Siya Kolisi and Rassie Erasmus both spoke of the emotional weight of playing in Soweto after the Springboks beat New Zealand 29-24 at the Calabash on Saturday to take a 2-1 series lead.
Erasmus was struck during the buildup by the reality that many supporters in the township could not afford match tickets. "I was unbelievably emotional today because I wanted us to come to Soweto and take it to the people and then I thought when we got here 'they don't have the money to come into the stadium'," he said.
Kolisi drew a direct line between that awareness and what drove the team on the field. "Driving through Soweto, seeing how the kids were sprinting to come see the bus — they can't afford to come and see us. But seeing that and understanding the history that has happened here in Soweto, people fought for me to be able to sit here, for us to be here today."
The win was the Springboks' first over New Zealand at the venue. They had lost there in 2010 and 2012, with their only previous Test at the ground — against Argentina in 2013 — ending in a South African victory.
"We had to dig deep," Kolisi said. "That's why we wanted the game here. We wish more people can come and see the game, but it was encouraging to see the kids just chasing the bus on the way and waving at us — that's really special and that's who we play for. Not only the ones that can afford tickets, every single South African."
Kolisi expressed hope that future fixtures at the venue would be more accessible to local communities. The series concludes with the fourth Test in the United States next Saturday.