Former Springbok forward Mark Andrews has spoken about how incredibly proud he was to see the team lift the World Cup for the third time in 2019.

Andrews participated in the latest episode of the official Springbok podcast in a series looking back at the 1995 World Cup victory.

In the podcast, a proud Andrews speaks about the 2019 World Cup win in Japan and reveals it was that victory – not the triumph 25 years ago – that made him cry.

‘The World Cup last year was probably one of my best moments as a rugby player having not run on to the field,’ Andrews said.

‘I had the honour of handing out the Bok jerseys either last year or the year before and I remember asking Rassie what I should say. He said: “Mark, I want you to pass on the message that teams should fear playing against the Springboks. I want to get that fear of playing against the Springboks again.”

‘That is something that I can recognise and appreciate. I think some Springbok players in the last decade or so played for the wrong reasons. At the end of the day that jersey stands for something incredibly special. Rassie wanted the guys to understand the responsibility that came with wearing that jersey.

‘And they ended up playing just the way they should – especially in the final against England, it was almost like men against boys, with that physical domination.

‘I never shed a tear when I was part of the squad that won the World Cup in 1995 – I was probably too young and I didn’t fully understand the importance of it,’ Andrews added.

‘I am not ashamed to say that I watched last year’s final with my one son and at the end of that match, I cried – it was like reliving everything from 1995 that I never got the chance to feel and experience.

‘I probably cried with joy at seeing the Springboks play in a way that made me incredibly proud to be a Springbok.’

The first six podcasts, which feature Rassie Erasmus; Branco du Preez, Aled Walters and Jacques Nienaber; Cheslin Kolbe and Handre Pollard; Bongi Mbonambi, Malcolm Marx and Schalk Brits; Joel Stransky and Jurie Roux can be accessed here.

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