Rugby helped bring South Africa together after their apartheid dissolved. During the World Cup the team worked together to defeat a greater enemy. On the team was a black south African, which gave everyone in South Africa to root for them. Nelson Mandela knew that he needed something to bring his country together. He promised that if they allowed a black man to compete with them, they would hold the World Cup in South Africa.
Rugby was originally viewed as just a white sport even though the black South Africans attended these events. When they did attend they were not rooting for their home team, but the opponent because they were beating the white men.
In the World Cup, South Africa, the underdogs, beat the favorites, the Australians. At this game all South Africans were rooting for their home team. Having a black rugby player gave them a reason to favor their team. They thought that it was now as much their team as white South Africans. This brought their country together.
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