fan?”

 

“Well, people don’t realise that I played rugby myself when I was a student at Fort Hare.” Mandela responded. “It is a very rough game; almost as rough as politics.”

 

de Villiers chuckled for a second in amusement before he continued:

 

“How do you think the Springboks will do?”

 

“Oh, I think that they will do very well.” Mandela optimistically replied. “Their level of commitment is tremendous.”

 

“Now, its been said that you used to support any team that played against the Springboks.” de Villiers added, seemingly intrigued at Mandela’s sudden switch of support for the national rugby team.

 

“Yes, well, obviously that is no longer true.” Mandela responded. “I am one hundred per cent behind our boys. After all, if I cannot change when circumstances demand it, how can I expect others to?”

 

“Yes, very true again.” Scamp remarked after he heard this statement. “Again it is that very thing about leadership by example: If one can perform at their best towards becoming a true icon, others will look up to either him or her as an inspiration of greatness and will be further inspired to bring the best out of themselves. And then one can be amazed at what so many of that calibre can do when they work together.”

 

“Yes, and in this situation Mandela realises that to build the nation, he must show his fellow native and Afrikaans citizens what needs to be done by his own example, and then they will all be inspired to follow suit and work together to contribute to the reconciliation process.” Angel added. “Otherwise if the people have no true leader and they don’t know what needs to be done, they will be left to their own actions and will continue to conflict each other, eventually leaving the nation to crumble.”

 

“Hear, hear.” Scamp replied before turning back to the TV.

 

Tramp also agreed with these statements and nodded to both his son and mate to show it before he looking back to the film.

 

They eventually reached the scene where the Springboks were on a guided tour through Robben Island prison, where Mandela had been imprisoned, and through the scene Mandela was speaking in a voice-over; reciting the Victorian poem that he had told Francois about: Invictus by William Ernest Henley:

 

“Out of the night that covers me,


Black as the Pit from pole to pole,


I thank whatever gods may be


For my unconquerable soul.



 

In the fell clutch of circumstance


I have not winced nor cried aloud.


Under the bludgeonings of chance


My head is bloody, but unbowed.



 

Beyond this place of wrath and tears


Looms but the Horror of the shade,


And yet the menace of the years


Finds, and shall find, me unafraid.



 

It matters not how strait the gate,


How charged with punishments the scroll.


I am the master of my fate:


I am the captain of my soul.”

 

The three canines looked at each other again after they heard the poem. They were amazed again at these powerful and meaningful words.

 

“So this is the theme for the film:” Angel said to them. “No matter what difficult things you may face in your life, the inner willpower that you hold dear will always be there; and if you are not afraid to use it in fighting to overcome the odds, you will hang onto your life and will eventually find happiness.”

 

“Exactly.” Tramp philosophically replied. “It is the willpower that keeps us strong. And only we can decide our own fate; which will, in time, let us see just how rested or conquered our souls have become because of that particular decision.”

 

“So therefore,” Scamp, also philosophically, added. “No one else can decide our fate or conquer our souls because we take our own charge of both through strong leadership; and it is only up to us to command our fate; which will therefore, under the right and wise decisions, bring peace into our souls.”

 

“Yes; very well put, Whirlwind.” Tramp impressively responded.

 

“Strong words and very powerful.” Angel remarked, also impressed by her mate and ‘father-in-law’s’ supposed philosophical expertise.

 

 They continued to watch the remainder of the film; where the Springboks made it to the quarterfinals and beat Western Samoa, defeated France in the semi-final, a then went on to defeat the New Zealand All Blacks in the World Cup Final in a hard fought kicking game contest that even went into extra time.

 

After the Springboks celebrated for a bit after winning, Johan de Villiers spoke to Francois Pienaar with the microphone audible around the whole of Ellis Park Stadium, Johannesburg:

 

“Great game.” de Villiers said. “But you couldn’t have done it without the amazing support of 67,000 screaming South Africans here today.”

 

“Yeah.” Francois responded. “We didn’t have the support of 67,000 South Africans. We had the support of 43 million South Africans.”

 

The crowd in the stadium erupted in cheers after he said this.

 

“Beautifully remarked.” Scamp responded after he heard this. “The mended and united nation of South Africa finally believed and supported them the whole way through. That just goes to show that the extra support of the fans helps you to perform well.”

 

Angel and Tramp both smiled and nodded in agreement at Scamp’s statement. Yet another valid point had been made.

 

They then reached the part where Mandela stood on the podium and was about to hand the William Webb-Ellis World Cup to Francois:

 

“Thank you for what you have done for our country.” Mandela proudly said to Francois.

 

“No, Mr. President.” Francois replied. “Thank you for what you have done for our country.”

 

They then shook hands as Mandela handed the World Cup to Francois, who then lifted it high in proud victory. The crowd cheered loudly once again.

 

The film finished with Mandela being escorted through the crowds lining the streets of Johannesburg as he recited the last verses of Invictus.

 

As the credits of the film rolled, Tramp turned the volume on the TV down and spoke his final thoughts on the film to his son and ‘daughter-in-law’:

 

“That was such a powerful film. It is amazing that a man with such dignity and compassion could help to mend a torn nation after years of discrimination between races, despite how horribly they must have treated him for 27 years when he was a convict.”

 

“Quite an extraordinary man of admirable personality, if you ask me.” Angel put in. “No one else on earth like him. None to ever replicate.”

 

“Too true.” Scamp also responded. “But I also think that this film has taught us that rugby is not just a game you play. It is a place where you can learn some very important lessons in life, both psychologically and philosophically speaking: Teamwork, fair play, commitment to important duties, respect for your fellow teammates and friends, learning from your mistakes and losses and using these bad breaks as motivation to work harder towards success, being a true gentlemen; as it was said earlier in the film, ‘rugby is a hooligans game played by gentlemen’; and fighting for the pride and spirit of your country. So all in all, the game can really teach oneself about how to be a better person, or animal, and bring out the best in him or her.”

 

“Yes, beautiful analysis, my boy.” Tramp replied, once again impressed by his son’s words. “In sports as in life, huh?”

 

“Oh you know it, dad.” Scamp replied, suddenly reaching for his iPad as he thoughts about life lessons influenced him to further interpretation.

 

“That also reminds me; listen to these two songs:”

 

He scrolled through iTunes and came across Nickelback’s If Everyone Cared:

 

From underneath the trees, we watch the sky

Confusing stars for satellites

I never dreamed that you'd be mine

But here we are, we're here tonight

 

Singing Amen, I, I'm alive

Singing Amen, I, I'm alive

 

[Chorus:]

If everyone cared and nobody cried

If everyone loved and nobody lied

If everyone shared and swallowed their pride

Then we'd see the day when nobody died

 

And I'm singing

 

Amen I, Amen I, I'm alive

Amen I, Amen I, Amen I, I'm alive

 

And in the air the fireflies

Our only light in paradise

We'll show the world they were wrong

And teach them all to sing along

 

Singing Amen, I, I'm alive

Singing Amen, I, I'm alive

(I'm alive)

 

[Chorus x2]

 

And as we lie beneath the stars

We realize how small we are

If they could love like you and me

Imagine what the world could be

 

[Chorus x2]

 

We'd see the day, we'd see the day

When nobody died

We'd see the day, we'd see the day

When nobody died

We'd see the day when nobody

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