South Africa’s Rugby Victory Has Lessons for All of Us
Resilience, optionality and agility are hallmarks of success in an uncertain world.
South Africa’s rugby team shows underdogs how it’s done.
Photographer: David Rogers/Getty Images
By winning the Rugby World Cup final against England on Saturday, South Africa became only the second country to secure three cup titles. In upsetting a heavily favored English team, it also achieved the unlikely accomplishment of winning every World Cup final in which it has appeared. All of that not only places South Africa among rugby’s elite nations, it also gives the country a golden opportunity to unite to address deep and growing economic, financial and social challenges. Moreover, the country’s victory not only inspires us, it provides an important lesson about succeeding in conditions of potential adversity.
South Africa went into the final in Japan as underdogs against an England team that shone in the semifinals against the legendary New Zealand All Blacks. Understanding the enormous challenge it faced, the team adjusted its approach and did so successfully. South Africa deployed brute force that dominated the English in set pieces, stifling and frustrating its opponent in the first half and opening the way for the exceptional scores that crushed England in the second. The result was a convincing 32-12 victory.