▁African ▁rugby ▁officials ▁in ▁particular , ▁and ▁the ▁national ▁rugby ▁team ▁itself , ▁have ▁an ▁historical ▁association ▁with ▁rac ism ▁from ▁ 1 9 0 6 ▁on . ▁The ▁first ▁rugby ▁Spring b oks ▁initially ▁refused ▁to ▁play ▁against ▁a ▁Dev on ▁side ▁that ▁included ▁Jimmy ▁Peters , ▁the ▁first ▁black ▁player ▁to ▁represent ▁England . ▁Leg end ary ▁official , ▁national ▁coach , ▁and ▁Spring b ok ▁sc rum half ▁Dan ie ▁Cra ven ▁had ▁acqu ies ced ▁with ▁government ▁officials ▁who ▁had ▁demanded ▁that ▁M ā ori ▁players ▁be ▁ex cluded ▁from ▁visit ing ▁All ▁Black ▁teams . ▁Cra ven ▁had ▁also ▁indicated ▁that ▁the ▁Spring b ok ▁was ▁exclus ively ▁tied ▁to ▁the ▁white ▁identity ▁of ▁the ▁national ▁rugby ▁team . ▁ ▁As ▁a ▁result ▁of ▁political ▁pressure ▁the ▁national ▁rugby ▁team ▁j er sey ▁from ▁ 1 9 9 2 ▁on ▁featured ▁a ▁king ▁prote a ▁alongside ▁the ▁spring b ok . ▁As ▁port rayed ▁in ▁the ▁film ▁Inv ict us , ▁pressure ▁to ▁replace ▁the ▁Spring b ok ▁as ▁em blem ▁for ▁the ▁rugby ▁team ▁came ▁to ▁a ▁head ▁in ▁ 1 9 9 4 , ▁just ▁before ▁the ▁Rugby ▁World ▁Cup ▁that ▁would ▁take ▁place ▁in ▁South ▁Africa . ▁As ▁a ▁result ▁of ▁Nelson ▁Mand ela ' s ▁direct ▁inter vention ▁( M and ela ▁himself ▁was ▁a ▁devoted ▁fan ▁of ▁the ▁Spring b ok ▁rugby ▁team ), ▁the ▁AN C ' s ▁executive ▁decided ▁not ▁to ▁do ▁away ▁with ▁the ▁em blem ▁at ▁the ▁time ,