Nearly a month after the monumental clash between the Springboks and the All Blacks in the Rugby World Cup final, Sarah reflects on what the historic win could teach rowing and the wider sporting community.
Rugby is a wildly different sport from rowing, but the determination and perseverance of the Springboks are inspiring for any athlete.
The 2023 Rugby World Cup (RWC) was the biggest sporting event of the year, so whether you love rugby or not, you can learn a thing or two from the Springboks’ winning performance.
This year’s RWC was won by one singular point, like winning a Henley final by a bowball. It’s not unheard of, but it’s rare, and it requires athletes to put everything on the line right up to the final whistle.
Somehow, the Springboks won their quarter-final, semi-final and final all by one point and their victories never once seemed sure. But they triumphed, unexpectedly, again and again.
How?
Because they, throughout it all, needed to win and never lost confidence in their ability to do so.
Even when down 15-6 against England in the semi-final, when all spectators had lost hope, South African lock Jean Kleyn said he didn’t think for a moment that they would lose. In the most agonising moments, South Africa still fought their way through.
At the final whistle, as the South African bodies hit the ground in relief and exhaustion, it made me think of the moment you cross the finish line of a difficult race – how you collapse in the same way, free from the pain, focus, and physical exertion of the race.
So, what can rowers take away from the Springbok’s battle to glory?
The most obvious is the masterclass in determination.
Setbacks, like South Africa’s defeat against Ireland in the group stage, can either define you or it can give you focus. The Springbok’s learnt from their setback and refused to die – their commitment, confidence, and unbreakable will power, were, if anything, reinforced.
Ireland entered the RWC as the top team in the world, seemingly unbeatable. They defeated eventual champions South Africa in the pools, who defeated New Zealand in the final, who defeated Ireland in the semi-final.
Sport can be confusing, unpredictable, and brutal – it’s part of the reason we love it. The very best can still be defeated, so don’t be struck down by the fear of coming up against people who, on paper, are ‘better’.
Think of Leeds University student Matt Brigham beating six-time Diamond Sculls champion (and Olympic gold medalist) Mahé Drysdale at Henley in 2019, aged just twenty-two. Coming up against such a giant would have been terrifying, but you don’t know until you try. If he had started that race with the expectation of losing, he may well have.
The closest games of this RWC were won on fundamentals, rather than any artistry or singular defining moment. It came down to scrums, excellent kicks, and clean passes. Even the best teams in the world play a simple game, when it comes down to it.
So, when you come up against clubs with better boats, more funding, big-shot coaches – whatever it may be, remember that it comes down to the fundamentals. It comes down to the hours on the water, the winter ergs, the sheer power and determination – not the fancy boats or the telemetry or the coaching fame. I’ve won races against shiny new Filippis in a thirty-year-old Janousek – it’s the people in the boat, not the extras.
Again, on paper, South Africa were not the favourites to win the RWC. Stellar, record-breaking Ireland, and dynamic hosts France seemed like a surefire final to many. In fact, the World Rugby 2023 Dream Team only included one Springbok, Eben Etzebeth. The team was not star-studded in the way the All Blacks are, and there was no stand-out luminary like Johnny Sexton and Antoine Dupont. The fact is that none of the South Africans were stars when they stood next to so many other highly talented players.
In rowing, too, stand-out athletes are a joy to coach and are stars of their team, but without the depth of the squad to back them up, they won’t get very far in a crew boat.
Except for single scullers, no boat can get to greatness with a single exceptional rower and several average, unmotivated ones. It’s often said you are only as strong as your weakest member. The aim is, like the Springboks, for your weakest member to still be vital to the team. So to coaches, invest in your whole team, invest in the squad dynamic, the friendships so that your best athletes are supported by everyone on the team, rather than standing alone.
Siya Kolisi and his team brought their nation together, in a time of blackouts, unrest, and lasting division. Their win inspired generations. Perhaps this was why the Springboks simply refused to give up, winning game after game by a single point. It’s an empowering message of the power of sport, and the importance of a uniting culture in a period of political division.
It doesn’t matter if your stage is a local sprints race, rather than a World Cup final – celebrate your victories, and be proud of the determination that got you there.
I’ve written this thinking about what the Springboks’ win can teach me at my level of rowing at small local clubs, but this is not to say that the advice wouldn’t transfer to national-level athletes too.
The message is this – the best can always be beaten, no matter their legend or fancy equipment or star athletes. You just have to find a way and believe in yourself every second down that course.
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