
How the Boks Can Tackle the Burden of Expectation and Bring Light to the Nation – Dr Greyling Viljoen
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South Africans are firing up their braais, stacking their fridges, and getting ready for the Rugby World Cup in France. On social media, we have been fed a constant diet of the Springboks as they get ready to take on the world's rugby titans. Nelson Mandela saw sport, and especially rugby, as a way to bring South Africans together in 1994. The moment has been immortalised in books and the movie Invictus. And, once again, we are pinning our hopes not only on a rugby win for the Boks, but also that it will lift the gloom of a troubled country. In this interview with Biznews, Dr Greyling Viljoen, a sport psychologist from Pretoria who is a former Springbok canoeist and has also won the Berg River Marathon, delves into the psychology of winning, why sport uplifts us and has some suggestions for how the Boks can manage social media comments, deal with the pressure of being the defending champions, and cope with the weight of a nation's expectations.