Nelson Mandela took a replica Springboks jersey out of a plastic shopping bag and asked captain Francois Pienaar for permission to wear it before the 1995 Rugby World Cup final, it was revealed on ...

(AP) - The sportsman who perhaps knew Mandela best, and who shared the podium with the South African president after winning the 1995 Rugby World Cup final, says Mandela was 'my president and my ...

Francois Pienaar, even 25 years on, conveys a sense of disbelief and awe when he talks of that crisp Highveld winter's day that the Springboks won the Rugby World Cup for the first time. The Springbok ...

JOHANNESBURG -- He emerged into bright winter sunshine, stepped onto the lush field and pulled on a cap. His long-sleeve green rugby jersey was untucked and buttoned right up to the top, a style all ...

JOHANNESBURG, South Africa – Growing up under apartheid in a rural Afrikaans community, young Francois Pienaar would hear talk about the “bad man.” The name of this man, Nelson Mandela, came up often ...

Three decades since some 'Madiba Magic' inspired South Africa to their seminal win over New Zealand in the 1995 Rugby World Cup final, a Springboks legend has predicted the side are on course for an ...

Francois Pienaar, South Africa’s victorious Rugby World Cup captain in 1995, had until recently never spoken to Siya Kolisi, the man who lifted the trophy for the Springboks Saturday. As Pienaar ...