A special moment has been captured by hundreds of rugby players gathered at the World Cup opening ceremony in South Africa.
The opening ceremony featured the arrival of a group of rugby league players, many wearing colourful jerseys with the words “We Are” and “We Will”.
The rugby union and rugby union union league clubs were joined by representatives from the Rugby Union World Cup Organising Committee and the South African Rugby Union, who were both present.
South African Rugby union president Makhaya Mlambozi said that the World Rugby World Series had been created to unite rugby fans in South African communities and to give back to the community.
The World Rugby series has a special place in the hearts of rugby union fans around the world.
“The World Cup is about sharing the passion of our country with our rugby players and players from all over the world,” he said.
“We want to celebrate the players who are here with us and they will all be proud that we have been able to bring together these players from across the world to bring an event that is not only about rugby but also about community and giving back.”
Rugby players have been wearing their jerseys for a while, with some wearing shirts with the colours of their national teams colours and other designs.
South Africa is home to the biggest number of rugby associations in the world, with the national team boasting a total of six players, including a number of South African-born players.
There were around 200 rugby union players from South Africa on hand at the ceremony, but the number was not large when compared to the number of teams in the tournament.
The Rugby Union Association of South Africa said that it hoped to see many more of its players from the continent come to South Africa to take part in the World Series.
“This is an opportunity to create a positive impact for the rugby community in South Africans,” the association said.
“I look forward to the opportunities that this World Series provides to the athletes and communities in South East Asia.”