Johannesburg hosted the 1995 Rugby World Cup final won by the Springboks.
The 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. President Nelson Mandela presented the Webb Ellis Cup to captain Francois Pienaar.
Mandela’s appearance in a Springbok jersey bearing Pienaar’s number became one of the defining images of post-apartheid reconciliation. Rugby had traditionally been associated with white South Africans, while many Black South Africans had supported opposition to the team. Mandela used the occasion to encourage a shared national identity.
The final is sometimes remembered simply as “the Ellis Park match,” but the stadium’s later corporate name changes can cause confusion. In 1995, it was Ellis Park Stadium in Johannesburg.