Thousands of citizens have flooded the streets of Pretoria as the nation’s rugby team officially kickstarts its World Cup victory tour.
The Springboks tram had won the tournament for a record-breaking fourth time last weekend – and the nation is still celebrating this feat.
Fans had dressed up in the team colours and stormed Pretoria’s roads on Thursday to catch a glimpse of their champions.
The team will spend four days touring across the country.
The tour had begun at Union Buildings, the seat of government.
President Cyril Ramaphosa has since declared a public holiday on December 15 to celebrate the feat.
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Ramaphosa had hailed the Springbok’s feat as an indication of hope amidst the testing period for South Africa.
The country is at present, suffering frequent electricity blackouts, economic strife and has been tagged as the worst country with the highest unemployment rate in the world.
Kolisi, the Springboks’ first black Test captain had today, dedicated the trophy to the good people of South Africa”.
For more than 90 years, Springbok selectors picked only white players and as a result, the team was considered a symbol of apartheid.
The euphoric scene seen on Thursday only further emphasises that this more inclusive team have captured the hearts of South Africans nationwide.
Later today, the Springboks will visit Johannesburg and its township of Soweto and then on Friday, they will go on to Cape Town on Friday, Durban on Saturday and finally, to East London on Sunday.
