Thousands of South Africans screamed with joy, danced and sang at OR Tambo Airport, near Johannesburg, on Tuesday as the World Cup-winning Springboks returned home.
A big chunk of the 31 players that did duty in Japan in the last two months arrived on three different flights after close to 40 hours of travel time from Tokyo around 5pm on Tuesday evening.
Groups of Springbok players and management flew via Sydney, Beijing, Seoul, Doha and Abu Dhabi.
The first groups to arrive – which included World Rugby Player of the Year Pieter-Steph du Toit, RWC final try-scorers Cheslin Kolbe and Makazole Mapimpi, as well as RWC final man of the match Duane Vermeulen – were greeted by massive cheers from thousands of green and gold clad supporters as pandemonium broke out when the Boks exited into the International Arrivals hall.
Kolisi and South Africa’s Director of Rugby, Rassie Erasmus – whose flight via Sydney was delayed by a few hours – landed a few hours later, with supporters patiently waiting for their arrival, and the arrivals hall erupting with thunderous cheers when the Bok captain walked through the doors carrying the Webb Ellis Cup just after 8pm.
A carnival atmosphere enveloped the normally sedate international arrivals section of the airport as the players received deafening applause.
Black and white, male and female, young, middle aged and old, low-income earners and the wealthy all descended on the airport east of Johannesburg to salute their heroes.
Many wore replica green and gold shirts and waved national flags as they celebrated the rugby triumph which was all the sweeter after poor recent results by the national football and cricket teams. – AFP
