Cape Town - Minister of Sport and Recreation South Africa Mr Fikile Mbalula has paid tribute to retiring Springbok captain Jean de Villiers.
In a statement on Sunday, Mr Fikile Mbalula said that De Villiers was ruled out of the remainder of the World Cup after suffering a fracture to his jaw during the match against Samoa in Birmingham.
Minister Mbalula extends words of great gratitude and appreciation to de Villiers for leading the South African rugby team with agility and patriotism. The statement reads: “With his experience, De Villiers has been a glue that kept the team together. He is one among many who put his body on the line for the victory and pride of this great nation.
“We salute him first as a patriot; when he was called upon to marshal our national team he did so even at great risk of his own health. Going to the World he fought all his injuries, it is this fighting spirit that we saw on the field when he played. He might be leaving the World Cup but the lessons he shared with the team will remain with them.
“Let's all take a paragraph from the book of Jean de Villiers. The team must not see this as a set back but as an indicator to fight harder to win the world cup. We trust the team will continue on their winning streak. Nelson Mandela, father of our nation once said “The greatest glory in living lies not in never falling, but in rising every time we fall. “We know very well our captain will rise again, like he always does.” - ANA