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How Springboks’ World Cup success has raised the bar for Blitzboks
When Springboks captain Siya Kolisi lifted the Webb Ellis Cup in triumph for the second time at as many Rugby World Cups, rugby-mad South Africa rejoiced as one.
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For a country with a history of division, disruption and discrimination, the Springboks’ success at rugby’s showpiece event has become a vessel for unity within the Rainbow Nation.
President Nelson Mandela famously presented captain Francois Pienaar with the World Cup trophy at Johannesburg’s Ellis Park in 1995 – it might be the most iconic moment in rugby’s esteemed history.
Springboks fans had to wait a while for another World Cup title, but captain John Smit and the rest of the 2007 champion squad can rightfully take their place among the legends of rugby union.
But there’s something unique about the current crop of world champions. South Africa became the second nation to go back-to-back when captain Kolisi led the Springboks to World Cup glory in October.
Fans fortunate enough to be at Stade de France on that fateful Parisian night witnessed history, but the magnitude of the achievement became apparent when the Springboks returned home.
Thousands mobbed the streets in various cities around the nation as they joined in on the World Cup celebrations along with their rugby heroes. The Springboks are more than just rugby players.
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The Springboks’ transformative success has raised the bar for other athletes who aim to represent the nation on the rugby field with honour, pride and humility – and they know it.
After helping the Blitzboks win the Dubai SVNS for the eighth time in 10 tournaments, Sevens great Rosko Specman explained how the Springboks’ success is motivating the team on the new-look SVNS Series.
“It is very special. It’s a great turnaround for the guys because last season we weren’t on par, there were a lot of youngsters and you could see the youngsters have improved,” Rosko told RugbyPass on the field at Dubai’s The Sevens Stadium.
“The guys are sticking to the system now and they work for each other, as you saw today, when the guys break the line the guys are chasing. They’re working for one and not as individuals.
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“It’s something happening now in the team.
“As you saw this year, the Springboks won the World Cup back-to-back and that is the drive that we have now. We also want to be number one in the world again.”
With probably the most supporters out of any team in Dubai behind them, South Africa took the field last weekend with a bit of a point to prove.
The Blitzboks had beaten Ireland in the Cup final a year earlier, and with that comes pressure – but the sense of belief and almost the expectation of success was far more desperate after last season.
South Africa stalled during the rest of the 2022/23 season as they fell to an uncharacteristically poor seventh-placed finish on the circuit. Up until this point, they still haven’t qualified for the Olympics either.
But nothing else mattered to this team last weekend other than the Dubai SVNS. It presented the Blitzboks with an opportunity to redeem themselves on the world stage, and they made the most of it.
“We know if we stick to our structure that we can be there on top of the world because we were there before, it’s just hard to get back there again,” Specman added.
“The results are there but you know what’s the nicest thing? Next week we must start all over again and try to be on top again.
“It’s never an easy task for this team and we try to make sure we fight every day because next week, if we don’t pitch up, we cannot play finals and that’s our home tournament.
“Tonight we will enjoy this time and when we get on the plane we’ll just go back to zero, start all over again, and fight again because now we’re playing in front of our home crowd.
“It’s a lot of pressure and this team can get energy from pressure.”
Following a five-year stint in 15s, Rosko Specman returned to the SVNS Series last weekend in what proved to be a major boost to a talented side with plenty to prove.
Specman, 34, won a bronze medal at the 2016 Olympics in Rio de Janeiro and has also played a Test match for the Springboks. That’s experience that can’t be bought.
The SVNS great seemed to fit back into the Blitzboks’ squad with relative ease during the Dubai SVNS, and Specman will undoubtedly continue to play a big role ahead of the Cape Town leg.
“It’s really great to be back, the guys welcomed me back with open arms,” he said.
“For some of the guys I’m almost 15 years older than them so I think that has also given me the drive to give my everything every day on the training field.
“You don’t have a guarantee in this team and that’s the fighting spirit that I have. While me knees are still strong I will keep going.”
Comments on RugbyPass
Ben Smith Springboks living rent free in his head 😊😂
67 Go to commentsGood to hear he would like to play the game at the highest level, I hadn’t been to sure how much of a motivator that was before now. Sadly he’s probably chosen the rugby club to go to. Try not to worry about all the input about how you should play rugby Joey and just try to emulate what you do on the league field and have fun. You’ll limit your game too much (well not really because he’s a standard athlete like SBW and he’ll still have enough) if you’re trying to make sure you can recycle the ball back etc. On the other hard, you can totally just try and recycle by looking to offload any and everywhere if you’re going to ground 😋
1 Go to commentsThis just proves that theres always a stat and a metric to use to justify your abilities and your success. Ben did it last week by creating an imaginary competition and now you did the same to counter his argument and espouse a new yardstick for success. Why not just use the current one and lets say the Boks have won 4 world cups making them the most successful world cup team. Outside of the world cup the All Blacks are the most successful team winning countless rugby championships and dominating the rankings with high win percentages. Over the last 4 years statistically the Irish are the best having the highest win rate and also having positive records against every tier 1 side. The most successful Northern team in the game has been England with a world cup title and the most six nations titles in history. The AB’s are the most dominant team in history with the highest win rate and 3 world cups. Lets not try to reinvent the wheel. Just be honest about the actual stats and what each team has been good at doing and that will be enough to define their level of success.
19 Go to commentsHow is 7’s played there? I’m surprised 10 or 11 man rugby hasn’t taken off. 7 just doesn’t fit the 15s dynamics (rules n field etc) but these other versions do.
7 Go to commentsPick Swinton at your peril A liability just like JWH from the Roosters Skelton ??? went missing at RWC
14 Go to commentsLike tennis, who have a ranking system, and I believe rugby too, just measure over each period preceding a world cup event who was the longest number one and that would be it. In tennis the number one player frequently is not the grand slam winner. I love and adore the All Blacks since the days of Ian Kirkpatrick when I was a kid in SA. And still do because they are the masters of running rugby and are gentleman on and off the field - in general. And in my opinion they have been the majority of the time the best rugby team in the world.
19 Go to commentsHaving overseas possessions in 2024 is absurd. These Frenchies should have to give the New Caledonians their freedom.
21 Go to commentsBell injured his foot didn’t he? Bring Tupou in he’ll deliver when it counts. Agree mostly but I would switch in the Reds number 8 Harry Wilson for Swinton and move Rob Valentini to 6 instead. Wilson is a clever player who reads the play, you can’t outmuscle the AB’s and Springboks, if you have any chance it’s by playing clever. Same goes for Paisami, he’s a little guy who doesn’t really trouble the likes of De Allende and Jordie Barrett. I’d rather play Carter Gordon at 12 and put Michael Lynagh’s boy at 10. That way you get a BMT type goalkicker at 10 and a playmaker at 12. Anyways, just my two cents as a Bok supporter.
14 Go to commentsThanks Brett, love your articles which are alway pertinent. It’s a difficult topic trying to have a panel adjudicating consistently penalties for red card issues. Many of the mitigating reasons raised are judged subjectively, hence the different outcomes. How to take away subjective opinions?
9 Go to commentsYes Sir! Surprising, just like Fraser would also have escaped sanction if he was a few inches lower, even if it was by accident that he missed! Has there really been talk about those sanctions or is this just sensational journalism? I stopped reading, so might have missed any notations.
9 Go to commentsAI is only as good as the information put in, the nuances of the sport, what you see out the corner of the eye, how you sum up in a split second the situation, yes the AI is a tool but will not help win games, more likely contribute to a loss, Rugby Players are not robots, all AI can do if offer a solution not the solution. AI will effect many sports, help train better golfers etc.
45 Go to commentsIt couldn’t have been Ryan Crotty. He wasn’t selected in either World Cup side - they chose Money Bill instead. And Money Bill only cared about himself, and that manager he had, not the team.
28 Go to commentsYawn 🥱 nobody would give a hoot about this new trophy. End of the day we just have to beat Ireland and NZ this year then they can finally shut up 🤐
19 Go to commentsTalking bout Ryan Crotty? Heard Crotty say in a interview once that SBW doesen't care about the team . He went on to say that whenever they lost a big game, SBW would be happy as if nothing happened, according to him someone who cares would look down.. Personally I think Crotty is in the wrong, not for feeling gutted but for expecting others 2 be like him… I have been a bad loser forever as it matters so much to me but good on you SBW for being able to see the bigger picture….
28 Go to commentsThis sounds like a WWE idea so Americans can also get excited about rugby, RUGBY NEEDS A INTERNATIONAL CALENDER .. The rugby Championship and Six Nations can be held at same time, top 3 of six nations and top 3 of Rugby championship (6 nations should include Georgia AND another qualifying country while Fiji, Japan and Samoa/Tonga qualifier should make out 6 Southern teams).. Scrap June internationals and year end tours. Have a Elite top six Cup and the Bottom 6 in a secondary comp….
19 Go to commentsThe rugby championship would be even stronger with Fiji in it… I know it doesen’t fit the long term plans of NZ or Aus but you are robbing a whole nation of being able to see their best players play for Fiji…. Every second player in NZ and AUS teams has Fijian surnames… shame on you!!! World rugby won’t step in either as France and England has now also joined in…. I guess where money is involved it will always be the poor countries missing out….
88 Go to commentsNo surprise there. How hard can it be to pick a ball off the ground and chuck it to a mate? 😂
4 Go to commentsSometimes people just like a moan mate!
9 Go to commentsexcellent idea ! rugby needs this 💪
19 Go to comments9 Brumbies! What a joke! The best performing team in Oz! Ditch Skelton for Swain or Neville. Ryan Lonergan ahead of McDermott any day! Best selection bolter is Toole … amazing player
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