8.3 Creating a common experience
8.3.2 More rewards, more appeal
156 event, the majority of South Africans interested in the game would have been unable to experience the country’s international success. In addition, the match featured highly in the audience ratings across the different language groups. This accentuates the idea of unification amongst citizens as South Africans from an array of backgrounds (race, culture and class to name but a few) were all exposed to the same event. The common experience as a result of the 2007 Rugby World Cup triumph is one that can be embraced by a full spectrum of the South African population. The appeal held by high profile games shall be discussed at length in the following passages. Both the 2007 Rugby World Cup Final and the 2008 Currie Cup Final have been utilised in the above discussion as events contributing towards the construction of a common experience. A common experience can fuel the drive towards a national identity and aid in efforts of nation-building. Deciphering which rugby events have the greatest ability to do so becomes an important process.
157 International victories are important because they elevate South Africa within the global hierarchy or order. A number of respondents proposed that success on the rugby field is important because South Africa is no longer viewed as ‘just a third world country’ by the opposition. Victory over first world or developed countries is particularly sweet as it shows South Africa to be at the forefront of a specific movement. This, coupled with the notion that professional sports are easily located within the entertainment industry, allows South Africans to be proud of a product that they deliver on the international stage. The sentiments held by Khuboni refer in this regard.
I think I feel very proud! African countries are not to standard of overseas countries. Europe. We are regarded as inferior. So when South Africa wins they are putting us to a bigger level. Same level as European countries.
Makes me feel very proud.
The success of the Springboks on the international stage has the ability to promote positive feelings towards the country. Although some respondents suggested that success on the sporting field was purely a sporting matter and remained between the white lines, the benefits are significant in that the common experience is shared amongst a full spectrum of the country’s population. Even if restricted to the sporting environment, victory leads to feelings of passion and evokes a sense of patriotism amongst South Africans. The majority of respondents claimed to have felt a sense of patriotism when the Springboks won the 2007 Rugby World Cup in France. They stated that they were proud to call themselves South Africans in light of the team’s achievement. The tenacity of such a sentiment is discussed later in the chapter when exploring televised rugby’s affect on nation-building within a South African context. The section will analyse the longevity that is associated with success on the sporting field and whether it can aid long-term efforts of nation-building or rather promotes weekend patriotism.
Domestic competitions are held in high esteem by audience members as well. Currie Cup matches that feature two of the larger and more powerful unions, for example, muster a fair deal of public support. As mentioned earlier in the chapter, regional ties play a noteworthy role when creating an allegiance with a specific team. All of the interviewees who regularly watch televised rugby said that they support the Sharks in local competitions.
Matches involving the Sharks and Blue Bulls were considered to be important matches by many of the respondents. The success of the two teams in the 2008 Currie Cup cannot go
158 unnoticed when analysing what it considered to be a ‘big’ provincial encounter. The fact that the Blue Bulls and the Sharks fought out the final of the 2008 competition is testament to the awareness that is created by success on the field and the ensuing media attention.
A few of the more avid rugby supporters put forward that a Currie Cup match may at times be more appealing than a Test match involving the Springboks. The Springbok’s opposition played a major role when such an occurrence transpired. Domestic matches involving teams such as the Sharks and Blue Bulls would be considered more entertaining and contain ‘better rugby’ than a Test match involving South Africa and Uruguay, for example. Lesser known rugby playing countries appear to fall out of favour amongst audience members. The result of the Test match may often be a foregone conclusion. Rugby supporters may still watch the game but the spectacle as a media text does not compare to the matches played between the more established Test teams. Sentiments such as these corroborate earlier suggestions that professional sport can be located within the entertainment industry. Even though audience members may be attracted to the national team due to elements of patriotism and national unity, there is still a desire to be entertained and experience a quality media product. In some instances this may be more readily achieved by domestic fixtures. The views expressed by Njabulo Sithole49 refer:
If South Africa is playing, um well no, Fiji got quite far in the last World Cup. If SA is playing, like I don’t know a team that we can thrash. Yes, Uruguay. Why? That’s a waste of my time because, you know, the outcome is a foregone conclusion. Where Natal is playing a team where they’re relatively on the same level, you know, that’s gonna be a better game. I’ll watch the better game. If I had a choice between a Natal game which is going to be competitive and an SA game that is going to be a straight walkover, I will watch the more competitive game.
The fierce rivalry that exists between certain provincial unions could come across as a divisive influence on the ability to construct a nation through televised rugby. However, the manner in which the national team is identified as representing the country trumps provincial allegiances. The interviewees who considered themselves rugby fans generally identified two teams that they support. In most cases, the two teams were their provincial affiliation (Sharks) and the national team.
49 Njabulo Sithole is the interviewee’s real name. He did not object to being identified within the dissertation.
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