Springboks World Cup trophy parade tour kicks off in Pretoria on Thursday

Jubilation at the Menlyn Park Shopping Centre, Pretoria fan park on Saturday night after the Springboks clinched the Rugby World Cup. The Boks will kick off the trophy tour in Pretoria on Thursday. Picture: Oupa Mokoena/African News Agency (ANA)

Jubilation at the Menlyn Park Shopping Centre, Pretoria fan park on Saturday night after the Springboks clinched the Rugby World Cup. The Boks will kick off the trophy tour in Pretoria on Thursday. Picture: Oupa Mokoena/African News Agency (ANA)

Published Oct 31, 2023

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Pretoria - South Africa’s rugby world champions, the Springboks, will begin their four-day trophy parade tour in the capital city on Thursday.

The team beat New Zealand 12-11 in a bruising World Cup final battle at Stade de France in Paris on Saturday night.

The South African Rugby Union (Saru) said the team would attend the gala World Rugby Awards ceremony in Paris on Sunday night before leaving France for South Africa yesterday morning.

“The team will arrive back in South Africa on Tuesday (10.55am) at OR Tambo International Airport and will commence the tour 48 hours later. The tour will start in Pretoria, Johannesburg and Soweto – concluding at FNB Stadium – on Thursday, November 2; and take in Cape Town (Friday, November 3) and Durban (Saturday, November 4) before concluding it in the Eastern Cape (East London) on Sunday, November 5,” Saru said in a statement.

It said the locations had been selected for population size in the first three instances and because of the Eastern Cape’s rugby significance in the fourth.

Satellite tours to Bloemfontein, Nelson Mandela Bay and other centres will be scheduled for next year.

“Such tours following the 2019 victory had to be abandoned because of the Covid-19 pandemic.

“The route for each tour has been prepared in consultation with the respective local authorities and the SAPS. Route maps and timings will be published on SA Rugby’s website and social media channels, and by local authorities in due course,” Saru said.

Pretoria News