John Rapley
WHEN YOU'VE lived long enough and seen enough things you reach a point when you, damn! - some things are just beautiful! Like New Zealand rugby, Brazilian football, and the night Evander Holyfield beat Mike Tyson so bad he forgot where he was.
Right now, the Brazilians are looking as unbeatable as they did in 1982. That makes me think that, like they did then, they'll probably lose this year's World Cup. As for Mike Tyson, each time he steps into the ring these days any thoughts of beauty quickly disappear. But, as the rugby world gears up for next year's World Cup, all eyes remain on New Zealand.
You would scarcely know it, but we do have good rugby teams here in Jamaica. Indeed, given that the sport seems such a natural fit here, it is a little surprising it doesn't get more attention.
And so it is easy to underestimate the impact rugby has in other parts of the world. Indeed, it played its own significant role in the dismantling of South African apartheid. Given that it is a religion to Afrikaners, the initially dull but eventually fulsome resignation of the Springboks to Nelson Mandela's rule during the 1995 World Cup helped to change the sentiments of a generation.
While I was in Europe recently, I tuned in to the Six Nations tournament, which each year pits Europe's rugby powerhouses against one another. Full of excitement and, of course, hard-hitting action, it showed European rugby was becoming fiercely competitive, which augured well for next year's Rugby World Cup.
But offering even more of the anticipation of next year's world championship was a brief glimpse into the stands during one of the matches. There, in attendance, was none other than Jonah Lomu, the man many consider to be history's greatest player.
His story is dramatic. Born in New Zealand to Tongan parents, the potentially troubled youth was recruited into a Methodist school with strict discipline and a sporting tradition. Lomu found his true calling on the rugby pitch, where his immense size yet blinding speed and agility left opponents on the ground.
He went on to be the youngest starter ever for the famed New Zealand All Blacks. In the 1995 World Cup, he was the darling of South Africa. That a dark-skinned man could become a South African hero no doubt helped to cement apartheid's death.
However, a rare kidney disorder cut short his career and threatened to confine him to a wheelchair. Two years ago, he underwent a kidney transplant which saved his life, but almost certainly meant his glory days were gone.
But, determined to win the World Cup that eluded him in South Africa, Jonah Lomu has been slowly making a comeback. He resumed playing the sport last year, and his recovery so far has been smooth. If he does make it back onto the New Zealand side for next year's World Cup, it will be little short of miraculous.
Such a miracle is what rugby fans around the world are hoping for. Although sport can provoke intense conflicts, it also has an uncanny ability to bridge divides. The euphoria of a Pakistan-India cricket match has been known to warm relations between the old foes, and rugby's role in consolidating South Africa's new democracy has been noted.
Indeed, scholars of South African democracy might say that the Springboks had to beat New Zealand in 1995 for the good of the country. But that left unfinished business for Jonah Lomu. And if he were able to raise the cup next year, probably even South Africans would cheer his triumph.
John Rapley is a Senior Lecturer in the Department of Government, UWI, Mona.
