Playing the Game of Life
(or how the Springboks' RWC 2023 victory shows South Africans the way forward...)
“People who are not from South Africa don’t understand what this means for our country. This is not just about the game, our country goes through such a lot. We are the very hope that they have.” – Siya Kolisi, captain of the Springbok rugby team minutes after winning the Rugby World Cup in 2023.
It has been a week since the Springboks won the Rugby World Cup 2023, and became the first team and country to win the Webb Ellis Cup for the fourth time (might I add the Bokke won the RWC back-to-back. Not bad, boys, not bad). It was a game for the ages. The Bokke absolutely refused to be defeated; they decided they were not going to lose this game, and they stayed in the fight. Amazing.
A lot has since been written about the magical win: what it means to the team, what it means to the people of South Africa, how the politicians have jumped on the bandwagon to hog some of the shine from the amazing victory (Cyril literally jumped on the stage…cringe…), how the country should turn this win into some economic growth (impossible with the current government in place), you know, the typical things South Africans love to sing about, complain about or are joyful about.
But here’s the thing – how long does this spirit last in the face of load-shedding now that the Bokke are home again, in the face of the majority of people in this beautiful country being in a rat race to keep head above water, in the face of ongoing corruption and talks of a failed state, in the face of lost opportunities because of incompetency on a grand scale, in the face of politicians calling for the killing of specific groups of people, in the face of importing the worst and wokest ideas from the declining western world just because it is the US, UK or Canada, in the face of cozying up to the worst on the other side of the world, selling our souls to be part of a club in name only?
You can see where I am going with this. South Africa should forge its own path, find its own identity, be true to ourselves. We are not a western country, despite pockets of excellence and sophistication. We are also nothing like the authoritarian states of the east, despite the original political philosophy of the current government. Why can we not develop our own unique way of doing things, of thinking about the world? For inspiration, we can look at our national rugby team.
They are a family – a nucleus with standards, principles and traditions. They stand together and protect each other as they know there is a bigger goal than simply the actions of the individual player. However, every individual has their own standards, principles and traditions which should be respected within the team. (This is why freedom with good leadership is so important.) They overcome their hurdles, whether mentally or physically. They have a plan and they stick to it but they also have built-in optionality and resiliency when things don’t go as planned. They believe in themselves. In their captain’s words: “When we won the World Cup in 2019, people didn’t think we would do it – instead, they were hopeful because the plan was always for 2023, but things changed and we won in 2019, and this time our people expected us to win. This was not about us as players. This victory was for every South African, and we showed what is possible with this diverse team.”
Every person in South Africa, every couple, every family, every community can follow these principles. Yes, I know it is tough. I understand that people are poor, fed-up, tired, despondent, angry, resigned, and that after a week of celebration, we are inclined to look at each other and ask: what has actually changed in our lives…I get it. Life goes on, it always does. But stop for a moment. Why can’t we incorporate resiliency, a team player mentality in our personal and professional lives? Why can’t we take this seed of hope and plant it, nurture it until it is grown big enough to propagate, grow more plants, a garden with variety full of hope and resiliency? How can we do this?
For starters, ignore the media doomsayers, and vote out any level of corrupt and incompetent government, even as low as municipal level. Get involved in your community, reach out to someone outside your pack and tribe, and make a connection (this can be as easy as learning a few greeting words in a different language). The spirit from winning the World Cup, that feeling of pride you experienced when the Bokke lifted the trophy, pay that feeling forward. It takes a moment of your time and it costs nothing. I know it sounds very airy-fairy, and I know everyone is angry at life but wtf people, what do you have to lose? Ideas can change the world. Every one of us believed Siya Kolisi when he said that the Bokke were playing for South Africa. We know he was sincere in his words; we could feel it. And if you are a person of faith, you know this win means something. PAY IT FORWARD. It is the least we can do after this amazing team played their hearts out for their country. Do not let this plant of hope wither and die.
Mandela said: “Sport has the power to change the world. It has the power to inspire. It has the power to unite people in a way that little else does. It speaks to youth in a language they understand. Sport can create hope where once there was only despair. It is more powerful than governments in breaking down racial barriers. It laughs in the face of all types of discrimination.”
Pick up that ball of life, and as a team, together, we must play for the soul and future of South Africa. It will be tough, and there will be injuries, fights, and red cards. But we, the players on the field, the citizens of this beautiful country, can win this game. For South Africa, and for South Africans, anything is possible.
The future is not written yet.
Anyway, simply thinking out loud. Thank you for being here, and if find my Substack interesting or inspirational, please click on the 🤍 button, and subscribe for free if you want to receive a notification of the next “Thinking Out Loud”.