Rugby World Cup Closing Ceremony: Can Anything Eclipse the 1995 Ellis Park Boeing 747?

• The 2023 Rugby World Cup final closing ceremony will be headlined by popstar Mika
• The concert will feature 103 child performers setting the stage for the big contest
• No pre-match spectacle has yet overshadowed the Boeing 747 drama of 1995

World Cup finals are themselves a creator of intense atmospheres.

Before the national anthems and the Haka draw the final psychological lines before the kickoff, musicians will entertain the crowd in an energetic ensemble.

The last time South Africa met New Zealand in a rugby World Cup final was in Johannesburg in 1995, which was marked by a special Rolls Royce-engined guest.

Mika will be taking to the stage set up in the corner of the Stade de France as World Rugby have stated that the performers can not touch the hallowed turf.

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In an interview with James 'Big Jim' Hamilton, Mika outlined his awe at rugby's combatants and his love of the sport.

Hamliton played 63 tests for Scotland, scoring two tries. Hamilton was in every Scotland squad that suffered defeat to Italy five times between 2007 and 2015.

However big the spectacle, few will match the sheer thrust of the winged beauty that flew over Ellis Park in 1995.

Roughly 30 minutes before kickoff on a clear Johannesburg day on June 24, 1995, pilot Laurie Kay created the iconic moment when he flew a South African Airways Boeing 747 over an already delirious Ellis Park.

The Mail and Guardian gave a detailed analysis of the moment in 1996, after it was replicated for the 1996 African Cup of Nations final at the FNB Stadium. Illustrating the complexity, they said:

"At both sports finals, the plane was crawling along at a mere 230km/h. But once again, there was a considerable error margin a jumbo can slow down to less than 180km/h before dropping out of the sky."

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That day, the Springboks bound together the Rainbow Nation with a 15-12 win, and South Africa's hearts will be pumping green as they long for a repeat.

Too close to call

Sports Brief recently compiled a predictions and odds preview for the Rugby World Cup final.

The Springboks take on the All Blacks in Pairs in the most anticipated final in living memory.

Both will be aiming for history as either nation will leave the Stade de France as four-time winners.