South African rugby captain Jean de Villiers has been vocal about the need for the Springboks to return home from England later in the year with the Rugby World Cup trophy.

De Villiers is currently recovering from an operation to his knee, to ensure that he can lead the team at the flagship national team rugby event in September this year, and he has been reflecting on the importance of a win for the people of South Africa.

Speaking to at a SuperSport event, the skipper described working on his recovery at a gym while the Proteas, the South African cricket side were playing against New Zealand in the semi-final of the World Cup earlier this year.

The cricket team lost in agony-inducing fashion in the last few balls of the match, despite putting up an incredible fight to beat the co-hosts.

“The last couple of overs I stopped and watched, and there was a massive crowd in the gym watching as the last six went over. Immediately a guy turned to me and said ‘now you guys simply have to go win it’”, De Villiers said, according to SuperSport.

The Springbok captain immediately realised the gravity that a World Cup victory could carry, and how sport can be an agent of change and positivity for a country, increasing the burden of victory on his side.

“We as a country need something positive and we need us to go and win the World Cup,” De Villiers revealed. “I think we saw what it did in 1995 and saw the impact it had on the nation in 07 as well. I think more than ever we need a win this year.

“We definitely carry that with us when we go abroad, and we know that it is not just playing for individuals or as a team, we know we are playing for the whole nation and that gives us the edge,” he added.

“I’m very confident we can do well and I’m very confident it can be a successful campaign.” Is it extra pressure, yes, but we love it. We take it in our stride,” he concluded on the subject.

The Rugby World Cup will take place in England from 18 September to 31 October, when De Villiers will hope to be taking part in the final at Twickenham Stadium in London.