See your Springbok heroes on the Champions Tour

Wednesday, November 6, 2019

The 2019 Rugby World Cup champions, the Springboks, will be hitting the streets of Pretoria on Thursday to meet their supporters and show off the Webb Ellis Cup.

Government has urged South Africans to come out in their numbers – wearing green and gold – and line the streets on the Springboks’ bus tour route.

The Champions Tour will begin in the Gauteng province, with stops in Pretoria, Johannesburg and Soweto. Thereafter, the tour will visit Durban, East London, Port Elizabeth and conclude in Cape Town on Monday.

The bus routes are as follows:

In Pretoria, from 10am to 11am:

• Enter Tshwane via N4 (Witbank Freeway)

• Turn left in Gordon/Jan Shoba

• Right into Burnett Street

• Left into Park Street

• Left into Kirkness Street, past Loftus Versfeld

• Right into Lynnwood via Areyengroute through Sunnyside

• Right into Paul Kruger Street, around Church Square

• Right into Madiba Street

• Stop at Tshwane House to meet the Mayor

• 14th Ave via Sisulu Street

In Johannesburg, from 1:30pm to 2:15pm:

• N1 Western Bypass. Take M1 to Smit Street

• Take exit 12 from De Villiers Graaff Motorway/M1

• Continue on Smit Street to Simmonds Street

• Team stops at FNB Offices

• Right into Anderson Street

• Left to Soweto Hwy/M70

In Soweto, from 3pm to 4pm:

• Bara to Maponya Mall

• Straight along Chris Hani to Koma Road and Jabulani Mall

• Bolani Road to Hector Peterson Memorial

• Drive down and join Klipspruit Valley Road

• Drive behind Orlando Stadium

• At the traffic light turn right

The national heroes, who thumped fellow finalists England 32-12 to grab the coveted title of Rugby World Cup winners on Saturday, touched down at OR Tambo International Airport on Tuesday evening, where throngs of South Africans dressed in green and gold, carrying the National Flag and singing and blowing vuvuzelas had gathered to welcome them home.

Addressing the media, team Captain Siya Kolisi said they had fought hard to win because they knew what it would mean for the country.

Kolisi encouraged young children in rural areas to work hard towards achieving their dreams and not allow people to tell them that their dreams are impossible.

“Anything can be overcome with opportunity and hard work. When I was younger I trained every single day. I was preparing myself for the opportunity just in case it came and when it came I was ready,” he said. - SAnews.gov.za