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JOHANNESBURG - South Africa's World Cup winning rugby squad arrived home on Tuesday to a tumultuous heroes' welcome as thousands of fans turned Johannesburg airport into a sea of green and gold.
Fans who had camped out overnight roared with delight as skipper John Smit held the William Webb Ellis trophy aloft before admitting that the Springboks were still trying to absorb the enormity of their achievement.
"We expected it to be pretty busy but what we walked into was far beyond what we ever imagined," Smit said.
"It's something we have worked a lifetime for, but it's something that will take another lifetime to sink in."
Bryan Habana, who scored a record-equalling eight tries during the tournament, was also blown away by the reception, saying: "It's unbelievable."
About 5000 people had gathered to welcome the Springboks home from France after Sunday's (NZT) victory against England in final in Paris made them world champions for the second time.
Most wore the green and gold Springboks shirts or carried flags of the team, who now face a fight to avoid being split up amid a debate about the racial composition of the white-dominated side.
Police had their hands full as screaming fans, who were a mixture of white and black supporters, pushed to get a glimpse of their heroes as they walked into the arrivals hall.
"We woke up at 2 and left home at 2.30am," said an excited 17-year-old Grant Matthee as he awaited the arrival of the team.
Coach Jake White said it was important the Springboks did not repeat the "mistakes" of their last victory in 1995 which they failed to use as springboard for racial transformation.
"It's like having the birth of second child and we have to take advantage of the fact that some countries don't get (such a chance) twice," White said.
"We get another opportunity to make sure we don't make the same mistakes again and that's the challenge that lies ahead."
White has previously indicated that he will step down after his contract expires at the end of the year but he was non-committal about his future, saying he would follow the advice of the former Australian coach Eddie Jones and ex-England boss Clive Woodward and not make any hasty decision.
"The one thing I did learn from Eddie Jones and Clive Woodward was not to make emotional decisions. The best thing is to take some to time off and reflect," he said.
"What I would like to do is take time off, meet my bosses and chat with them, meet with the players ... and then make a decision in the best interests of everyone concerned."
Rugby officials are now expected to come under renewed pressure from the government to pick more players of colour in the team, with President Thabo Mbeki saying in a radio interview today that results were not all important.
"If we are going to lose one or two games in order to achieve that goal (of racial transformation) I think let's lose one or two games," he said.
Mbeki's former spokesman Bheki Khumalo, who is now an executive of the Springboks' sponsors Sasol, warned against forcing White into a position where he wanted to quit.
"Whatever the political issues ... I really think it would be a moment of a disaster" if White were to be allowed to depart the scene, Khumalo said.
"I really think it would be a moment that I don't think we could explain to our children or our children's children."
The team are to embark on a series of victory celebrations this week, including a reception on Friday with Mbeki which will be followed by an open-top bus tour across Johannesburg and the black township of Soweto.
- AFP
