Bulls director of rugby Jake White has paid tribute to the all-conquering 1995 Springbok squad that beat the All Blacks 15-12 in the final to clinch South Africa’s maiden World Cup title.

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Today marks the 26th anniversary of the Springboks lifting the World Cup trophy at Ellis Park in 1995. The world watched in awe as Kitch Christie and his heroic squad defeated tournament favourites New Zealand in one of the most memorable matches in rugby history.

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“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,” White said. “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.

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“There were so moments in that game that stand out, from Madiba walking on to 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 on to 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.”

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Photo: Wessel Oosthuizen/Gallo Images