It was the image that defined South Africa’s seismic shift.
President Nelson Mandela wearing the green Springbok jersey to greet victorious captain Francois Pienaar after South Africa won the 1995 Rugby World Cup was a sign of the changing times following by the recent end of apartheid.
South Africa had been excluded from the first two World Cups because of the racial segregation in place since 1948, and the 1995 event was the first major tournament hosted by a unified South Africa.
While the country was still fractured, Mandela’s gesture of reconciliation and attempt to cross the cultural divide after South Africa’s 15-12 win over New Zealand made waves around the world.
Watch CNN World Sport’s report from 1995 at the top of the page.
