As well as the sport (such as the emergence of Jonah Lomu), the 1995 World Cup will always be remembered for South Africa being welcomed back into the fold. Because as well as being the first tournament to be held in one country, it was also the first to feature the Springboks following the end of their international sports boycott due to apartheid. And if anything, South Africa’s eventual triumph over New Zealand in the final was secondary to the symbolism of President Nelson Mandela wearing the green and gold Springbok jersey so readily associated with the white man. No wonder Hollywood made a movie about it, with Clint Eastwood’s Invictus starring Matt Damon and Morgan Freeman.
A Brief History of the Rugby World Cup
The seventh tournament took place from September 9-October 23, 2011 in New Zealand