Springboks thankful for support

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Springboks Herschel Jantjies and Cheslin Kolbe expressed their gratitude for the level of support they have received during their World Cup trophy tour.

The Springboks arrived home from Japan on Tuesday and visited Pretoria, Johannesburg, Soweto, Durban, East London, Port Elizabeth and Cape Town with a Trophy Tour victory parade over the past five days. They’ve also made the effort to take the Webb Ellis trophy into local communities, visiting areas such as Soweto, Zwide and Langa.

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During the Cape Town leg of their tour on Monday, a few of the players spoke about the highlights of their experiences.

‘What stood out for me was [Sunday] in Zwide, when everyone was just running with the bus,’ Jantjies said. ‘I can’t explain how far the people ran. Everyone was just happy. People cried, you could hear people shouting and smiling. It is what we wanted to achieve, to give back to South Africa.’

WATCH: Highlights of the Bok victory parade

Kolbe echoed his teammate, adding that the Springboks wanted to give the country hope.

‘We’re talking about fans standing on the side of the road for hours on end just so that they can get a glimpse of us for a few seconds,’ Kolbe said. ‘That shows how much pride they have in this team. ‘There were so many special moments on this tour. I will never forget the kid who ran for an hour or two behind the bus. He was so thirsty but he just kept on running.

‘Our goal from the outset was to give people in this country hope,’ the wing added. ‘It’s been special to see how people have celebrated the win over the past few days.’

Photo: Ashley Vlotman/Gallo Images

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SA Rugby magazine