HAPPY fans congratulated the Springboks in Tshwane on Thursday, 2 October.
“Well done, Amabokoboko, Bokke. You made us proud."
President Cyril Ramaphosa welcomed the Springboks at the Union Buildings and lifted the Webb Ellis Cup.
The Springboks won the cup on Saturday, 28 October, in France after defeating tough opponents, New Zealand's nation team All Blacks.
Ramaphosa said never in the history of the Rugby World Cup has any team lifted the trophy on four occasions until now.
"You have lifted the spirits of an entire nation and filled us with pride. People who haven't even followed rugby before or been interested in the game are now talking with confidence about scrums, rucks, dropkicks and tries. Furthermore, we have some new ones now, Makazole, Ox and our very own Elizabedi," he said.
The Springbok's performance in this year's Rugby World Cup has captured people's imagination and energised them in a way not seen in a long time.
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"This week, today and the next is about celebrating the glory of the Springboks, a glory richly deserved," he said.
Ramaphosa said Amabokoboko are a testament to the power of a dream.
"The Springboks are a potent symbol of just how far we have come as a people. That is why you have been so warmly embraced by South Africans of all races as their own," said Ramaphosa.
The president of the South African Rugby Union, Mark Alexander, said: "Our Springboks team has achieved a historic fourth World Cup victory. We are stronger when we stand together. Ramaphosa understood the significance of this World Cup win for our nation and shared his heartfelt support for the team."
Springboks head coach Jacques Nienaber said: "We need people willing to sacrifice everything. They are sitting here, they sacrificed families, bodies, and thank you for believing in us when we made changes."
Springboks captain Siya Kolisi said: "Honestly, I only played a small part. There is no way I could have achieved what I achieved without the guys, the experienced guys. On behalf of the team, I want to say thank you."
A fan, Lerato Mokoka said: "I'm so overjoyed, I love all the players."
