South Africa’s rugby World Cup champions get heroes’ welcome

South Africa’s rugby union team are back home from France after winning the World Cup for a record fourth time.

The players were met at OR Tambo Airport in Johannesburg by a huge, rapturous crowd on yesterday.

South Africa is the most successful team at the World Cup after winning four titles in eight appearances.

The arrivals hall at OR Tambo had been packed for hours before the team nicknamed the Springboks landed, with hundreds of fans dancing, waving flags and singing the national anthem.

Such is the Word Cup spirit in South Africa that Gautrain, the high-speed commuter train linking Johannesburg to the capital, Pretoria, offered free travel to airport for fans braving the region’s cold and wet weather.

Some parents, decked in team colours, told the BBC they had pulled their children out of school on Tuesday as they felt welcoming the Springboks home would be once-in-a-lifetime experience.

For a country currently suffering rolling blackouts, economic strife and the world’s highest unemployment rate, the win has served as a welcome break.

President Cyril Ramaphosa was among those hailing the Springbok’s feat as a sign of hope.

“We need more of this, and not just in the domain of sporting achievement, the patriotism we display in sports stadiums should be reflected in our approach to overcoming our challenges,” he said.

To the delight of workers across the nation, Mr Ramaphosa declared 15 December a public holiday in celebration of the Springboks.-BBC