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Rugby
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In episode 5 of our special series on the fierce rivalry between rugby’s superpowers, Nelson Mandela walks free, apartheid crumbles and South Africa becomes a new country.
The Springboks and the All Blacks face off once more, with Mandela seizing the opportunity to help heal a wounded nation. With the 1995 World Cup reaching its final, two of the players - former Springbok Joel Stransky and All Black captain Sean Fitzpatrick - describe being part of one of the greatest moments in sporting history.
This podcast was produced and edited by Alfie Reynolds, with help from Hope Federico, Robert Wallace, Jamie Wall and David Whisson.
Read more: Rugby’s Greatest Rivals: Springboks v All Blacks
Clips: World Rugby (1995 World Cup final)
Photo: Getty Images
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"Rugby’s Greatest Rivals | Episode 5: Readmission for a Rainbow Nation" is an episode of The Ruck. Runtime 24 min. Published August 19, 2026. Hit play above to stream it here, or open the free Spot Sports app for background play and offline downloads.