As a Saffa rugby supporter living abroad, I must admit at being chuffed that the rugby season is about to start back home.  The International Rugby Board’s Sevens World Series resumes with the New Zealand-leg in Wellington on the 5th of February, followed by the USA event in Las Vegas a week later.

Another highlight of the southern hemisphere pre-season is Western Province playing neighbours Boland at the brand-spanking Greenpoint Stadium on February 5.  Then, on February 12 the Super 14 kicks off when local franchises The Cheetahs take on The Bulls.  The Stormers play The Lions the following day, while The Sharks play New Zealand’s Chiefs.

The newest landmark on the Cape Town skyline, the Greenpoint Stadium.

But I digress.  The Asia season is of course in full swing and local clubs are taking requests for Hong Kong Sevens tickets (unfortunately members only).  In a previous post, I wrote about the movie Invictus that tells the story of how Nelson Mandela (played by Morgan Freeman) joined forces with Francois Pienaar (played by Matt Damon) in winning not only the 1995 Rugby World Cup, but also the hearts and minds of South Africans from all walks of life.

The local custodians of the game, the Hong Kong Rugby Union has joined forces with Warner Brothers Pictures as well as Standard Chartered to organise a Gala Charity Premiere on Wednesday 13th January at the Elements Mall in Kowloon Tong.  Proceeds from the event will benefit the Operation Breakthrough charity programme which is a joint HKRFU – HKG Police charity that targets at risk youth and engages them in sports like rugby to keep them occupied and instill positive values.

Special guest at the sold-out event will be Springbok Marius Hurter, a member of the triumphant 1995 South African rugby team.

Springboks Os Du Randt (left) and Marius Hurter (right) showing off the RWC 1995 spoils.

Invictus opens in Hong Kong on Thursday, January 14.

I am hearing the words ’2010 is Africa’s year’ all over the media these days. 

Of course the words refer to the 2010 FIFA Soccer World Cup that kicks off in South Africa in June later this year.  People are hoping that a successful World Cup on Africa’s soil (a first in soccer history) will help dispel the notion that Africa is the so-called ‘dark continent’where poverty, corruption and indeed AIDS are all-pervasive and that nothing good comes out of Africa.  “TIA… this is Africa” said Leonardo DeCaprio’s character in the movie Blood Diamond.

The African Cup of Nations (ACN) that kicks off in Angola today, was supposed to be a curtain-raiser of sorts to the World Cup.  Another major sports event to help prove to the world that the faith put in Africa to host the biggest sports event in the world was the right decision.  That a group of ’terrorists‘ decided to use the ACN to further their own ideals, put a serious bump in the road toward SA 2010 (despite the South African President’s statements to the contrary). 

I read an interesting article in today’s South China Morning Post titled: “Cup of good hope.“  While David Smith, writing for the Guardian News & Media, could have been referring to the African Cup of Nation or even the Soccer World Cup, he was actually writing about the 1995 Rugby World Cup.

While the William Webb Ellis Cup indeed brought South Africans together in 1995, Africans also need the African Cup of Nations and FIFA World Cup to do likewise.  This time for the entire continent.

Ke Nako. Celebrate Africa’s Humanity

(Click on the scans to view larger in new tab)

(Ke Nako. Celebrate Africa’s Humanity is the official slogan of the 2010 World Cup)

While Invictus-mania has long since left the South African shores (it premiered on December 11, 2009), the Clint Eastwood-directed movie about former President Nelson Mandela’s role in the famous 1995 Rugby World Cup triumph will finally hit cinemas in Hong Kong later this month.  I saw the following poster at the newly opened (and half-finished) iSquare mall in Tsim Sha Tsui:

Invictus, starring Morgan Freeman as Nelson Mandela and Matt Damon as (then Springbok rugby captain) Francois Pienaar starts at UA Cinemas on January 14, 2010.

Talking about Invictus-mania, here’s the release from SA’s Nu Metro cinemas, followed by the movie trailer on Zoopy.com:

His people needed a leader. He gave them a champion.

The inspiring true story of how Nelson Mandela joined forces with the captain of South Africa’s rugby team, Francois Pienaar, to help unite their country. Newly-elected president Mandela knows his nation remains racially and economically divided in the wake of apartheid. Believing he can bring his people together through the universal language of sport, Mandela rallies South Africa’s underdog rugby team as they make an unlikely run to the 1995 World Cup Championship match.

Cast: Morgan Freeman, Matt Damon

Director: Clint Eastwood

Music: Roger Kellaway

Genre: Biography, Drama

Also from zoopy.com, the main actors in their character roles:

Matt Damon as Francois Pienaar:

Morgan Freeman as Nelson Mandela: