Sure, I liked the film Invictus; we all did. But since the subject was South Africa’s quest to win the 1995 Rugby World Cup, that means director Clint Eastwood left out one important detail: the vuvuzelas. Here’s a more true-to-life version.
That last part is classic. Poor Nelson Mandela.
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- Grant - Jun 24, 2010 at 11:41 PM
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I went to the game – there were no vuvuzelas around in thos days – they came in about 5 years later
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- Karen - Jun 25, 2010 at 12:29 AM
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Yep – as a fellow South African I don’t recall any vuvuzelas at the rugby world cup of 1995.
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- Teresa - Jun 25, 2010 at 12:41 AM
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Agreed – there were no vuvuzelas at that game. The vuvuzela isn’t either cultural or traditional – it’s just really successful marketing.
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- jamie - Jun 25, 2010 at 12:47 AM
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Even today there are no vuvuzela’s allowed in Rugby super 12 finals. Its strictly a soccer thing.
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- Nils - Jun 25, 2010 at 2:10 AM
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@jamie: It’s the Super 14(15 now), and there have been a couple of vuvuzelas at the games also over the last 2 years. Orlando stadium was full of the vuvuzela’s at the Bulls – Stormers final…
But as Grant said, the vuvuzela’s only came a few years after the 1995 Rugby World Cup.
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- Neal - Jun 25, 2010 at 3:10 AM
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Vuvuzela’s were never used at rugby matches in South Africa, only at soccer matches. Also, there were never as many as there are now for the world cup, it was an excellent money making marketing idea!
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- Gunther - Jun 25, 2010 at 3:22 AM
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Actually, as an avid South African rugby follower, the ONLY time vuvuzelas were allowed at rugby was as a special concession in the two recent Bulls games at Orlando stadium in the Super XIV. This was so because the Bulls themselves elected to play at Orlando (thus graciously saving their Fort Loftus grass for the soccer – even though they didn’t HAVE to). Brilliant move for including the locals, who really had a great time with their instruments.
That being said, players complained bitterly of not being able to hear line-out calls over the constant drone, whereupon the rugby bosses in South Africa explicitly ruled again to ban them henceforth, since gameplay is negatively affected.
And yes, the others are right, vuvuzelas are NOT cultural OR traditional (though their are a few people wanting to make a quick buck in lawsuits claiming ancestral heritage – yeah, pull the other one, its got bells on), though they DID exist before ’95 in small numbers, they were only prevalent at soccer many years after.
BTW, NBC Sports – if you actually INTENDED this article as a parody – then be explicit. Seen as a parody, given the current Soccer World Cup – yeah, really funny. Pity your average Joe reader won’t know this.
If, however, this WAS intended seriously, then please to some fact-checking next time before reporting / publishing.
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- Makx - Jun 25, 2010 at 5:34 AM
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Vuvuzela’s are not part of rugby – its mostly if not strictly a soccer thing. A little bit of fact checking before you go live with a story helps a great deal. FYI, with this current world cup, its mostly people who are new to the vuvuzela who blow it continuously during the matches. The locals know its blown mostly when your team is edging on, about to score etc but not willy nilly.
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- Rick Chandler - Jun 25, 2010 at 12:20 PM
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So sorry to hear that you’ve had your sense of humor surgically removed. Hope you feel better soon. It was a parody video. And this is a humorous sports blog. And thanks for your attempt to bring back the term “willy nilly,” by the way.
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- Rick Chandler - Jun 25, 2010 at 12:28 PM
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Gunther. Gunther, Gunther. “Now on Sprockets is the time when we dance!”
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- Rick Chandler - Jun 25, 2010 at 12:34 PM
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It may also surprise you that “E.T.” wasn’t a documentary. Karen: “There were no aliens on earth in 1982! That movie was a lie!”
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