Francois Pienaar

Rugby union, South Africa. Pienaar captained the Springboks to the 1995 World Cup at home, the country's first tournament after apartheid. His leadership was as much public as tactical: he built a working relationship with President Nelson Mandela, took the squad to Robben Island before the tournament and, after the final, said the team had won for all 43 million South Africans.