http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qo48ODpsDGo

Irish broadcaster George Hook remembers being very moved during the 1995 Rugby World Cup game when South Africa defeated New Zealand and the newly elected first black South African president, Nelson Mandela, came out into the stadium in a South African Springboks team jersey to hand the trophy to the team captain. Hook felt the racially divided country really came together to celebrate the rugby win and was moved to see that the national anthem was sung in the three common languages spoken in South Africa: Zulu, Afrikaan, and English.

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‘Sport Does Play a Part in Politics’ appeared first on Witnify.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ApxYq59t5KE

South African rugby captain Francois Pienaar during the 1995 Rugby World Cup describes Nelson Mandela’s aura and many virtues: “He’s such a humble person.” Pienaar says Mandela, also known as “Madiba,” would often phone him during the ’95 Rugby World Cup game in order to check-in with the team and give them encouragement. He remembers how Mandela said to him, “Thank you for what you’ve done for South Africa” after the historic victory of South Africa over the New Zealand rugby team when Mandela, the first black President of South Africa, famously sporting a Springboks rugby shirt and cap historically worn by only the white population of the country, personally handed Pienaar the Webb Ellis Cup. Pienaar remembers thinking how he wanted to thank Mandela for what he had done for South Africa and wanting to give Madiba a big hug.

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‘One Team, One Country’ appeared first on Witnify.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WYdm3NB1Eo0

Morgan Freeman met Nelson Mandela many times in order to learn how to play him in the film, “Invictus,” a film about Mandela’s role in the politically-charged South African victory over New Zealand at the 1995 Rugby World Cup. Freeman describes Mandela’s “commanding” physical presence and recites Mandela’s favorite poem, “Invictus,” by William Ernest Henley, during the course of this interview. Nelson Mandela passed away on December 5, 2013.

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Morgan Freeman on Playing Nelson Mandela appeared first on Witnify.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8rBtis7IzF8

Francois Pienaar, the South African rugby captain during the 1995 Rugby World Cup, reflects on his team's historic win and how it led to his friendship with Nelson Mandela. Check out his first-person account of the historic moment when Mandela walked onto the rugby field sporting a Springboks jersey to personally hand him the World Cup trophy. Mandela passed away on December 5, 2013.

The post 1995 Rugby World Cup
Francois Pienaar Discusses His Friendship With Mandela appeared first on Witnify.