Nelson Mandela, in his first term as President of South Africa, initiates a unique venture to unite the Apartheid-torn land: enlist the national rugby team on a mission to win the 1995 Rugby World Cup.
This movie tells the inspiring true story of how Nelson Mandela (Morgan Freeman) joined forces with the Captain of South Africa's rugby team, Francois Pienaar (Matt Damon) 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 rugby team as they make their run to the 1995 Rugby World Cup Championship match.—alfiehitchie
Nelson Mandela's (Morgan Freeman) release from prison and his ascent to a democratically-elected President of South Africa marks a radical change in the country. This change away from Apartheid will not be easy for anyone in the country, but Mandela must figure out how to galvanize the residents of the country together. Because of his love of the game, Mandela places his support behind the Springboks, the national rugby team. South Africa is hosting the 1995 Rugby World Cup, that being the only reason the Springboks are even competing in the tournament as its years on the sideline of world rugby events has not made it world ranked. The Springboks were previously considered the team of white South Africa, and as such was denounced by Mandela when he was in prison. But he does whatever he can to make it the team of all South Africa. He needs the support of the Springboks and its Captain Francois Pienaar (Matt Damon) to achieve his unrealistic goal of the Springboks winning the World Cup, even against such rugby powerhouses the All-Blacks representing New Zealand. Mandela tries to inspire Pienaar to lead by example, much like Mandela has. Beyond Mandela's dream, his racially mixed security team has the added pressure of protecting him at the Springboks' matches while he places himself in potentially unprotectable situations.—Huggo
After being elected President, Nelson Mandela (Morgan Freeman) seeks to bring his divided country together. But it won't be easy because some still resent the presence of the Afrikaaners who oppressed them. They want to get rid of all symbols of their oppression--including the National Rugby team, the Springboks, which for many is a major symbol of their oppression. But Mandela chooses to stand up for them. With the World Cup approaching, Mandela sends for the team Captain, Francois Pienaar (Matt Damon), and he subtly tells him that he wants them to win the World Cup. So they train, but Mandela decides to show them what they're playing for by making them teach rugby in small townships and spend some time in the prison where he was held for 27 years.—[email protected]
The president of South Africa forms a rugby union team to compete in the Rugby World Cup. At the same time, he is doing everything that he can possibly do to bring freedom and peace to everyone in the country during the most difficult of times.—RECB3
On 11 February 1990, Nelson Mandela (Morgan Freeman) is released from Victor Verster Prison after having spent 27 years in captivity. Four years later, Mandela is elected the first colored President of South Africa. Zindzi Mandela-Hlongwane (Bonnie Henna) is his devoted wife.
His presidency faces enormous challenges in the post-Apartheid era, including rampant poverty and crime, and Mandela is particularly concerned about racial divisions between colored and white South Africans, which would lead to violence and civil war. The poor South Africans see Mandela as a ray of hope to correct decades of injustice under the British Apartheid regime.Mandela has the tough job to meet aspirations of the colored people and address the fears of the whites. Brenda Mazibuko (Adjoa Andoh) is Mandela's personal assistant.
The ill will which both groups hold towards each other is seen even in his own security detail where relations between the established white officers (Etienne Feyder (Julian Lewis Jones)), who had guarded Mandela's predecessors, and the colored ANC additions (including Linga Moonsamy (Patrick Mofokeng), Jason Tshabalala (Tony Kgoroge)) to the security detail, are frosty and marked by mutual distrust.Jason is the leader of the joint team. Mandela insists on a mixed team as he says that when people see him in public, they see his bodyguards. Jaason objects that the same officers killed many South Africans, but Mandela asks Jason to forgive them and build a Rainbow Nation.
While attending a game between the Springboks, the country's rugby union team, and England, Mandela recognizes that some colored people in the stadium are cheering for England, and not their own country, as the mostly white Springboks represent prejudice and apartheid in their minds. He remarks that he did the same while imprisoned on Robben Island as it made the wardens very angry. South Africa loses the match badly. The President of the Sports Committee says that if the team continues to lose, it would be easier to ditch the green and gold colors of the team, and to make wholesale changes to the starting line-up as well.
Knowing that South Africa is set to host the 1995 Rugby World Cup in one year's time, Mandela persuades a meeting of the newly colored-dominated South African Sports Committee to support the Springboks. The committee had just voted to change the name of the team to the Proteas, but Mandela heard about the vote and arrived at the meeting to make this request. He felt that the country was making a mistake by not supporting the Springboks name and colors.
He then meets with the captain of the Springboks rugby team, Francois Pienaar (Matt Damon), and implies that a Springboks victory in the World Cup will unite and inspire the nation. Mandela also shares with Francois a British poem, "Invictus", that had inspired him during his time in prison.Francois' parents were considering moving to Zimbabwe, fearing repercussions in South Africa, but Francois decides to stay after the approach from Mandela.
The team includes Chester Williams (McNeil Hendricks) left wing and the only colored player on the team, Joel Stransky (Scott Eastwood) fly half and goal kicker, Ruben Kruger (Grant L. Roberts) blindside flanker, Naka Drotske (Rolf E. Fitschen) reserve hooker, Rudolf Straeuli (Vaughn Thompson) reserve flanker, equipment manager (Sean Cameron Michael), coach (Louis Minnaar) and others.
Francois and his teammates train. Many South Africans, both colored and white, doubt that rugby will unite a nation torn apart by nearly 50 years of racial tensions, as for many colored people, especially the radicals, the Springboks symbolize white supremacy. Both Mandela and Pienaar, however, stand firmly behind their theory that the game can successfully unite the South African country.
Things begin to change as the players interact with the fans and begin a friendship with them. During the opening games, support for the Springboks begins to grow among the colored population. By the second game, the whole country comes together to support the Springboks and Mandela's efforts. Mandela's security team also grows closer as the racially diverse officers come to respect their comrades' professionalism and dedication.
As Mandela watches, the Springboks defeat one of their arch-rivals-Australia, the defending champions and known as the Wallabies-in their opening match. They then continue to defy all expectations and, as Mandela conducts trade negotiations in Taiwan, defeat France in heavy rain to advance to the final against their other arch-rival: New Zealand. New Zealand and South Africa were universally regarded as the two greatest rugby nations, with the Springboks then the only side to have a winning record (20-19-2) against New Zealand, since their first meeting in 1921.
Meanwhile, one day during the tournament, the Springbok team visited Robben Island, where Mandela spent the first 18 of his 27 years in jail. There, Pienaar is inspired by Mandela's will and his idea of self-mastery in "Invictus". Francois mentions his amazement that Mandela "could spend thirty years in a tiny cell and come out ready to forgive the people who put him there".
Supported by a large home crowd of all races at Ellis Park Stadium in Johannesburg, Pienaar motivates his teammates for the final. Mandela's security detail receives a scare when, just before the match, a South African Airways Boeing 747-200 jetliner flies in low over the stadium. However, it is not an assassination attempt, but a demonstration of patriotism, with the message "Good Luck, Bokke"-the Springboks' Afrikaans nickname-painted on the undersides of the plane's wings. Mandela also famously arrives onto the field before the match wearing a Springbok cap and a replica of Pienaar's #6 jersey.
The Springboks complete their run by beating the New Zealand 15-12 in extra time, thanks to a drop goal from fly-half Joel Stransky. Mandela and Pienaar meet on the field together to celebrate the improbable and unexpected victory, and Mandela hands Pienaar the William Webb Ellis Cup, as the Springboks are now indeed rugby union's world champions. Mandela's car then drives away in the traffic-jammed streets leaving the stadium. He insists that there is no hurry as his security team wanted to change the route due to the cheering crowd. As Mandela watches South Africans celebrating together in the street from his car, his voice is heard reciting "Invictus" again.
