I was there, as a schoolboy selling ice-creams outside Newlands rugby stadium on May 25, 1995 when South Africa ran out against world champions Australia and beat them.
I watched Nelson Mandela hand Francois Pienaar the Web Ellis Trophy and the whole of (white) South Africa cheered.
I don't remember how South Africa did in 1999 because I have to admit spent much of 1999 either drunk / fucked / asleep.
Growing disillusioned with living in South Africa, I left. South Africa to me is the country where I spent my teenage years, it is not a place in my soul.
I will always have Africa in my heart - no-one who's lived there ever gets it out of their system. Africa gets under your skin and stays with you for life. The rhythm of Africa is always with you.
Come 2003 I watched England romp to victory against the Australians at a pub in Covent Garden at 7am on a Sunday morning.
I had only been in London about 9 months. I sat there alone with my beer - I had very few friends. London was new and exciting.
Now is 2007. The eve of the Rugby World Cup Final, England v South Africa.
At around 6-ish I will head to the pub to meet friends; many South African, many English. There will be English beer and there will be boerewors rolls.
I will get a lump in my throat when I hear Nkosi Sikelele but I will sing God Save the Queen proudly.
There are so many memories and I know that whatever happens, it will all be very emotional. A world cup final always is.
I know this all is a little self-indulgent but I won't get a chance to say it tonight because I'll be too busy screaming so I thought I'd say it to you.
Tonight there will be singing and there will be shouting. There will be heart-stopping moments and there will be beer. There will be tears and I bloody hope there will be celebrations.
(There is a bottle of Verve in the fridge for breakfast tomorrow, just incase).
In my head I reckon South Africa will win. In my heart I know it will always be England.
If you get there before I do
Coming for to carry me home
Tell all my friends I'm coming too
Coming for to carry me home
COME ON ENGLAND
5 comments:
Wow I just loved what you have written and oh how I agree with you. Come on England, make us proud.
Well its over and as expected.
I hope you enjoyed the game. Yes the Ref was biased in the 2nd half against England, well he must have been from Southern Ireland I suppose.
Its been emotional, one must admit, it brings back good memories of literally 12 years when we were into celebrating the end of Apartheid aswell.
So, the Veuve in the fridge u have, i am too understand u are to drink it anyway regardless of who won? lol
Tomorrow is Sunday and I have 10days of blogging updating to do, hangover not going to be to bad i think. Yours? I'm guessing, painfully.
byt vas
Yeah, well, I'm an English guy, and in my head I supported the English team, but in my heart I know that the cutest side won tonight!
GB xxx
Graham: Yeah - I type this with hindsight now i.e. Sunday morning so it's all a little hollow. Bloody hell. We did good though, I thought. Bloody well in fact.
Seahorse: we drank the Verve anyway. THere's no way it was going to not stay unopened. I have to admit it didn't being back memories of 1995 - it was so different then. Everything was new and exciting. But well done to the Boks anyway.
GB: I hope you mean the side in red and white? Show me one gorgeous Springbok (besides Bobby Skinstad) and I'll show you er, ... ;-)
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