08 Dec The RWC 1995 and Ian Mellett’s reflections on the day as shared on ABC News 24.
The 1995 Rugby World Cup was the third Rugby World Cup. It was hosted and won by South Africa, and was the first Rugby World Cup in which every match was held in one country. Ian Mellett of the Springboks Supporters Club in New Zealand reflects on his memories of the RWC Final and Nelson Mandela. When South Africa won the Rugby World Cup 1995 it was not only a victory for the Springboks but for the whole of the newly christened ‘Rainbow Nation’. On the day of the final President Nelson Mandela chose to wear the Springbok jersey, regarded by some as the ultimate symbol of the regime that imprisoned him. It was a gesture that inspired the whole nation to move on to a brighter future, inspired the South Africa team to victory over the All Blacks.