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The story of South Africa's rugby team was a Cinderella type of story. South Africa just elected their first black president who spent 27 years in jail previously. The whites expected terrible punishments and did not like the look of how the country was changing. The blacks were mad for getting mistreated for years by the whites and it seemed like the two groups were in for a battle. However Nelson Mandela, the new president had different plans. He wanted to bring peace between the whites and the blacks and he did this with the sport of rugby. Nelson Mandela urged for the Rugby World Cup to be held in South Africa and they hosted the 1995 Rugby World Cup. Rugby was considered a white sport and there weren't blacks playing. Blacks enjoyed the whites getting hit hard by the opposing team and rooted for the opposing team. However this was all before the 1995 Rugby World Cup. As a team with little to none international experience, the Springbok team entered the Rugby World Cup without any recognition from other nations. On the Springbok team, one black was named to be on the roster. Throughout the Rugby World Cup, Nelson Mandela urged the nation to rally behind the Springbok rugby team. It was amazing to see the people in the stands rooting for their team the Springbok. Whites and Blacks celebrated the team's success and both races were rooting for Springbok to win. What makes the story even more extraordinary is the fact that the Springbok made to the finals against the powerhouse New Zealand. No one gave South Africa a chance but the South Africans still rooted for their country. The whole nation watched the game together. The white people respected Mandela for his kindness towards them and the black people were able to find a connection with the whites through the sport of Rugby. Even though there were still problems afterwards, the sport of rugby brought the two sides closer significantly.