World Cup final
19 October 2007
As a Ministry of Sport and Recreation, we wish to congratulate the
Springboks for representing us with distinction and commitment throughout the
world cup until where we are today. We are proud of them.
"As it was predicted, the road to the final was never going to be easy. The
team, however, withered the storms and today we are only one game away from
lifting the 2007 Rugby World Cup trophy. This also, will not be easy to
achieve; but with the arsenal at our disposal, we should be able to stand
toe-to-toe with England and remain standing when the battle is won and lost,"
said Sport and Recreation Minister, Rev Makhenkesi Stofile.
The Minister is flying to France today to support the Boks and hopefully be
part of one of the historic moments of South African sport, the winning of a
Rugby World Cup. The Minister's trip follows that of the Deputy Minister, Mr
Gert Oosthuizen, who was with the Boks during the start of their world cup
campaign.
The Ministry wishes the Boks good luck and good health for their last game
of the 2007 world cup.
"I have no doubt that the Boks will as they did against Fiji, bring a
positive and never-say-die- attitude to the final. One mistake the team cannot
afford to make, is to think that we will be facing the same England that we
beat earlier in the tournament," the Minister cautioned.
Commenting on S'khumbuzo Oliphant, the man invited to be part of President
Thabo Mbeki's delegation to the International Rudby Board (IRB) Rugby World Cup
final, the Minister said "anyone who has watched the speed, grace, vision and
reflexes of Bryan Habana in full cry, has an inkling of the greatness of this
former African Springbok centre."
Oliphant is a product of Newell High School in Port Elizabeth's New Brighton
Township. He is one of the few sets of brothers who played rugby at national
team level, and for many years stayed in the shadow of his sibling, the
illustrious Eric Majola, widely regarded as the greatest flyhalf produced by
South Africa.
Oliphant came into his own playing in 1964 representing the Black South
African Springboks team against the Coloured Springboks, including the
undefeated 1967 team. He retired from the representative game in 1969 and later
served as president of Spring Rose Rugby Football Club, enjoying its 100th
anniversary in 2007.
Enquiries:
Manase Makwela
Spokesperson, Sport and Recreation South Africa
Cell: 082 782 1759
Issued by: Sport and Recreation South Africa
19 October 2007
