The 2010 FIFA World Cup™ certainly threatened to overshadow any feats the Allan Gray Orbis Foundation could have accomplished during this calendar year! The Johannesburg Programme team therefore decided to take the ball into their own hands, so to speak, turning their annual regional social event truly international by joining in the global soccer madness being hosted at the phenomenal Soccer City.

No ordinary excursion for Fellows or Talent, the 17th June 2010 saw attendees experience what many considered to be the match that truly sparked off the competition, with 32 international teams each vying for that golden trophy. With player determination and a huge support base in attendance, the goal was clearly and simply that each wanted to be the best.  As Argentina trounced Korea Republic 4 – 1 on the day, there was also no doubt that an unforgettable scene had unfolded.

Another large-scale realisation dawned clearly on this day. It was commented upon several times throughout by locals and visitors from abroad. We saw that it was not just the soccer spectacle that worked. What also presented itself as a national triumph was the way that all the planning and effort, primarily on the parts of local contributors, had facilitated and enabled a fluid staging of a world-class event. If inspiration is what we search to transfer, then after seeing it at this level, there should be no questioning that it is possible for us all to do.