South African Sport
Sport is played around the world. It is a unifying activity that brings together
people from all walks of life. When you are attending a match, age, race, education
and gender does not matter anymore. Nowhere is this fact more true than in the case
of South African Sport.
South Africa is a cosmopolitan country with many different sports being played.
This article will only concentrate on the Big Three of South African sport,
namely cricket, rugby and soccer (football).
South African Crick
et
The South African National cricket team is called the Proteas,
named after the South African National flower. The Proteas are a very successful
team, ranking in the Top Five for Test and Limited Over cricket world team rankings.
South African Cricket has come a long way since the dark days of
pre-democratic South Africa. The team has grown in both talent and strength and
now boasts well distributed makeup of black as well as white player. Unfortunately
the Proteas has not yet been able to win the coveted Cricket World Cup yet, but, as any supporter will tell you: "Just wait for next time!"
South African Rugb
y
The Springboks, or the Boks, as they are affectionately
known, is the name given to the South African national rugby team.
Winning the Rugby World Cup not once, but twice, the team is the
pride of the country.
The Boks got their nickname from the Springbok, which is a subspecies
of the Thomsons Gazelle native to South Africa. The Springboks
are the original reason for South Africa's national colors being green and gold.
Back in the late 1800's and early 1900's, national rugby teams were being formed
world wide. The custom then was that the national team were to wear the same colors
as those of the club from which the new team's captain heralds. In similar fashion,
Australia's gold and green, and New Zealand's black, were decided according to this
tradition.
The Boks where instrumental in uniting former fragmented cultural
groups in South African when they won the Rugby World Cup in 1995. For the first
time in the tumultuous history of the country, South African's from all walks of
life joined together to celebrate the victory.
It was a momentous occasion, and I can truly say that it was a time where nothing
felt impossible. There is only one other team that has managed to bring such a feeling
of joy and unity to South Africans. This team is Bafana Bafana.
South African Soccer (Football)
Soccer, also known as Football, is the most popular
team sport in South Africa today. Soccer enjoys a wide following: from the rural
areas, townships, suburbs and big city centers, soccer is being followed and enjoyed
everywhere.
South Africa has a multitude of soccer clubs. The South African National Soccer team is endearingly referred to as Bafana Bafana.
Together with the Springboks, Bafana Bafana has managed to capture
the hearts and minds of all South Africans and bring together the multitude of cultures
in the Rainbow Nation. In 1996 Bafana Bafana won the African Cup of Nations,
and all over South Africa fans celebrated.
Since winning the African Cup of Nations, Bafana Bafana has not
yet been able to win any more tournaments. But despite this, South Africans still
stand strong behind their team.
Earlier in 2010 South Africa hosted the Soccer World Cup. The whole
nation supported Bafana Bafana wholeheartedly, and where able to present a Soccer
World Cup to the world that would be hard to top. Bafana Bafana will always have
a special place in the hearts of South Africans.
