THE BUZZ AROUND the seaside suburb of uMhlanga yesterday morning was so vibrant that it was hard to sit still and enjoy a cuppa.
Springboks jerseys were everywhere, the pints of Windhoek and Castle Lite were already flowing, and there was first evidence of a modest but vocal Irish invasion.
Just north of Durban city, uMhlanga is a paradise with its sandy beach, palm trees and upmarket restaurants. Chartwell Drive, the busiest street in town, had been hectic on Friday night and was picking up where it left off yesterday morning.
Nearly all of the early revellers in uMhlanga were white.
We soon saw a different side of Durban. The Uber driver set Glenwood High School as his destination and the route ran through the gritty area of Durban Central. People were laying out clothes and drums and all sorts of goods to sell on the street. There was rubbish strewn on the footpaths. Some of the buildings were crumbling. The rows upon rows of white minibus taxis beeped their horns unrelentingly.
Every single person we saw in this part of town was black.
It was a stark reminder that South Africa has two very different sides. Millions upon millions of people here still live in poverty.
The rugby game at Glenwood High School soon provided a third view of South Africa.
Rustenburg were in town and it was a thrilling first XV clash that taught us a few things.
Firstly, that South African kids are simply gigantic. Some of the teenagers from Rustenberg, which is up on the Highveld, looked as big as professional players already. There were a few skillful Cheslin Kolbe-esque talents too but the sheer size of some of the forwards was remarkable. These aren’t even two of the top South African schools this year but the quality was excellent.
Secondly, we got a reminder that a game of rugby can be decided with the very last kick of the game. Rustenberg’s out-half slotted the winning points from 40 metres out off the tee, sparking bedlam among the travelling supporters. We would see something similar a few hours later at Kings Park Stadium.
But most notable was how the teams had white and black players playing together, just like the Springboks. They high-fived, pulled each other off the ground, and dreamed of wearing the green and gold jersey in the future. In the stands, it was the same – skin colour no issue given that the black boys and white boys were clearly close friends.
This was a reminder that rugby has become a unifying force in South Africa, where once it was the emblem of apartheid. We can’t pretend that a two-week visit staying in lovely hotels has allowed us understand the complexity of this country, nor do we have any real appreciation of the difficulties South Africans face on a daily basis, but we’ve been around rugby a lot. The sport is a genuine symbol of unity here.
It was obvious again when the Springboks ran out at Kings Park, led by Siya Kolisi. He became the first-ever black captain in 2019 and is still answering questions at press conferences about how important and inspiring it is.
The Springboks squad is made up of men who grew up in townships and men who were born into wealth and privilege. There is someone in that squad that nearly everyone in South Africa can relate to and be inspired by.
They acknowledge that there are serious problems in their country, but these two weeks have shown just how intent South Africans are on visitors seeing the beauty and joy of their homeland too. Recount positive experiences and the locals are genuinely delighted that you’re able to understand the good things about South Africa. They’re proud people.
The welcome has been ceaselessly warm and there’s no doubt South Africans know how to have fun. The pre-match party at the stadium in Durban yesterday had even more of a carnival edge to it than was the case at the impressive Loftus Versfeld in Pretoria.
The braais were sizzling and the beers continued to flow, music pumped out, and the sun beamed down, 26°C heat meaning Irish fans looked for shade. This was winter in Durban and it was hard not to be jealous of what they can do before games.
For those who couldn’t be at the stadium, there were big screens erected around Durban, including one in the township of Umlazi. This is important because most South Africans don’t have the subscription channel SuperSport. A deal with free-to-air broadcaster SABC meant these Irish Tests were shown to everyone on a delayed basis, but nothing beats watching it live.
Inside the stadium yesterday, we were treated to a stirring rendition of the South African national anthem again, another symbol of unity as it uses five of the country’s official languages.
It wasn’t to be the South Africans’ night as Ireland earned a second-ever Test win in this nation. And though there are is always one clown in any crowd, the locals were thoroughly magnanimous. A heavily dejected Rassie Erasmus said the best team won and so did every other South African we spoke to.
Indeed, one of the staff in the media room at Kings Park came over as the travelling press pack bashed out quotes from the central characters and asked how many beers we wanted.
“Six, 12, 18, 24?” he asked with a smile then duly delivered ice-cold bottles to our table, on the house, offering his congratulations to Ireland.
It wasn’t the only classy touch we’ve been on the receiving end of in the past fortnight.
Just before the taxi driver pulled away from the airport this morning, he had a final few words.
“Thank you for coming to our country.”
