Sport has a remarkable way of bringing South Africans together, especially at times when we need it the most.
I’m sure most of you experienced every possible emotion last night when you were watching the game, but nothing beat the feeling of unity as that whistle blew and the game ended in our favour.
You realise in that moment that we are far more alike than we are different. Few hours at least, we weren’t fighting with each other (as much) or pointing out each other’s flaws. Instead, we were just happy that our boys in the green and gold beat the French on home territory. For those few hours, we weren’t feeling deflated about the future but rather just excited at the prospect of us defending the Cup. This is why sport is the greatest reality TV show in the world.
The Springboks are a great blueprint for what the future of South Africa could look like. Each person in our team comes from a different part of the country. They all look and sound different. They all have different cultures and upbringings, and yet they all had one goal in mind and every action they took was to see the plan through.
There’s a lot our country can learn from the Boks. Even when we made things difficult for ourselves because of silly mistakes, we kept our eyes on the prize, and eventually pulled through. None of which was possible without relying on each other’s different skills and abilities. I do wonder how some people’s heads are feeling this morning. I’m sure there were a few solid “man of the match” performances in homes and bars across the globe.
But seriously, God bless the Boks. They soaked up every inch of pressure and came through for an entire nation. What an example they set for this beautiful country of ours. Now let’s play our part and return the favour. No matter what happens, we are all South African. God bless this beautiful nation despite its differences and flaws.
PS. How you all feeling this morning? I didn’t get much sleep but I’ve never been happier to drag myself through the day.
By Mark Sham – Founder and CEO of LikeATourist
