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To the small island who once ruled the world… come the men who do. 24 years ago, Nike released this advert. It’s trending on social media again. I watched it this morning and it made me cry. I bumped into a neighbour yesterday who has lived in South Africa for 5 years and we were talking about the upcoming game. She’s heading down to our Clubhouse to watch it… as most of us are. And she was telling me how excited she is for South Africa. She’s originally from America but will be wearing her Green and Gold tonight. We started talking about the heart of rugby in our country. You see, the Bokke don’t just play a sport, they play with everything they have. They play for every single South African. They play to remind us who we are. And they play to show us who we can be. My neighbour said, “There is no other nation that does that. It’s so beautiful.” She ignited a core memory in me. It was 1995. The Rugby World Cup was the first major sporting event to take place in South Africa following the end of apartheid. We were the hosts. It was also the first World Cup in which we were allowed to compete. I was sitting on the floor with my brother and sister watching. My folks were on the couch. There was this intense feeling of trepidation. We needed to win. Our country needed to win. “But how do you remember that? You must have been so young?” My neighbour asked. Because it was the first time we felt like one nation. Undivided. It was the first time our country was standing behind a new president and a new flag - together. Nelson Mandela made us believe that we were the rainbow nation. He gave us hope that as a country, we could become more than what we were before. We could rewrite our history. When that last whistle blew our entire team dropped to their knees crying, the crowd flying the new South African flags higher than high and then Nelson Mandela made his way to the pitch to meet Francois Pienaar. Something was ignited in us all. The spirit and heart of how rugby brings South Africans together. So ja, our team don’t just play a sport. They play with everything they have. They play for every single South African. They play to remind us who we are. And they play to show us who we can be. Win or lose, they play to bring us together. To the Bokke today, noma ngabe kwenzekani namuhla, iNingizimu Afrika iyaziqhenya ngani. Ngiyabonga Bokke! Searching for the best in me, I will fight for what I can be. If I win, lose or draw, there's a winner in us all! It's the world in union. The world as one. As we climb to reach our destiny. A new age has begun. For South Africa! Okay. Love you.