration for our youth," said Nkosi.

Even after the Springboks left the airport, people were still dancing and celebrating the success of the team. A trophy tour will commence on Thursday.

Read the original article on GroundUp.

Tagged:
Copyright © 2023 GroundUp. All rights reserved. Distributed by AllAfrica Global Media (allAfrica.com). To contact the copyright holder directly for corrections — or for permission to republish or make other authorized use of this material, click here.

AllAfrica publishes around 400 reports a day from more than 100 news organizations and over 500 other institutions and individuals, representing a diversity of positions on every topic. We publish news and views ranging from vigorous opponents of governments to government publications and spokespersons. Publishers named above each report are responsible for their own content, which AllAfrica does not have the legal right to edit or correct.

Articles and commentaries that identify allAfrica.com as the publisher are produced or commissioned by AllAfrica. To address comments or complaints, please Contact us.