Playing The White Man's Game

During the apartheid era, South Africa’s national rugby team was widely loathed as a symbol of white rule. In 1995, when the country hosted the Rugby World Cup, Nelson Mandela demonstrated that the sport could also be a force for reconciliation. Though the national side fielded just one black player, Mandela rallied behind the team and they went on to win the tournament. But 19 years after that historic victory, professional rugby remains dominated by white players. AJ+ follows Phumlani Kongwana, an aspiring black rugby player, to find out how many of the old barriers to success still exist.