At which stadium did Nelson Mandela present the 1995 Rugby World Cup trophy?

Nelson Mandela presented the 1995 Rugby World Cup trophy at Ellis Park Stadium.

The 1995 Rugby World Cup final was played at Ellis Park Stadium in Johannesburg on 24 June 1995. South Africa defeated New Zealand 15–12 after extra time, with Joel Stransky kicking the decisive drop goal. Mandela, then South Africa’s president, presented the Webb Ellis Cup to Springbok captain Francois Pienaar.

Mandela wore a Springbok jersey bearing Pienaar’s number six. The gesture was politically significant because the Springbok emblem and colors had long been associated by many Black South Africans with white minority rule. Mandela used the national team’s success to promote reconciliation and a shared South African identity.

The stadium is now commonly called Emirates Airline Park, but Ellis Park Stadium is the historic name used for the 1995 final. This event is different from the later 2009 film Invictus, which dramatized the tournament and Mandela’s role.