President Cyril Ramaphosa is expected to fly to Paris before Saturday's much-anticipated Rugby World Cup final between the game's greatest rivals, South Africa and New Zealand, at the Stade de France in Paris.The last time the Boks faced off against New Zealand in a World Cup final was in 1995, when iconic South African president Nelson Mandela handed captain Francois Pienaar the Webb Ellis Cup.READ | Nienaber, Etzebeth and Libbok nominated for prestigious World Rugby awardsPresidential spokesperson Vincent Magwenya confirmed on Thursday that Ramaphosa will travel to France and also share "words of encouragement" with the Springboks.This would be the second consecutive occasion that Ramaphosa is in attendance at a Rugby World Cup final involving the Springboks following their victory over Eddie Jones' England in the 2019 final in Yokohama. "The President is looking to be invited onto the pitch for a second time by captain Siya Kolisi to help lift the cup for the world champions," said Magwenya in a press briefing."This will be the first time any country will hold four Rugby World Cup titles.
The President wishes the Springboks and the All Blacks well for this showcase, which we hope will be a memorable event for the in-stadium audience and the global media audience."The President will also take the opportunity to visit the squad at their hotel to deliver words of encouragement on behalf of the nation."Magwenya stated Ramaphosa's presence in France will also be "an opportunity for a brief bilateral interaction" with French president Emmanuel Macron.Springbok team for World Cup final: 15 Damian Willemse, 14 Kurt-Lee Arendse, 13 Jesse Kriel, 12 Damian de Allende, 11 Cheslin Kolbe, 10 Handre Pollard, 9 Faf de Klerk, 8 Duane