@Springboks
Springbok captain Siya Kolisi said the team's back-to-back Rugby World Cup victories were not for the players but for every South African.
The victorious team returned home to a tumultuous welcome at a packed OR Tambo International Airport on Tuesday, where players held the Webb Ellis trophy aloft for the fans to capture on their phones for posterity.
Speaking at a media briefing afterward, Kolisi said they hoped the team inspired people from all walks of life to strive for their dreams and to realise that anything is possible.
"Today, South Africa showed us exactly who we did it for," said an elated Kolisi.
In thanking the people of South Africa, he said it was a tough 20 weeks for the team, but said there were four years of planning behind that.
"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."
Kolisi said the coaching staff knew how to align them as a group, dedicating the trophy to those people he said were experiencing tough circumstances, in Zwide in Gqeberha where comes from, and Goodwood and Malmesbury in the Western Cape, and all other communities and townships.
"As a team want to be a reference point for our people, to show them how we can do it, and hopefully they'll get hope from this team.
"We may not be able to change people's circumstances, but we can give hope we can inspire people."
