Ellis Park hosted the 1995 Rugby World Cup final between South Africa and New Zealand.
The final was played in Johannesburg on 24 June 1995. South Africa defeated New Zealand 15–12 after extra time, with Joel Stransky kicking all of South Africa’s points, including the decisive drop goal. The match was South Africa’s first Rugby World Cup final and came only a year after the country’s first democratic national election.
President Nelson Mandela presented the Webb Ellis Cup to South African captain Francois Pienaar while wearing a Springbok jersey. The image became one of the most famous moments in sporting history and was later dramatized in the film Invictus.
Ellis Park was known as Coca-Cola Park from 2008 to 2012 because of naming rights, but the historic ground is again widely referred to as Ellis Park. The stadium is also associated with South Africa’s football and rugby history, making the 1995 final especially significant beyond its scoreline.