In 1995 I watched a rugby match unite a divided nation. Born in Zimbabwe, I experienced the tension in South Africa. It was palatable even across an international border. When South Africa miraculously avoided war and Nelson Mandela came to power the country was divided along so many lines.
The iconic picture of Mandela in a Springbok jersey presenting the Webb Ellis Trophy to South Africa's captain, Francois Pienaar, signifies so much more than a match won. It gave a country hope.
Following my article last week I wanted to explore the power of purpose more.
There are so many examples, and yet I will go back to the fields of international rugby. The setting being the rugby fields of Japan and the tournament, the 2019 World Cup. I am a passionate, die-hard All Blacks fan. I was gutted we were not playing in the final and yet I watched in awe as the Springboks crushed the favoured English. Not only did they win so convincingly but they were also the first team to win a World Cup having lost a game in the qualifying rounds. What was their driving force?
Coach Rassie Erasmus said the pool-stage loss to the All Blacks taught them a lot. "We started talking about pressure. In South Africa, pressure is not having a job. Pressure is one of your close relatives murdered. Because South Africa has a lot of problems and we started talking about how rugby shouldn't be something that puts pressure on you.