South Africa declares Dec 15 a holiday to celebrate rugby win

JOHANNESBURG (Reuters) -South African President Cyril Ramaphosa on Monday said he was declaring Dec. 15 a public holiday to celebrate the country’s Rugby World Cup win.

The Springboks claimed a record fourth Rugby World Cup on Saturday with a 12-11 win over old foes New Zealand.

Ecstatic South African supporters who had called for a holiday on Monday to bask in the victory of their rugby heroes, will get their wish – albeit a month and a half after the fact.

“In celebration of the Springboks momentous achievement and… all our other sportsmen and women… I’m declaring Friday the 15th of December 2023 as a public holiday,” Ramaphosa said in an address to the nation.

(Reporting by Bhargav Acharya; Editing by Chris Reese and Hugh Lawson)

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