Springboks success timely boost for South African sport

Victory at the Rugby World Cup came as a huge relief to South African sport followers after a string of woeful performances by the national cricket and football teams.

The Springboks used forward power to subdue England, then let flying wingers Makazole Mapimpi and Cheslin Kolbe loose to run in the tries that sealed a 32-12 final triumph Saturday.

Supporters of the national rugby team were hopeful of victory, but no one dared believe they would finish 20 points ahead of a side that crushed trophy-holders New Zealand a week earlier.

South Africans celebrated a third Rugby World Cup title in sport clubs, bars and restaurants against a backdrop of frustration at failures in the other two widely followed sports.

In India last month, the cricketers suffered back-to-back innings Test losses for the first time since the 1935-36 season against Australia.

Before those humiliations, South Africa suffered a 203-run defeat in the first of three Tests on the sub-continent.

A disastrous year for the Proteas also included a 2-0 home Test series beating by struggling Sri Lanka, who had arrived in the republic as no-hopers. Worse was to follow with South Africa losing five of eight matches at the Cricket World Cup in England to finish seventh in the 10-nation tournament.

"These are the worst of times for cricket in our country, or at least for the time most of us have been alive," wrote Sunday Times cricket columnist Telford Vice. Football is by far the most popular sport among the 57 million South Africans with the domestic, African and European versions followed avidly.

- Grateful -
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