SOUTH AFRICA / RUGBY UNION: Rugby World Cup winners South Africa hold news conference on their return home

Record ID: 455886

  • Title: SOUTH AFRICA / RUGBY UNION: Rugby World Cup winners South Africa hold news conference on their return home
  • Date: 23rd October 2007
  • Summary: JOHANNESBURG, SOUTH AFRICA (OCTOBER 23, 2007) (REUTERS - ACCESS ALL CLIENTS) WIDE OF NEWS CONFERENCE (Soundbite) (English) SOUTH AFRICA COACH JAKE WHITE: "It's been an unbelievable performance, an unbelievable experience so far, and I can only say thank you to everyone who was involved - all the coaching staff, all the management, all the conditioning staff. But to play in the final and use one substitute in the 75th minute of a test match when you've been together for seven weeks of the world cup just shows how much planning and sort of preparation has been put in." WIDE OF NEWS CONFERENCE (Soundbite) (English) SOUTH AFRICAN TEAM CAPTAIN JOHN SMIT: "What we walked into was far beyond whatever we'd even imagined. So our biggest goal was to get this trophy back to where it belongs in South Africa and the second thing was to bring it home to the people who really will enjoy it most. And having come back today, seeing all the energy, the people going crazy and how much they appreciate what's been done, it makes everything just so much more special." WIDE OF NEWS CONFERENCE CLOSE UP WHITE SITTING BEHIND WILLIAM WEBB ELLIS TROPHY (Soundbite) (English) SOUTH AFRICA COACH JAKE WHITE: "I think the challenge now, from everybody's point of view is whether we stay world champions and whether, every time we play, we look world champions. And that, I suppose is the thing we've got to concentrate on now for the next four years." MEDIA (Soundbite) (English) SOUTH AFRICAN TEAM CAPTAIN JOHN SMIT: "When that final whistle went the first thing I did was drop to my knees and just thank the Lord above for what he's given us and what he's given me and how he's blessed our team. And I think that's played a huge role in terms of where we sit here today. So it would be amiss of me to put it in any kind of words in terms of how we feel. Speechless is in fact the only word I can say. And I've been asked this question since the final whistle went - how do you feel? And I think it's something that takes time to sink in and it's certainly something that's taken a lifetime to work for but I think it will take another lifetime just to understand quite what we've done together as a group." WHITE AND SMIT SITTING BEHING TROPHY CLOSE UP OF TROPHY WIDE OF NEWS CONFERNCE
  • Embargoed: 7th November 2007 12:00
  • Keywords:
  • Topics: Sports
  • Reuters ID: LVA8L0GCNS90LV6MRD71NCS9JC2
  • Story Text: The victorious Springboks rugby team basked in World Cup glory on Tuesday (October 23) as they returned home with coach Jake White hoping South Africa will build on his team's achievement.

    "I think the challenge now, from everybody's point of view is whether we stay world champions and whether, every time we play, we look world champions. And that, I suppose is the thing we've got to concentrate on now for the next four years."
    White was speaking at a news conference in Johannesburg three days after South Africa beat 2003 champions England 15-6 in the final at the Stade de France to win the title for the second time.
    Sitting proudly behind the William Webb Ellis trophy, Springbok captain John Smit said his team had achieved had still not fully sunk in.

    "What we walked into was far beyond whatever we'd even imagined.
    So our biggest goal was to get this trophy back to where it belongs in South Africa and the second thing was to bring it home to the people who really will enjoy it most. And having come back today, seeing all the energy, the people going crazy and how much they appreciate what's been done, it makes everything just so much more special," said Smit.
    White, whose contracton Dec. 31, would not be drawn on his own future either with South Africa or an opening abroad but he did not rule out staying on if asked, whereas prior to the tournament it had looked like his days as national coach were coming to a close.
    Australian Rugby Union (ARU) chief John O'Neill said on Tuesday that White would be considered for the vacant Wallabies job if he applied for it.
    There has been talk of South Africa wanting the Springboks to adhere to quotas of black players in any given squad, while White has always prioritised merit in his selections.
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