Fellow South Africans,

On Saturday night, South Africans watched with pride and joy as our national rugby team, the Springboks, became the world champions for the fourth time since the advent of democracy in our country.

As we all watched their progress towards the championship, we marvelled at their resilience and determination to overcome some of the best teams in the rugby world.

At moments when their cause seemed lost, they fought back and they emerged victorious.
This victory rightfully calls for a moment of national recognition and celebration of our rugby players and their achievements.
We should also applaud our cricket team who have been performing well in the Cricket World Cup. I spoke to the Proteas captain Temba Bavuma and encouraged them to remain focused and told him that the entire nation supports and stands behind them. I also told him that I intend to travel to Mumbai in India to watch them play in the finals.

As we confront the many severe challenges in our country, we draw hope and encouragement from the determination and the performance the Springboks and the Proteas have displayed.

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