It was a dream come true for little Isabella whose wish to meet the Springboks – and captain Siya Kolisi – came true. To make the occaison even more special, the little girl living with cancer witnessed her favourite team not only win the game but lift the Rugby Championship trophy too.
Isabella’s wish to be a Bok mascot was granted with the help of Reach For a Dream Foundation.
The Boks beat Argentina 48-7 in a momentous victory at the Mbombela Stadium in Nelspruit on Saturday, 28 September.
ISABELLA’S WISH TO MEET SPRINGBOKS COMES TRUE
In a tear-jerking, yet heartwarming social media post, little Isabella was told the news that she would be holding Siya Kolisi’s hand as a mascot at the start of the Springboks vs Argentina clash.
The video saw the 10-year-old girl weep tears of joy.
“Living with cancer, rugby has always been her source of strength,” read the bittersweet caption.
A clip of Siya encouraging Isabella to be “brave” for the occasion also brought on the waterworks for Springbok fans.
He said, “I’m so excited to meet you. Hopefully, we can play well and make you proud and happy.
“When you hear the national anthem and the rest of South Africa sing with you, it will give you so much peace and excitement and courage.”
Siya added: “It makes my heart so happy to make people’s dreams come true.”
LIFTING THE RUGBY CHAMPIONSHIP CUP
After proudly singing the national anthem next to the Springboks and her hero, Siya Kolisi, Isabella and her family were later invited back onto the pitch.
This time, the little girl – decked in green and gold – got to hug and snap pics with all the players.
In another clip, Isabella was given the honour by Minister of Sport Gayton McKenzie to hand over the Rugby Championship trophy to Siya and the Springboks.
Take a look at this special moment….
HAVE YOU EVER MET THE SPRINGBOKS IN PERSON?
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