In a matter of months we will be celebrating 21 years since Francois Pienaar lifted the William Webb Ellis trophy here at home.

We should savour this for a number of reasons – Madiba with that beaming smile, a World Cup on home soil (we won’t be seeing that again soon) and the birth of the Rainbow Nation sitting near the top of that list.

Of course we have all heard the rumours that the All Blacks were poisoned before the final, and to be fair it is a considered fact that many of their players were violently ill in the lead up to the title decider.

Now the man tasked with their security at the tournament, Rory Steyn, believes that the cause was intentional – and it wasn’t dear old Suzie.

Here’s the NZ Herald:

Mr Steyn said there was a huge degree of paranoia within the All Blacks camp, which escalated after the semifinal win over England in Cape Town. The team travelled back to Johannesburg and it was decided among management that they would eat separately to the rest of their hotel’s guests in the week leading up to the final.

“I said that makes it easier to target them, I didn’t think it was a good idea,” Mr Steyn said.

“On the Thursday [June 22] before the final, which was on Saturday [June 24], they were poisoned. About two-thirds of the squad got very sick, properly sick,” he said.

“I believe it was the water that was got at, because the food that was served at lunch time … was chicken burgers and hamburgers.”

He said some who ate chicken were sick and some who ate beef were sick.

“I don’t think it was the food, I think it was the coffee and the tea and possibly even the drinking water.”

He said an investigation by a private detective hired by then All Blacks coach Laurie Mains turned up very little.

“But I know what I saw … A team of guys lying on the floor, very, very ill.”

Mr Steyn said he didn’t think anyone involved with South African rugby played a part in the poisoning but that money and betting syndicates were behind the plot.

“The odds were on the All Blacks.”

I didn’t know sour grapes were poisonous?

I guess we shouldn’t put it past the bookies, we know they’ve had some success down this neck of the woods over the years that followed, but surely now we must just bury this story and move on?

I’ve spoken to many Kiwis who are, in hindsight, pretty chuffed the Boks won the World Cup in light of what it meant for national morale.

Of course it helps that they’ve won the last two and will probably win the next five – share the love guys, no one likes a spoil sport.

[source:nzherald]

[imagesource:cnn]