In a nation as racially divided as the 1960 American South, Nelson Mandela dismantled Apartheid using a tactic never approached by his American counterparts in their attempts to destroy the Jim Crow Laws of the 60's.
Upon his being released from a grueling 27 year prison sentence for his Anti-Apartheid actions, Mandela stormed onto the political stage screaming for the end of the British born South African form of segregation while soon realizing the power of a specific team that many of his black brothers absolutely despised. The Apartheid laws of South Africa were as bizarre as those that took place in the United States and like the long standing color barrier encountered by Jackie Robinson during his march to baseball fame those laws combined with a premeditated hatred whites had for their black country men drastically limited any black presence on the nations most followed team: Springbok rugby.
Named rightly for a limber but powerful breed of African Antelope, the Springboks flourished even with the hatred harbored by nearly every black man or women throughout the country burning strong in the background.
By 1989 even while Apartheid began to fall under question the Springboks roster included just 1 black athlete (Chester Williams) who served as the only human associated with the team who was not truly hated by the indigenous population.
However is was the fully British captain of the team who Mandela connected the most with. Fact is it was no secret that when Mandela was elected there would instantly be a loud clamoring for the disbanding of the Springboks and yet when Mandela was elected and that clamoring soon surfaced. Mandela stood fast and to the dismay of those who had voted for him tried to do the unthinkable. Make the Springboks the nation's team rather than simply being the team of the whites.
He hated Apartheid but recognized that even when it was repealed in 1990, the track that Mandela's newly inherited country was going down was almost no better. The blacks wanted no part of the whites and so long as Apartheid was gone, South Africa was a nation that would have willingly lived for eternity divided and yet Nelson Mandela recognized that a contempt community does not necessarily translate to prosperity as a people. He gave up his Afrikans name "Madiba" and soon only responded to Mandela. However, as was said before, Mandela's grandest unifying move came in 1995 when he publicly endorsed the hated Springboks.
It came down to this, as he utilized the years of thinking and realizations of human existence he underwent t during his Robbin Island prison time he knew that sports were powerful.
"We'd gone to jail for democracy, and this was a chance to show ourselves that we could put that into practice," said Marcus Solomons, who was jailed alongside "It helped overcome tensions and differences, and to break down the barriers between political factions. That was one of the main messages -- that sport is about developing people. It's a social activity."
To elaborate on sport's effect on Nelson Mandela's time in Robbin Island it is said that he would watch a team of inmates play soccer on the dusty field outside his cell and simply enjoy the scene of unification that the players showed. Robbin Island soon constructed a wall to block Mandela's view but the inspiration had already sunk in.
Nelson later sighted those observations as the first and strongest exhibitions he ever saw of the true power of sports.
As he looked for his outlet for sports unification, those Springboks seemed to nearly throw themselves towards Mandela as just 3 years after being returned to eligibility for the Rugby World Cup, they were in it again having assembled a great team while being pitted against their arch rivals New Zeland in the group stage.
It seemed that the only emotion stronger than the black hate for the Springboks was their love for their leader Mandela and so when that leader was seen hugging Springbok captain Francois Pienaar they begrudgingly swallowed their predispositions about the team and tentatively cheered for their team. Less than a month later, there was no question in regards to the black support for the Springboks. In a matter of days not years, Nelson Mandela completely changed the outlook on his team meaning that when the 95' World Cup of Rugby was won in extra time the ensuing moments were without a doubt some of the greatest in not only sport history but that of mankind itself.
As the clock hit zero, the words of delight that trickled out of the South African play by play announcer that night included a phrase that like the black love for the Springboks was just a few weeks old.
"IT'S OVER! Triumph for the Rainbow Nation!"
The Rainbow Nation, a phrase coined by Mandela created by Mandela that meant what you might guess it to mean. A nation of many colors coexisting as one and this time, that kind of compassion was never questioned.
In yet another famous quote Francois Pienaar nearly cried into the microphone before him.
"We didn't have the support of 63,000 South Africans today," Pienaar said. "We had the support of 42 million."
"Thank you very much for what you have done for our country." Mandela then said with the intent for only Pienaar to hear. The captain nodded, taking the Webb Ellis Cup presented to his team and holding it close to his chest. "[Mr President], it is nothing compared to what you have done for our country."
When Nelson Mandela passed away on December 5th 2013, the world lost a great leader. On that dreadful day they lost a man who saved a nation and did it using a media previously regarded as one serving just 1 purpose: entertainment.
On that day in 1995, South Africa was saved. South Africa was saved by Nelson Mandela and the aspect of humanity he held closest to his heart: competition and the unifying obsession that it brings about.
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