President Cyril Ramaphosa has congratulated the Springboks on their nail-biting win over France in their 2023 Rugby World Cup match on Sunday night.
“President Cyril Ramaphosa offers his warm and proud congratulations – and those of the nation – to the Springboks on their 29-28 Rugby World Cup 2023 quarter-final victory over France on Sunday, 15 October,” said the Presidency in a statement.
The Springboks win in Paris has set the team up for a semi-final against England on Saturday, 21 October.
In November 2019, the Springboks won the Rugby World Cup final in Japan by defeating England.
The President congratulated the 2023 host nation, France, on a performance that made the encounter in Paris a tense and dramatic game that was enjoyed by a stadium audience of 80 000 and millions of people around the world.
“As a nation, we are proud of the Springboks advance to the semi-finals in a game that was an incredible athletic display, as well as a metaphor for our country. We are indeed stronger together when we come together in our diversity, and we create opportunities for people to live their passion, fulfil their potential, and display their talents.”
In a statement on Monday, the President further lauded the display of unity backing the Boks.
“We’re also together on days when we struggle and when we create the space for people to come back from difficulty and to continue the journey to victory with us.
“Out of the 20 nations in the World Cup, the Springboks delighted and inspired us – whether they were on the field, on the bench or in the coaches’ box.
“We wish the Springboks the very best as they prepare for what we hope will be another unforgettable victory,” he said. – SAnews.ogv.za

Pyscho Hun
Sport Trivia: Which South African swimmer was the first woman ever to win both the 100m and 200m Olympic breaststroke event, this was achieved at the 1996 Olympics? Answer: Penny Heyns. Penny Heyns is regarded as one of the best breaststroke swimmers ever. At the Atlanta Olympics, she won her first gold for the 100 metres breaststroke in a world record time of 1:07:02 and her second gold in the 200 metres in an Olympic record time of 2:25:41.
Blinker
Rugby is also a very popular sport in South Africa and their national team, the Springboks, has performed particularly well in the international stage taking the 1995, 2007 and 2019 Rugby World Cups. There is also a fair amount of world-class Rugby players from South Africa that includes Bryan Habana, Danie Craven, Francois Pienaar, Frik du Preez, Joost van der Westhuizen, and Naas Botha. South Africa has also hosted quite a few international sports meetings like the 1996 African Cup of Nations, 2003 Cricket World Cup, as well as the 2007 World Twenty20 Championship.