History was made at Ellis Park Stadium on 24 June 1995, where the South African Rugby team (famously known as the Springboks) beat New Zealand in a mouth watering clash.

The All Blacks, New Zealand’s Rugby Team, was neutralised by solid tackling from the South African side. Though both teams played quite aggressive, attacking games, neither South Africa nor New Zealand could break through the other's defence to score a try.

The game was thus decided by the kicking powers of each team, in particular, that of Joel Stransky who, through accurate drop goals and penalty kicks, guaranteed that South Africa won the Rugby World Cup at Ellis Park, Johannesburg.

The ‘Madiba Magic’ played a tremendous role in South Africa winning the Rugby World Cup Trophy for the first time since the tournament’s inception in 1987. Despite strong competition shown by the All Blacks, the final score was 15-12 in favour of South Africa. The South African President, Nelson Mandela, handed the trophy to Springbok Captain, François Pienaar, as Ellis Park Stadium erupted into celebrations.





Source: South African History Online





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