- The 2007 World Cup winner Burger describes his country's 'chequered past' and the 'overwhelming' role that rugby has on its people
- 'The Incredible Schalk', in town for Hong Kong Sevens-Laureus partnership, compares political unrest to South Africa
The fairy-tale journey of South African rugby's first-ever black captain Siya Kolisi " from playing with bricks as a child to lifting the 2019 World Cup this month " has warmed the hearts of all sports fans.
When asked where he was the last time the Springboks lifted the Webb Ellis Cup 12 years ago, the 28-year-old Kolisi revealed he had watched the game in a tavern as his household did not have a television.
In a country rife with sociopolitical instability for what feels like time immemorial, heroes were and are very much welcome. Kolisi's was Schalk Burger: the 1.93-metre tall, shaggy-haired, fearless flanker who relished the game's physical side.
Nicknamed Tow-Truck " because he was always first to the breakdown " Burger was twice South African player of the year and IRB player of the year in 2004. He was an indispensable part of the 2007 World Cup-winning team and naturally became the poster boy for much of the new-gen.
A photo recently re-emerged on social media of then 13-year-old schoolboy Kolisi eagerly handing Burger a pen and paper for an autograph. Who knew that the pair from Port Elizabeth would end up as teammates for Western Province and The Stormers " let alone each win a Rugby World Cup.
"That's a crazy photo, man. I mean it looks like it's 40 years ago … by the way, I've aged," Burger joked to the Post as he was shown the photo. The 36-year-old was in Hong Kong last week to announce the Hong Kong Rugby Union's four-year extension of its charity partnership with Laureus Sport for Good ahead of next year's Cathay Pacific/HSBC Hong Kong Sevens.
A photo of Siya Kolisi getting Schalk Burger's autograph as a schoolboy. Today, Kolisi is the Springboks Captain. Share to motivate a Black child. Your dreams come true. #SAvENG pic.twitter.com/VwCpD5EmQg
" Themba Rumbu (@ThembaRumbu) June 16, 2018
Standing across the room from another "Schalla" " 2019 World Cup winner Shalk Brits " an impassioned Burger talked about the importance of Kolisi's story.
"I suppose in life you need heroes. I had heroes when I grew up and Siya obviously looked up to me. I remember being there at the signing session but I didn't know it was Siya Kolisi until the photo came up."
Burger, who retired from international rugby in 2015 but crossed over with a young Kolisi at club level, described himself bouncing up and down for the last 20 minutes as he watched Kolisi's new-era Boks shock the world and defeat in-form England in the final in Japan two weeks ago.
Kolisi soon became the new face of South African rugby and his story " be it his impoverished background or his recent marriage to a white woman " is breaking boundaries that were at a stalemate.
"To see his development as a player and leader of the Springboks and now a leader within South Africa … it's been massive for him and that's got nothing to do with me," Burger said modestly. "He was always going to make it. He was always talented "we just passed on a bit of knowledge and experience from the mistakes we learned in rugby over the years."
"I was in the tavern as I didn't have a TV at home"Siya Kolisi has come a long way since 2007. #RWC2019 #ENGvRSA pic.twitter.com/aL7tQkIgBV
" Rugby World Cup (@rugbyworldcup) October 28, 2019
That rugby has shown to transcend the sports realm and unite South Africans regardless of background. The nation of 59 million " a relatively slow-thawing pot of cultures such as Afrikaans, English, Xhosa, Zulu " now boasts three rugby World Cups, with Burger explaining its unfathomable significance to the people back in 1995, to his team in 2007, and now in 2019.
"When you finally realise you've achieved winning the World Cup, your attention turns to what it means to South Africa as a country," Burger said. "I mean we're obviously a country with a chequered past and I think the current generation of Springboks epitomises what South Africa is all about.
"It's just crazy happening in South Africa, where you go on this bus ride and drive through the townships, the most affluent areas … everyone's forgotten where they're from. Everyone's just supporting the Boks. That's when you realise this is bigger than all of us. It's just overwhelming when you're in that position.
"Siya Kolisi is going to inspire a whole new generation of players from (his hometown) Zwide. His story is special, but so are all 23 of the players', and it's whichever you can relate to. Everyone's got a story to tell, and it's for people to see that everything is possible," he added.
Burger, who earned 86 caps, tried his best to describe the sensation of returning home to tens of thousands, trophy in hand. He ultimately concluded that one can never fully prepare oneself for what it does for the nation having been "isolated from the mayhem back home" for a training camp and international tournament.
"You can't understand what it means to the people, because you're hell-bent on winning the World Cup and you'll do anything in your power to do so. Every 12 years they seem to do it and it's beautiful when it happens."
Having stopped by in Hong Kong as it experiences its own share of political chaos, Burger pointed to the sport of rugby as a way to channel the intensity " be it momentarily " into something enjoyable.
"Whenever there's a lot of distraction, or political unrest, or strikes, or riots, I've always found sport to be quite a nice outlet," he said. "It's a nice way to forget about the situation that you're in, what the country is going through, and just enjoy playing the game for 80 minutes.
"If it's not going well in your country " like when South Africa goes through a wobble " I've always enjoyed playing for (club or country) because everyone who's there is actually forgetting about the situation. They're supporting and watching the game, and even after the game they're talking about the game and how good or poor your performance was. It's a nice way to forget about stuff."
Idealistic as that may sound, Burger may be onto something. After all, Kolisi has previously said that rugby was his "way out" of all things tough " and look where he is now.
Copyright (c) 2019. South China Morning Post Publishers Ltd. All rights reserved.
