Bafana Bafana fans watch the opening ceremony of the 2010 World Cup on a big screen and celebrating at the Sandton World Cup Fan Park
Let’s be honest with ourselves: South Africans are utterly obsessed with World Cups. Ever since the Springboks’ famous 1995 triumph, pairing the words “World” and “Cup” in the same sentence is enough to put this nation into a collective trance.
But our relationship with global tournaments is as complex and diverse as the country itself.
The Springboks have gone on to lift the Webb Ellis Cup three further times — the last two being back-to-back — virtually immortalising captain Siya Kolisi and coach Rassie Erasmus in the pantheon of South African deities.
The Proteas cricket fans have endured an altogether different, agonising relationship with World Cups. For them, it has been a saga of pure trauma, marked by years of heart-wrenching disappointment for both the men’s and women’s teams.
