Pres. During the second green hydrogen summit on Monday, Cyril Ramaphosa said in a spontaneous moment that he would consider declaring a national holiday, should the Springboks emerge victorious from the World Cup rugby tournament.
Ramaphosa – with a teasing smile on his face – began his opening speech at this event by telling delegates that he could not get hold of the French president, Emmanuel Macron, after the Springboks had kicked the host country out of the tournament.
“We often talk to each other about the highs and lows of our countries, I’m sure we will talk again at a later stage,” he added with a smile.
He says many South Africans reveled in Sunday’s big win and insisted that Monday be declared a holiday.
“Many people felt that we had to declare Monday a holiday because our men made us so proud in the quarter-final. However, I rejected the proposal and will only consider it if the Springboks bring home the World Cup again.”
Ramaphosa says that out of the 20 nations in the World Cup, the Springboks have made the country extremely proud and inspired – whether it was on the field, the substitutes’ bench or in the coaches’ box.
“As a nation, we are proud of the Springboks’ victory to advance to the semi-finals in a game (…). We are indeed stronger together in our diversity, and we create opportunities for people to live their passion, realize their potential and showcase their talents.
“We wish the Springboks the best as they prepare for the semi-final against England this coming weekend. We hope it will be another memorable victory.”
