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Dear Discovery People
I am reaching out to express and share our collective joy and pride in the Springboks winning the World Cup on Saturday night.
It is an extraordinary achievement – heroic, brilliant and full of character. It’s one sport where players literally put their bodies on the line for our country.
It’s intoxicating and thrilling to watch; and a treat to have experienced the incredible Springboks beat their longstanding rivals, the All Blacks, and become World Champions again.
Much is said of this victory: “our country needs it”, “unifying” and more – as if our country being the best in the world is somehow against the run of play, as if we need a deeper reason for winning.
Why? In my view the simple lesson is that our country can be excellent and competitive at the highest level.
The Springboks have evolved to what is now a symbol of unity, diversity and cohesion, and the manifestation of us at our best.
Proof that we have the talent, determination, purpose and discipline – and when we apply it, together, we can win and be top of the world.
I had the privilege of being in the stands in Paris – it was incredible! Watching the two teams warm up before the game, you get a sense of the skill, rigour, and preparation it takes to play and win at this level. This is not just a talented team on the night. It doesn’t just happen.
It takes decades of depth, experience, coaching, and generations of talent to field a team of this calibre. It also requires a distinct decision to be best and to do what it takes to get there as a team.
The takeout is clear but powerful: we mustn’t accept mediocrity, we mustn’t accept slippage and decline.
The Springboks reminded us last night that we don’t have to.
