Victor Matfield, Heyneke Meyer and Bryan Habana rubbed shoulders with royalty when they visited Buckingham Palace yesterday.
The South African stars of the Rugby World Cup 2015, and select players from the other seven teams remaining in the tournament, were hosted by Queen Elizabeth.
A video of the event shows the queen chatting with Habana and Matfield as her husband, Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, looks on.
With the duke still in tow, Elizabeth then goes to the other side of the room, where she shakes hands with coach Meyer.
Speaking at the event, the queen’s grandson Prince Harry, the honorary president of the 2015 Rugby World Cup, said it was a privilege to watch the tournament being enjoyed by millions of people worldwide.
As Harry was speaking, Matfield, Meyer and Habana stood a few metres behind him on the podium, looking dapper in their formal green-and-gold jackets and black pants.
According to Harry, this year’s tournament had been one of the most competitive and entertaining Rugby World Cups ever, “although only halfway through we witnessed some truly memorable moments and one or two upsets”.
He said each nation had played with a level of commitment that had made the contest exciting and unpredictable.
“Eight teams and their supporters remain in this nail-biting journey but, sadly, 12 countries must share in their disappointment of defeat but they leave richer for experience and with valuable lessons learnt.
“England may no longer be represented on the pitch but, as a nation, we are incredibly proud to be hosting such a successful tournament.”
Harry also said his grandmother had for the past 63 years been welcoming people from around the world to the palace to celebrate their achievements and to recognise their commitment to public causes.
“This evening, we would like to thank you for making England 2015 a successful and enjoyable tournament for everybody,” the prince said. - The Star