Stylish. Image: Esquire UK
Nelson Mandela: The ultimate Springboks fan and his drip
Nelson Mandela will forever be synonymous with the moment Francois Pienaar’s Springboks lifted the 1995 Rugby World Cup.
Stylish. Image: Esquire UK
The Springboks have had many influential Rugby World Cup fans down the years, but Nelson Mandela was certainly the greatest, and arguably the most stylish.
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Nelson Mandela and the 1995 Rugby World Cup
The 1995 final will never be forgotten. Joel Stransky’s drop-kick settled the contest in extra time, producing a 15-12 scoreline to be forever etched in the hearts and minds of fanatical Bok supporters. As skipper Francois Pienaar said while clutching the William Webb Ellis trophy “We didn’t have 60,000 South Africans, we had 43 million South Africans.” Images of Pienaar alongside then-president Nelson Mandela still adorn walls across the land. This 1995 Bok kit was iconic, made to look even better by Madiba with the classic cricket-style cap. Undefeated.
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Handre Pollard showcased his priceless value off the bench against England, scoring exactly half of South Africa’s 16 points, including a gobsmackingly cool penalty from around 50 metres to ultimately win the game in the 77th minute. In 2019, the ice-cold Pollard kicked 22 of South Africa’s 32 points against England in Yokohama, including six out of eight penalties and two conversions from two attempts. This man really does have what it takes on the grandest occasions and at the biggest moments.
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Meanwhile, hit up James Freemantle for more insights, analysis and love for the beautiful game of rugby.
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