Scenes of jubilation played throughout East London on Sunday as thousands of supporters welcomed the record-breaking Springboks as they paraded the Webb Ellis trophy they won in France in a nail-biting final against New Zealand. The notable absence of big stars like Handré Pollard, Faf de Klerk, Kwagga Smith, Cheslin Kolbe, Bongi Mbonambi, Trevor Nyakane, Pieter-Steph du Toit, Damien de Allende, Willie le Roux and RG Snyman did little to dampen the mood.
Thousands of Springbok fans laughed, cried, danced and cheered in public viewing areas in the Buffalo City Metro on Saturday evening as match referee Wayne Barnes blew the final whistle, confirming the Boks’ victory in a nail-biting Rugby World Cup final against New Zealand in France.