Jake pays tribute to the ’95 Boks

Today, 24 June, marks the 26th anniversary of the Springboks lifting the IRB World Cup trophy at Ellis Park in 1995. The world watched in awe as Kitch Christie and his heroic squad defeated an amazing All Blacks team in one of the most memorable rugby matches in our history.

Director of Rugby at the Vodacom Bulls, Jake White, today paid tribute to the heroes in that squad, “I was at the stadium that day, and can clearly remember how intense the atmosphere was. Ellis Park was packed to the rafters and the crowd was really into it. They got behind the Boks at every opportunity, and when Francois lifted that cup it was truly deafening.”

“Not only was the side packed with amazing talent, but they also had one of the most inspirational coaches in Kitch Christie. Kitch was my mentor and has had an unbelievable impact on me as a coach and personally. Here at Loftus, we pride ourselves on heritage and history, so we mustn’t forget just how big of an impact that game and Kitch has had on our rugby today.”

“There were so many moments in that game that stand out, from Madiba walking onto the field, the massive tackles on Jona Lomu, the Joel drop goal, and just the overall guts shown by the team… but the one that will forever be etched in my memory is watching Kitch being lifted onto the shoulders of the players with the trophy aloft in one hand.”

“From myself and everybody at Loftus, a massive thank you to the ’95 Boks for paving the way forward.”