Cape Town - Springboks captain, Siya Kolisi thanked Capetonians who came out in their numbers to support the team.
“We as a team want to appreciate you, you guys carried us through the last couple of games. We hope that we made you proud and inspired you and the guys behind me have been amazing and we believe that we are a diverse team, just as you all guys are here today,” he said in the CBD.
The South African rugby team, the Springboks have arrived in Langa township in Cape Town on Monday.
Langa, one of the oldest townships in Cape Town is amongst areas to be visited during the final leg of the Springboks’ Victory Tour after winning the 2019 Rugby World Cup in Japan.
Picture: Henk Kruger/African News Agency (ANA)
The victory parade kicked off with a mini-concert at City Hall and the Grand Parade before the team took the Webb Ellis Cup on a tour of the CBD, Langa, Belhar and Elsies River.
A massive crowd gathered in front of the City Hall on Monday morning ahead of an appearance from the Springboks.
Picture: Henk Kruger/African News Agency (ANA)
“It’s my honour to sit amongst these heroes if I can put that way. That is indeed what they are and for me, Siya and all the other guys upstairs to welcome them in Cape Town is really an honour to do that. I know they are really, really tired, I think they had enough of all these tours and today is the last day and it’s really a good day for Cape Town that the closing of the event can happen here in the Mother City,” said Cape Town Mayor Dan Plato during his welcoming speech.
Picture: Henk Kruger/African News Agency (ANA)
Video: Henk Kruger/African News Agency (ANA)
“We are very proud of what they have achieved in Japan, and in my capacity as the mayor of Cape Town, I just want to say to the whole team thank you very much for what you have done and what you have meant for South Africa. For Cape Town and also for the citizens, the real unification that we once again, after 1995 I still remember that like yesterday, we were united at the time and the nation is once again united and I want to say to the team, thank you for that.”
Cape Town is the final leg of the team's victory tour.