The
South African national rugby unionRugby union is a full contact team sport, a form of football which originated in England in the early 19th century. One of the codes of rugby football, it is based on running with the ball in hand. It is played with an oval-shaped ball, outdoors on a level field, usually with a grass surface, 100 m...
team (
Springboks) are the current holders of the
Rugby World CupThe Rugby World Cup is the premier international rugby union competition. The event is organised by the sport's governing body, the International Rugby Board , and is contested by the men's national teams. The inaugural tournament was held in 1987, hosted by both Australia and New Zealand, and is...
and the Tri-Nations Championship. They are ranked number one in the
IRB World RankingsThe IRB World Rankings is a ranking system for men's national teams in rugby union, managed by the International Rugby Board , the sport's governing body. The teams of the IRB's member nations are ranked based on their game results, with the most successful teams being ranked highest...
as of Monday, 14 September 2009. They were named 2008 Team of the Year at the prestigious Laureus World Sports Awards. As of Saturday, 12 September 2009, the Springboks are holders of every major trophy available to them: the World Cup, the Tri-Nations, Nelson Mandela Plate, Freedom Cup and British Lions Series Winners.
Although South Africa was instrumental in the creation of the Rugby World Cup competition, the Springboks did not compete in the first two World Cups in
1987The 1987 Rugby World Cup was the first Rugby World Cup. The tournament was hosted by New Zealand and Australia in 1987 and was won by New Zealand...
and
1991The 1991 Rugby World Cup was the second edition of the Rugby World Cup, and jointly hosted by England, Ireland, Scotland, Wales and France; at that time, the five European countries that participated in the Five Nations Championship. As the final was played at the Twickenham Stadium in London, it...
due to
anti-apartheidAnti-Apartheid Movement, originally known as the Boycott Movement, was a British organization that was at the center of the international movement opposing South Africa's system of apartheid and supporting South Africa's Blacks....
sporting boycotts of South Africa. The team made its World Cup debut in
1995The 1995 Rugby World Cup was the third Rugby World Cup. It was hosted by South Africa, and had the distinction of being the first Rugby World Cup in which every match was held in one country...
, when the newly democratic South Africa hosted the tournament. The Springboks then defeated the All Blacks 15-12 in the
finalThe 1995 Rugby World Cup was the third Rugby World Cup. It was hosted by South Africa, and had the distinction of being the first Rugby World Cup in which every match was held in one country...
, which is now remembered as one of the greatest moments in South Africa's sporting history, and a watershed moment in the post-Apartheid nation-building process. South Africa regained their title as champions in 2007, when they defeated
EnglandThe England national rugby union team represents England in rugby union. They compete in the annual Six Nations Championship with France, Ireland, Scotland, Italy, and Wales. They have won this championship on 25 occasions, 12 times winning the Grand Slam. England also compete for the Calcutta Cup...
15–6 in the
2007 finalThe 2007 Rugby World Cup was the sixth Rugby World Cup, a quadrennial international rugby union competition inaugurated in 1987. Twenty nations competed for the Webb Ellis Cup in the tournament, which was hosted by France from 7 September to 20 October. France won the hosting rights in 2003,...
. As a result of the 2007 World Cup tournament, the Springboks were promoted to first place in the IRB World Rankings.
The Springboks play in green and gold jerseys, and their emblems are the Springbok and the
ProteaProtea is both the botanical name and the English common name of a genus of flowering plants, sometimes also called sugarbushes....
. The side have been playing international rugby since 1891, when a
British IslesThe British and Irish Lions, formerly known as the British Isles and the British Lions, is a rugby union team made up of players from England, Scotland, Ireland and Wales...
side toured the nation, playing South Africa in their first Test on 30 July. South Africa is currently coached by
Peter de VilliersPeter de Villiers is a South African rugby union coach. After his successes with South African U19 and U21 squads, de Villiers was named as the coach of South Africa's national team, the Springboks in January 2008, the first-ever non-white to be appointed to the position...
, after
Jake WhiteJake White is a rugby union coach and former coach of the South Africa national rugby union team, the Springboks. His most notable achievements as coach include leading the Springboks to victory in 2007 Rugby World Cup and the 2004 Tri Nations title...
, who led the Boks to the 2007 World Cup title, announced his resignation effective at the end of 2007. The current captain is
John SmitJohn William Smit is the 51st and current captain of the South African national rugby union team, the Springboks. He has played most of his career as a , but played twice for the Springboks off the bench as a prior to the South Africa coaching staff's decision to use him as a for the 2008 end of...
, who has played most of his career at , but was moved to for the
2008 end of year testsThe 2008 end of year rugby tests, also known as the Autumn internationals saw Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, Argentina, the Pacific Islanders and Canada tour the northern hemisphere. The tour ended with the traditional 'final challenge' Barbarians match, against Australia, which was the...
, where he continues to play today.
First internationals
The first-ever
British IslesThe British and Irish Lions, formerly known as the British Isles and the British Lions, is a rugby union team made up of players from England, Scotland, Ireland and Wales...
tour took place in 1891, with the trip financially underwritten by
Cape ColonyThe Cape Colony, part of modern South Africa, was established by the Dutch East India Company in 1652, with the founding of Cape Town. It was subsequently occupied by the British in 1795 when the Netherlands were occupied by revolutionary France, so that the French revolutionaries could not take...
Prime MinisterA prime minister is the most senior minister of cabinet in the executive branch of government in a parliamentary system. The position is usually held by, but need not always be held by, a politician. In many systems, the prime minister selects and can dismiss other members of the cabinet, and...
Cecil Rhodes. These were the first representative games played by South African sides, who were still learning the game. The tourists played and won a total of twenty matches, conceding only one point in the process. South Africa's first ever Tests were played, although South Africa did not exist as political unit until 1910. In a notable event of the tour, the British side presented the
Currie CupThe Currie Cup tournament is South Africa's premier domestic rugby union competition, featuring teams representing either entire provinces or substantial regions within provinces...
to
Griqualand WestThe Wildeklawer Griquas are a South African rugby union team that participates in the annual Currie Cup tournament. Their home ground is ABSA Park in Kimberley, and they draw their players from Northern Cape Province. They were previously known as Griqualand West...
, the province they thought produced the best performance on the tour.
The British Isles' success continued on their 21 game tour of
18961896 British Isles tour to South Africa. A British Isles XV toured South Africa for the second time in 1896. Between July 11 and September 5, they played 21 games, including four tests against South Africa...
. The British Isles won three out of the four Tests against South Africa. South Africa's play improved markedly from 1891. Their forwards were particularly impressive, and their first ever Test win in the final game was a pointer to the future. For the first time South Africa had worn myrtle green shirts, which their captain, Barry Heatlie, borrowed from his Old Diocesian club. Rugby was given a huge boost by the early Lions tours, which created great interest in the South African press.
Rugby was so popular that in 1902 there was a temporary ceasefire in the
Second Boer WarThe Second Boer War , commonly referred to as The Boer War and also known as the South African War , the Anglo-Boer War and in Afrikaans as the Anglo-Boereoorlog or Tweede Vryheidsoorlog , or the Engelse oorlog was fought...
so that a game could be played between British and Boer forces. The game had spread among the Afrikaner population through POW games during the Boer War, and afterwards
Stellenbosch UniversityStellenbosch University is a university situated in the town of Stellenbosch, South Africa. Other nearby universities are the University of Cape Town and University of the Western Cape....
became a training ground for future players and administrators.
In 1903 the British Isles lost a series for the first time in South Africa, drawing the opening two Tests before losing the last 8–0. In all, the tourists won just 11 of their 22 tour games. By contrast, South Africa would not lose another series—home or away—until 1956.
Springboks
Paul RoosPaul Johannes Roos was the first South African Springbok rugby union captain and led the first South African rugby union team to tour overseas - to Britain in 1906....
was the captain of the first South African team to tour the
British Isles and FranceThe 1906-07 South Africa tour of Britain, Ireland and France was a collection of friendly rugby union games undertaken by the South Africa national rugby union team against the four British Home Nation teams...
. The team was largely dominated by players from the Western Province, and took place over 1906–07. The team played 29 matches; including Tests against all four
Home NationsHome Nations is a collective term used to refer to England, Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales . It is most commonly heard in sporting contexts...
. England managed a draw, but Scotland was the only one of the Home unions to gain a victory.
During this tour the nickname
Springboks was first used. At an impromptu meeting, team captain Paul Roos invented the nickname to prevent the British press from coining their own nickname. Newspaper reporters were to call the team "De Springbokken", and later The Daily Mail printed an article referring to the "Springboks". The team thereafter wore blazers with a springbok on the left breast pocket. Historically the term 'Springbok' was applied to any team or individual representing South Africa in international competition regardless of sporting discipline. This tradition was abandoned with the advent of South Africa's new democratic government in 1994. The trip helped heal wounds after the Boer War and instilled a sense of national pride among South Africans.
The South Africans crossed the channel to play an unofficial match against a 'France' team drawn from the two Parisian clubs: Stade Français and
Racing Club de FranceRacing Métro 92 Paris is a French rugby union club that was formed in 2001 with the collaboration of the Racing Club de France and US Métro. "92" is the number of Hauts-de-Seine, the département of Île-de-France, bordering Paris to the west, where they play, and whose council gives financial...
. The official French team were in England at the time. The Springboks won 55–6 and scored 13 tries in the process.
The 1910 British Isles tour of South Africa was the first to include representatives from all four Home unions. The team performed moderately against the non-test parties, claiming victories in just over half their matches. The tourists won just one of their three Tests.
The Boks' second European tour took place in 1912–13. They beat the four Home nations to earn their first
Grand SlamIn rugby union, a Grand Slam occurs when one team in the Six Nations Championship manages to beat all the others during one year's competition...
and also went on to defeat France.
Inter war
By the first World War New Zealand and South Africa had established themselves as rugby's two greatest powers. A New Zealand Army match tour of South Africa in 1919 paved the way for a Springbok tour to New Zealand and Australia in 1921. The tour was billed as "The World Championship of Rugby". The All Blacks won the first Test 13–5, which included a try by All Blacks er Jack Steel who had sprinted 50 metres with the ball trapped between his right hand and back to score. The Springboks recovered to win the second Test 9–5 thanks to a Gerhard Morkel drop-goal. The final Test was drawn 0–0 after being played in terrible conditions—resulting in a series draw.
The 1924 British Lions team to South Africa struggled with injuries and won only nine of 21 games. They lost all four Tests to the Springboks, but despite the results, the tour produced some attractive rugby. This was the first side to pick up the name Lions, apparently picked up from the Lions embroidered on their ties.
The All Blacks first toured South Africa in 1928, and again the Test series finished level. Despite playing most of the second half with only 14 men, with a dominant scrum and fly-half
Bennie OslerBenjamin Louwrens Osler was a rugby union footballer who played internationally for South Africa. Osler played mainly at for both South Africa, and his provincial team of Western Province....
, the Springboks won the first Test 17–0 to inflict the All Blacks' heaviest defeat since 1893. The All Blacks rebounded to win the second Test 7–6. After a Springbok win in the third Test, the Springboks needed to win the fourth to secure a series victory. The New Zealanders bought back Mark Nicholls for his only Test of the series, and their captain
Maurice BrownlieMaurice Brownlie was a New Zealand Rugby Union player. Along with his brothers Cyril and Laurence he represented the country during the 1920s. Maurice Brownlie played 61 matches for the All Blacks, scoring 21 tries. These matches included eight tests. Maurice was a member of The Invincibles during...
told the team a week before the Test that "Under no circumstances whatever is anyone of you so much as to touch a rugby ball until we play the Springboks in the last test." Their tactics were successful and the All Blacks won 13–5 to draw the series.
Despite winning South Africa's second Grand Slam, the
Springbok tourists of 1931–32The 1931-32 South Africa tour of Britain and Ireland was a collection of friendly rugby union games undertaken by the South Africa national rugby union team against the four British Home Nation teams. The tour also took in several matches against British and Irish club, county and invitational teams...
were an unloved team. They had a jumbo pack and a kicking fly-half in captain
Bennie OslerBenjamin Louwrens Osler was a rugby union footballer who played internationally for South Africa. Osler played mainly at for both South Africa, and his provincial team of Western Province....
. Their tactics of kicking for territory earned them criticism both in South Africa and abroad. It was successful however, the team winning against England, Ireland, Scotland and Wales, as well as defeating all their Welsh opponents for the first time.
In 1937 South Africa
toured New Zealand and AustraliaThe 1937 South Africa tour to Australasia was one of the most successful Springbok tours in history, so much so that the touring team was nicknamed the "Invincibles". The squad was captained by Philip Nel....
and broke the deadlock with a series win in New Zealand. Their 2–1 series win prompted them to be called "the best team to ever leave New Zealand". Despite the All Blacks winning the first Test, the Springboks' won in the third Test 17–6 and scored five tries to none. The All Blacks' loss was considered a humiliation in New Zealand.
The British Isles toured South Africa again in 1938, winning more than half of their normal matches. The Springboks easily claimed the first two tests. But the tourists recorded a surprise win in the third Test, the first Lions win in South Africa since 1910.
Post-war era
Danie CravenDaniël Hartman Craven , more famously known as Danie Craven or simply Doc Craven, is a former Western Province, Eastern Province, Northern Transvaal and Springbok rugby union player as well as arguably South Africa's best and best-known rugby administrator...
was appointed coach in 1949, and started his coaching career with a bang. The Springboks won ten matches in a row, including a 4–0 whitewash of New Zealand on their 1949 tour to South Africa. Prop Okey Geffin helped kick the Springboks to victory—they won all four Tests despite the All Blacks scoring more tries in three of them. The 1951–52 team that toured Europe was considered amongst the finest Springbok sides to tour. The team won the Grand Slam as well as defeating France.
Hennie MullerHendrik "Hennie" Scholtz Vosloo Muller , is a former South African rugby union footballer. Muller is considered one of the greatest South African footballers, captaining the national side, the Springboks in nine tests, and is a member of the International Rugby Hall of Fame...
captained the side after original captain Basil Kenyon suffered a serious eye injury. The South African highlight of the tour was a 44–0 defeat of Scotland. The defeat of Scotland included nine tries, and was a record at the time. The team finished with only one loss, to London Counties, from 31 matches.
During their 1955 tour to South Africa, the Lions won 19 and drew one from the 25 fixtures. The four-test series ended in a draw. In 1956 the All Blacks won its first ever series over the Springboks, in what Chris Hewett called "in the most bitterly fought series in history." Surprise selection
Don ClarkeDonald Barry Clarke was a New Zealand rugby union player who played 89 times as an All Black from 1956 until 1964...
from
WaikatoThe Waikato Rugby Union is the official governing body of rugby union in the region of Waikato in the North Island of New Zealand. Their senior representative team compete in the Air New Zealand Cup, and won the inaugural competition in 2006....
—nicknamed
the Boot—kicked the decisive penalties in the final Tests.
South Africa had defeated France 25–3 at Colombes Stadium in 1952, and when France toured South Africa in 1958 they were not expected to compete. Georges Duthen described the mood of the French players before their first Test in 1958: "They were going into battle. A Battle for France. And they hadn't a hope..." France exceeded expectations and drew 3–3 with after a drop goal to French Pierre Danos and unconverted try to South Africa's Butch Lochner. The French then secured a Test series victory in South Africa with their 9–5 victory in front of 90,000 spectators in Johannesburg. The French feared the South African forwards, especially their scrum, and focused much of their training before the series on improving the "South African" style of their forwards. The decisive moment of the match was French forward Jean Barthe's tackle on
Jan PrinslooJohannes "Jan" Albertus Prinsloo was a South African rugby union and professional rugby league footballer of the 1950s and '60s who at representative level played for South Africa , Rugby League XIII , at club level for Western Province , St Helens RLFC , and Wakefield Trinity , playing at Wing ,...
near the French try-line prevented a certain try. The momentum then swung to France who scored drop-goals—one each to Pierre Lacaze and Roger Martine—to secure the historic victory.
1960s
Even before the apartheid laws were passed after 1948, sporting teams going to South Africa had felt it necessary to exclude non-white players. New Zealand rugby teams in particular had done this, and the exclusion of
George NepiaGeorge Nepia was a Māori rugby union and rugby league player. He is remembered as an exceptional full-back and one of the most famous Māori rugby players. He was inducted into the New Zealand Sports Hall of Fame in 1990. In 2004 he was selected as number 65 by the panel of the New Zealand's Top...
and Jimmy Mill from the 1928 All Blacks tour, and the dropping of
Ranji WilsonNathaniel Arthur "Ranji" Wilson was an early All Black, rugby football player for New Zealand. He was born in Christchurch of English/West Indian parentage, his father being West Indian....
from the New Zealand Army team nine years before that, had attracted little comment at the time. However, in 1960 international criticism of apartheid grew in the wake of the
The Wind of Change speech and the
Sharpeville massacreThe Sharpeville Massacre, also known as the Sharpeville shootings, occurred on March 21, 1960, when South African police began shooting on a crowd of black protesters. The confrontation occurred in the township of Sharpeville, in what is now Gauteng province.- Preceding events :Since the 1920s,...
.
From this point onward, the Springboks were increasingly the target of international controversy and protest. The All Blacks toured in 1960, despite a campaign based on the slogan of "No Maoris, No Tour", and a 150,000 signature petition opposing it. The Springboks avenged their 1956 series defeat by winning the Test series 2–1 with a Test drawn. The first match was won 13–0 by the Springboks with two tries to Hennie van Zyl. New Zealand journalist Noel Holmes said after the match "I hang my head in shame for having suggested that your forwards might be slow, even unfit." The All Blacks won the second Test 11–3 which they did so with a dominant forward pack and the tactical kicking of Don Clarke. The players selected for the third and fourth Tests formed the core of Springboks side for the next three seasons. The third Test was drawn 11–11 after a last minute sideline conversion from All Black Don Clarke. The deciding Test was won 8–3 by the Springboks with the decisive try scored by Martin Pelser.
Later that same year the Springboks themselves toured, and led by Avril Malan they defeated all four Home unions for their fourth Grand Slam. On a four-month, 34 game sweep through Europe they played a ruthless, forward-oriented game in which intimidation was a key part, and opposition players suffered a string of controversial injuries. However, they lost their final game 6–0 against the
BarbariansThe Barbarian Football Club, typically referred to as Barbarians and nicknamed the "Baa-Baas", is an invitational rugby union team based in Britain...
in
CardiffCardiff is the capital, largest city and most populous county of Wales. The city is Wales' chief commercial centre, the base for many national cultural and sporting institutions, the Welsh national media, and the seat of the National Assembly for Wales. According to recent estimates, the...
, beaten when perhaps the Barbarians' pack played an uncharacteristically pragmatic game.
In 1962 the British Isles, won 16 of their 25 games on their tour to South Africa, but did not do so well in the Tests—losing all three.
Wales toured South Africa and played several games and one Test in 1964—their first overseas tour. They lost the Test against South Africa in
DurbanDurban is the third most populous city in South Africa, forming part of the eThekwini metropolitan municipality. It is the largest city in KwaZulu-Natal and is famous as the busiest port in Africa. It is also a major centre of tourism due to the city's warm subtropical climate and...
24–3, their biggest defeat in 40 years. At the
Welsh Rugby UnionThe Welsh Rugby Union is the governing body of rugby union in Wales, recognised by the International Rugby Board.The union's patron is Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II, and, despite openly being a supporter of the English Rugby team, her grandson Prince William of Wales became the Vice Royal Patron...
(WRU) annual general meeting that year, the outgoing WRU President D. Ewart Davies declared that "it was evident from the experience of the South African Tour that a much more positive attitude to the game was required in Wales... Players must be prepared to learn, and indeed re-learn, to the absolute point of mastery, the basic principles of Rugby Union football."
South Africa had a disastrous year in 1965, losing on tour to Ireland, Scotland, Australia (twice) and New Zealand (three times) while winning just once against New Zealand. The planned 1967 tour by the All Blacks was cancelled by the New Zealand Rugby Football Union after the South African government refused to allow Maori players.
In 1968 the Lions toured and won 15 of their 16 provincial matches, but lost three Tests and drew one. Next year the 1969 Springbok tour to Britain and Ireland found a new spirit and confidence had developed in Home nations rugby, and the tourists lost two of their seven games in Wales—against Newport and a composite side from Monmouthshire. Wales nearly claimed their first win against the Springboks as the game ended 6–6. The Springboks lost the Test matches against England and Scotland, drawing the one against Ireland. Throughout the tour however, large anti-apartheid demonstrations were a feature, and many matches had to be played behind barbed wire fences.
1970s
In 1970 the All Blacks toured South Africa once again—after the 1967 stand-off, the South African government now agreed to treat Maoris in the team, and Maori spectators, as 'honorary whites'. The Springboks won the test series 3–1.
The
Springbok tour of Australia in 1971The 1971 South Africa rugby union tour of Australia was a controversial six-week rugby union tour by the South African national team to Australia. Anti-apartheid protests came to being all around the country. The tour is perhaps most infamous for a state of emergency being declared in Queensland...
began with matches in
PerthPerth is the capital and largest city of the Australian state of Western Australia. With a population of 1,650,000 , Perth ranks fourth amongst the nation's cities, with a growth rate consistently above the national average....
, then
AdelaideAdelaide is the capital and most populous city of the Australian state of South Australia, and is the fifth-largest city in Australia, with a population of more than 1.1 million. It is a coastal city situated on the eastern shores of Gulf St. Vincent, on the Adelaide Plains, north of the Fleurieu...
and
MelbourneMelbourne is the capital city and most populous city of the State of Victoria, and the second most populous city in Australia. The Melbourne city centre is the anchor of the larger geographical area and statistical division known as the Greater Melbourne metropolitan area – of which Melbourne is...
. The Springboks won all three Tests, scoring 18–6, 14–6, and 19–11. As in Britain three years before however, massive anti-apartheid demonstrations greeted the team, and they had to be transported by the
Royal Australian Air ForceThe Royal Australian Air Force is the Air Force branch of the Australian Defence Force. The RAAF began in March 1912 as the Australian Flying Corps making it the second oldest air force in the world...
after the trade unions refused to service planes or trains transporting them. Although a tour of New Zealand had been planned for 1973, it was blocked by New Zealand
Prime MinisterA prime minister is the most senior minister of cabinet in the executive branch of government in a parliamentary system. The position is usually held by, but need not always be held by, a politician. In many systems, the prime minister selects and can dismiss other members of the cabinet, and...
Norman KirkNorman Eric Kirk was Prime Minister of New Zealand from 1972 until his sudden death in 1974. He led the Parliamentary wing of the New Zealand Labour Party from 1965 to 1974. He was the fourth Labour Prime Minister of New Zealand, but the first to be born in New Zealand...
on the grounds of public safety.
The Lions team that toured South Africa in 1974 led by
Willie John McBrideWilliam James McBride, MBE, better known as Willie John McBride is a former rugby union footballer who played as a for Ireland and the British and Irish Lions. He played 63 Tests for Ireland including eleven as captain, and toured with the Lions five times — a record that gave him 17 Lions...
was unbeaten over 22 games, and triumphed 3–0 (with one drawn) in the Test series. A key feature was the Lions' infamous '99 call'. Lions management had decided that the Springboks dominated their opponents with physical aggression, so decided "to get their retaliation in first". At the call of '99' each Lions player would attack their nearest rival player. The idea was that a South African referee would be unlikely to send off all of the Lions. At the "battle of
Boet Erasmus StadiumEPRFU Stadium, also known by its original name of Boet Erasmus Stadium, is a stadium in Port Elizabeth, South Africa. The stadium has a capacity of 33,852 people.It is used mostly for rugby union matches, as well as football...
"—one of the most violent matches in rugby history—JPR Williams famously ran over half of the pitch and launched himself at 'Moaner' van Heerden after such a call.
The 1976 All Blacks tour of South Africa went ahead, and the Springboks won by three Tests to one, but coming shortly after the
Soweto riotsThe Soweto uprising or Soweto riots were a series of clashes in Soweto, South Africa on June 16, 1976 between black youths and the South African authorities...
the tour attracted international condemnation and 28 countries boycotted the
1976 Summer OlympicsThe 1976 Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the XXI Olympiad, were an international multi-sport event held in Montreal, Quebec, Canada, in 1976...
in protest, and the next year, in 1977, the Commonwealth signed the
Gleneagles AgreementThe Gleneagles Agreement was unanimously approved by the Commonwealth of Nations at a meeting at Gleneagles, Auchterarder, Scotland. In 1977, Commonwealth Presidents and Prime Ministers agreed, as part of their support for the international campaign against apartheid, to discourage contact and...
, which discouraged any sporting contact with South Africa. In response to the growing pressure the segregated South African rugby unions merged in 1977. Four years later
Errol TobiasErrol George Tobias is a former South African rugby union footballer, the first Coloured man to start a test for the South African national side. He gained six caps 1981-1984 when the country was still following the policy of apartheid. He was born on a farm outside Caledon in the Overberg...
would became the first non-white South African to represent his country when he took the field against Ireland. A planned 1979 Springbok tour of France was stopped by the French government, who announced that it was inappropriate for South African teams to tour France.
1980s
The Lions toured South Africa in 1980. The team completed a flawless non-Test record, winning 14 out of 14 non-Test matches on the tour. But they lost the first three Tests before winning the last one.
The
1981 tour of New ZealandThe 1981 South Africa rugby union tour of New Zealand was a controversial tour of New Zealand by the South Africa national rugby union team, known as "the Springboks". The South African government's policy of racial segregation polarised opinions and sparked controversy throughout New Zealand...
went ahead in defiance of the Gleneagles Agreement. South Africa lost the series 2–1, but the tour and the massive civil disruption in New Zealand had ramifications far beyond rugby.
South Africa sought to counteract its sporting isolation by inviting the
South American JaguarsThe South American Jaguars was an international rugby union team consisting of South American players that played during the early 1980s against the South African Springboks. South Africa invited South America to tour there as a way of counteracting its sporting isolation which was due to the...
to tour. The team contained mainly Argentinian players, whose national team had struggled to attract strong international opposition. Eight matches were played between the two teams in the early 1980s—all awarded Test status.
In
1984In the face of much criticism, and in the spite of covert political pressure, the RFU decided that the tour of South Africa should go ahead, but probably with hindsight, in the light of results, later wished that they would not...
England toured losing both test matches on tour. Of the players selected, only Ralph Knibbs of Bristol refused to tour for political reasons.
In 1985, a planned All Black tour of South Africa was stopped by the New Zealand High Court. A rebel tour took place the next year by a team known as
the CavaliersThe Cavaliers was the name given to an unofficial New Zealand rugby union team which toured South Africa in 1986.The rebel tour occurred after the official All Black tour planned for 1985 was cancelled due to a legal ruling that it would be incompatible with the NZRFU's legally stated purpose:...
. The team was not sanctioned by the New Zealand Rugby Football Union, yet consisted of all but two of the original squad that had been selected. The team was advertised inside South Africa as the All Blacks, and the Springboks won the series.
In 1989, a World XV sanctioned by the International Rugby Board went on a mini-tour of South Africa. All traditional rugby nations bar New Zealand supplied players to the team with ten Welshmen, eight Frenchmen, six Australians, four Englishmen, one Scot and one Irishman.
1990s
From 1990 to 1991 the legal apparatus of apartheid was abolished, and the Springboks were readmitted to international rugby in 1992. They struggled to return to their pre-isolation standards, and in their first game after readmission the Springboks were defeated 27–24 by New Zealand on 15 August 1992. Ian McIntosh was sacked as national coach following a series defeat to the All Blacks in New Zealand in mid-1994. In October of that year,
Kitch ChristieGeorge Moir Christie, better known as Kitch Christie , was a South African rugby union coach best known for coaching the country's national team, the Springboks, to victory at the 1995 Rugby World Cup...
accepted an offer to take over from McIntosh.
South Africa was selected to host the
1995 Rugby World CupThe 1995 Rugby World Cup was the third Rugby World Cup. It was hosted by South Africa, and had the distinction of being the first Rugby World Cup in which every match was held in one country...
, and there was a remarkable surge of support for the Springboks among the white and black communities in the lead-up to the tournament. This was the first major event to be held in what Archbishop Desmond Tutu had dubbed "the
Rainbow NationRainbow Nation is a term coined by the then Anglican Archbishop of Cape Town, Desmond Tutu to describe post-apartheid South Africa after apartheid rule officially ended after South Africa's first fully-democratic election in 1994, which was won by the African National Congress .The phrase was...
." South Africans got behind the 'one team, one country' slogan.
By the time they hosted the 1995 World Cup, the Springboks were seeded ninth. They defeated Australia,
RomaniaThe Romania national rugby union team, nicknamed The Oaks , have long been one of the stronger European teams outside of the Six Nations tournament. They take part in international competitions, notably the World Cup, the European Nations Cup and the Super Cup. Rugby union in Romania is...
,
CanadaFor the Canadian rugby league team see Canada national rugby league team.The Canada national rugby union team represents Canada in international rugby union. They are governed by Rugby Canada, and play in red and black. Canada is classified by the International Rugby Board as a tier two rugby nation...
,
Western SamoaThe national rugby union team of Samoa is called Manu Samoa . From 1924 to 1997 they were known as Western Samoa. They perform a traditional Samoan challenge called the siva tau before each game. They were formerly members of the Pacific Islands Rugby Alliance along with Fiji and Tonga. They are...
and
FranceThe France national rugby union team represents France in rugby union. They compete annually against England, Ireland, Italy, Scotland and Wales in the Six Nations Championship...
to play in the final. South Africa won the epic 1995 Rugby World Cup Final against traditional rivals the All Blacks 15–12 at Ellis Park. A drop goal by
Joel StranskyJoel Theodore Stransky is a former South African rugby union footballer, most notable for scoring the winning drop goal in the 1995 Rugby World Cup final. He played as a ....
secured victory in extra-time. The New Zealanders claimed to have been affected by a virulent food poisoning the day before the fixture.
Wearing a Springbok shirt,
Nelson MandelaNelson Rolihlahla Mandela is a former President of South Africa, the first to be elected in a fully representative democratic election, who held office from 1994–99. Before his presidency, Mandela was an anti-apartheid activist, and the leader of the African National Congress's armed wing Umkhonto...
presented the trophy to captain
Francois PienaarJacobus Francois Pienaar captained and played for the South African Springboks national rugby union team from 26 June 1993 until 10 August 1996. He won 29 test caps and led the Springboks to victory in the 1995 Rugby Union World Cup...
, a white Afrikaner. The gesture was widely seen as a major step towards the reconciliation of white and black South Africans. SARFU President
Louis LuytLouis Luyt is a South African business tycoon and politician, and one-time rugby administrator.Making a name for himself as a rugby star as a young man, Luyt went on to found Triomf Fertiliser, Luyt Breweries, and to take control of Ellis Park stadium in Johannesburg...
caused controversy at the post-match dinner by declaring that the Springboks would have won the previous two World Cups if they had been allowed to compete. The day after the World Cup victory, the
XhosaXhosa is one of the official languages of South Africa. Xhosa is spoken by approximately 7.9 million people, or about 18% of the South African population. Like most Bantu languages, Xhosa is a tonal language, that is, the same sequence of consonants and vowels can have different meanings when...
word for Springbok,
Amabokoboko! appeared as the headline of
The SowetanThe Sowetan is an English language, South African newspaper that started in 1981 as a liberation struggle newspaper and was freely distributed to households in the black township of Soweto, Johannesburg, Gauteng Province....
's sports page.
A series of crises followed in 1995 through 1997 as it became clear that South African rugby was an unreformed element of the new Rainbow Nation. The team was also struck by tragedy, as Christie, who had led them to victory in all 14 Tests he coached, was forced to resign in 1996 after battling leukemia for more than a decade. An on-field slump saw South African sides struggle in the new
Super 12The Super 14 is the largest rugby union football club championship in the southern hemisphere, consisting of four teams from Australia , five teams from New Zealand , and five teams from...
and Tri-Nations competitions. Under new coach
John HartJohn Hart was a Delegate from New Jersey to the Continental Congress and a signer of the United States Declaration of Independence.-Ancestry:Sources disagree as to John Hart's year and place of birth...
and the captaincy of
Sean FitzpatrickSean Brian Thomas Fitzpatrick, MNZM is a former rugby union footballer who represented New Zealand, and is widely regarded as one of the finest players ever to come from that country. He is also the son of former All Black, Brian Fitzpatrick.-Early life:Sean Fitzpatrick's high school education...
, the All Blacks won a Test series in South Africa for the first time in 1996. Fitzpatrick even rated the series win higher than the 1987 World Cup victory in which he had participated. The 1997 Lions completed their South African tour with only two losses in total, winning the Test series two games to one.
Coach
Andre MarkgraaffAndries Thomas Markgraaff better known as Andre was strongly tipped as a future Springbok captain in the early 1980s but due to a lack of international competition he was denied. He was on the bench for the Springboks vs Cavaliers 1986 test. Also represented the then South West Africa in 20...
was fired in 1997 over a racial comment he made and his successor,
Carel du PlessisCarel Johan du Plessis is a former South African rugby union coach and player.-Playing career:Du Plessis played for Western Province and the Springboks, his skills earning him the nickname the Prince of Wings...
, got sacked in 1997 and replaced by
Nick MallettNicholas Vivian Howard Mallett is a South African rugby union coach and former player who is currently the head coach of the Italian national team. He played for and later coached the Springboks, South Africa's national rugby union team.-Early life:Mallett moved to Rhodesia with his family in 1956...
and included the unbeaten 1997 South Africa rugby union tour of Britain and France in late 1997. In 1998 Mallett and new captain
Gary TeichmannGary Hamilton Teichmann is a retired Rhodesian/Zimbabwean-born South African rugby union player. He played number eight and was the captain of the South African national team, the Springboks, between 1995 and 1999...
produced a record winning streak, winning 17 consecutive Tests, including the 1998 Tri-Nations. In the same year, South Africa mourned as Christie's illness claimed his life. The Springboks entered the
1999 Rugby World CupThe 1999 Rugby Union World Cup was the fourth Rugby World Cup and the first to be held in rugby union's professional era. The principal host nation was Wales, although the majority of matches were played outside the country, shared between England, France, Scotland and Ireland...
competition with little hope. Reverting to a kicking game and forward strength, they showed they were still a force to be reckoned with, losing to eventual champions Australia in a tense semi-final at
TwickenhamTwickenham Stadium is a stadium located in Twickenham, in the London Borough of Richmond upon Thames. It is the largest rugby union stadium in the United Kingdom and has recently been enlarged to seat 82,000...
.
New millennium
At Twickenham in November 2002 England defeated South Africa 53–3 which was their worst ever loss. An increasingly frustrated South African side began physically targeting England players during the match, with footage showing captain
Corné KrigeCornelius Petrus Johannes "Corné" Krige was a South African rugby union footballer, now retired, who played flanker for Western Province in the Currie Cup, the Stormers in Super Rugby and captained the South African national side, the Springboks.Corne Krige was Zambian-born and his parents still...
as a leader. In the 2002 and 2003 seasons, the Springboks also lost by record margins to France, Scotland and New Zealand. They defeated
ArgentinaThe Argentina national rugby team, nicknamed Los Pumas, represents Argentina in international rugby union matches. The team, which plays in sky blue and white jerseys, is organised by the Argentine Rugby Union .Argentina played its first international rugby match in 1910 against a touring British...
by only one point, and were easily defeated in the quarter finals of the
2003 World CupThe 2003 Rugby World Cup was the fifth Rugby World Cup and was won by England. Originally planned to be co-hosted by Australia and New Zealand, all games were shifted to Australia following a contractual dispute over ground signage rights between the New Zealand Rugby Football Union and Rugby World...
.
During a pre-World Cup training camp, there was a highly publicised dispute between Geo Cronjé (an Afrikaner) and Quinton Davids (a coloured). Both were dropped from the team, and Cronjé was called before a tribunal to answer charges that his actions in the dispute were racially motivated. Cronjé was eventually cleared. Later, the Boks were sent to a military-style boot camp in the South African bush called
Kamp StaaldraadKamp Staaldraad was a military-style "boot camp" organized as a "team building" exercise for the South African national rugby union team, the Springboks , during their preparation for the 2003 Rugby World Cup...
(literal English translation "Camp Steel-wire", idiomatically "Camp Barbed Wire"). After the World Cup, then- coach
Rudolph StraeuliRudolph August Wilkens Straeuli played rugby union in the positions of flanker and Number 8 for, and later coached, the Springboks rugby team. He also played for the Lions provincial team in the Currie Cup competition...
was under fire, not only because of the team's poor results, but because of his role in organising Kamp Staaldraad. He eventually resigned, and in February 2004
Jake WhiteJake White is a rugby union coach and former coach of the South Africa national rugby union team, the Springboks. His most notable achievements as coach include leading the Springboks to victory in 2007 Rugby World Cup and the 2004 Tri Nations title...
was named as new national coach.
The Springboks then swept Ireland in a two-Test series and defeated Wales during their opponents' June 2004 tours of the Southern Hemisphere. Next came a win in
the most closely-contested Tri Nations in historyThe 2004 Tri Nations Series, an annual rugby union competition between the national teams of Australia, New Zealand and South Africa, was the ninth in the series. The competition is organised by SANZAR, a consortium of the three countries' rugby union federations...
—their only Tri Nations trophy since 1998. In November 2004, the Springboks went on a Grand Slam tour of the Home Nations. They were decisively defeated by England, and lost controversially to Ireland. They then won a hard-fought match against Wales, and prevailed comfortably against Scotland. The Springbok resurgence was honoured with a sweep of the major
International Rugby BoardThe International Rugby Board is the world governing and law-making body for the sport of rugby union, and previously for rugby football. It was founded in 1886 as the International Rugby Football Board by the unions of Scotland, Wales and Ireland. England originally refused to take part, but...
awards. The Boks were named Team of the Year, White Coach of the Year, and flanker
Schalk BurgerSchalk Burger Jr. is a South African rugby union player. He plays the position of flanker in the Springbok rugby union team.-Father:...
Player of the Year.
In 2005 the Springboks defeated an embarrassed
UruguayUruguay has played in the 1999 and 2003 Rugby World Cups. They have been playing international rugby since the late 1940s. Their jersey is blue and black and they are known as Los Teros. They are governed by the Unión de Rugby del Uruguay....
by a world record margin. Zimbabwean-born new cap, Tonderai Chavanga, scored a record six tries in the match, surpassing
Stefan TerblancheStefan Terblanche is a rugby union player. He plays mostly at fullback but can also play on the wing.Stefan played in 37 tests for the Springboks, scoring 19 tries, including a South African test record of 4 tries on debut against Ireland at Bloemfontein on June 13, 1998, which he later bettered...
's previous record of five. The side finished second in the Tri-Nations that year, losing their final match to New Zealand. The springboks thought they had the match before Keven Mealamu scored the match winning try for the All Blacks in the 27-31 loss. The year ended positively with close victories away from home against Argentina, among others.
With several new players aboard, the 2006 Springboks defeated Scotland twice in South Africa, before a loss in a closely contested match to France ended their long undefeated home record. A very bad start to the
2006 Tri Nations SeriesThe 2006 Tri Nations Series, an annual rugby union competition between the national teams of Australia, New Zealand and South Africa, marked the tenth anniversary of the original competition...
saw them lose 49–0 to the Wallabies. The Springboks put together better games in the following two matches, losing in the final minutes in the second test against Australia. Answering the call from many South African supporters to play a more expansive style of rugby, coach Jake White fielded a far more adventurous team. They broke South Africa's five game losing streak by beating the All Blacks 21–20 at
Royal Bafokeng StadiumThe Royal Bafokeng Sports Palace is a rugby union, football and athletics stadium in Phokeng near Rustenburg, South Africa.The capacity of the stadium was increased from 38,000 to 42,000 to be able to host four first and two second round matches at the 2010 FIFA World Cup.For 2010, the main west...
—the first time a Test match had been played at this rural venue near Rustenburg. The All Blacks' defeat to the South Africans was their only loss of the year. The highlight of South Africa's tour to Europe was the 24–15 win over England at Twickenham, after a loss to Ireland and one to England the previous week. A South Africa XV also played a World XV on this tour at the
Walkers StadiumThe Walkers Stadium is a football stadium which hosts home matches of English football team Leicester City F.C. The all-seater stadium, inaugurated in July 2002, holds 32,500 and is named in a ten-year deal after sponsors worldwide snack foods firm Walkers, a former shirt sponsor of Leicester. It...
in Leicester.
In July 2006, Springbok coach
Jake WhiteJake White is a rugby union coach and former coach of the South Africa national rugby union team, the Springboks. His most notable achievements as coach include leading the Springboks to victory in 2007 Rugby World Cup and the 2004 Tri Nations title...
told the press he had been unable to pick some white players for his squad "because of transformation"—a reference to the ANC government’s policies attempting to redress the racial imbalances in national sport.
Rugby World Cup 2007
Grouped in Pool A at the
2007 Rugby World CupThe 2007 Rugby World Cup was the sixth Rugby World Cup, a quadrennial international rugby union competition inaugurated in 1987. Twenty nations competed for the Webb Ellis Cup in the tournament, which was hosted by France from 7 September to 20 October. France won the hosting rights in 2003,...
in France, they opened their campaign in Paris with a 59–7 victory over Samoa. Next up was England at the Stade de France, where the Springboks triumphed 36–-0. The third pool game against Tonga in Lens was more competitive and they narrowly won 30–25. The final pool game against the USA in Montpellier produced a 64–15 win.
Having won all their pool games, they advanced to the quarter finals to defeat Fiji 37–20 before accounting for Argentina 37–13 in the semi-finals.
They prevailed 15–6 over England to lift the Webb Ellis Cup for a second time on 20th October 2007. Some members of the English media claimed that the match was controversial because they felt that an England try was disallowed by the Australian fourth official. However, even if the try was awarded and converted, South Africa would still have won the match, and slow motion replays clearly demonstrated that no try was scored. The Springboks won the match fairly comfortably without extending themselves and joined Australia as the only other national team to have won the trophy twice— again reinforcing the southern hemisphere dominance in the tournament with five out of six titles to date.
2008 was a mixed year for the Springboks. Going into the year as world champions, they were under pressure to perform. In January 2008, history was made when
Peter De VilliersPeter de Villiers is a South African rugby union coach. After his successes with South African U19 and U21 squads, de Villiers was named as the coach of South Africa's national team, the Springboks in January 2008, the first-ever non-white to be appointed to the position...
was appointed as the first ever non-white coach of the Springboks. De Villiers's first squad included ten of colour and managed two victories against
WalesThe Wales national rugby union team represent Wales in international rugby union tournaments. They compete annually in the Six Nations Championship with England, France, Ireland, Italy and Scotland. Wales have won the Six Nations and its predecessors 24 times outright, second only to England with...
(43-17 and 37-21) and one against
ItalyThe Italy national rugby union team represent the nation of Italy in the sport of rugby union. The team is also known as the Azzurri...
(26-0) in Incoming Tours. They had an ultimately disappointing
Tri NationsThe 2008 Tri Nations Series was the thirteenth annual Tri Nations competition between the national rugby union teams of New Zealand, Australia and South Africa...
ending up last with only two wins. They did manage a historic triumph in
DunedinDunedin , , is the second-largest city in the South Island of New Zealand, and the principal city of the region of Otago. It has the largest council boundary area of any New Zealand city, and is the hub of the fifth-largest urban area...
, a city in which they had never tasted victory in over 100 years. The Springboks did enough to beat
WalesThe Wales national rugby union team represent Wales in international rugby union tournaments. They compete annually in the Six Nations Championship with England, France, Ireland, Italy and Scotland. Wales have won the Six Nations and its predecessors 24 times outright, second only to England with...
and
ScotlandThe Scotland national rugby union team represent Scotland in international rugby union. Rugby union in Scotland is administered by the Scottish Rugby Union. The Scotland rugby union team is currently ranked tenth in the IRB World Rankings as at 23 March 2009, and makes up one quarter of the...
before thrashing
EnglandThe England national rugby union team represents England in rugby union. They compete in the annual Six Nations Championship with France, Ireland, Scotland, Italy, and Wales. They have won this championship on 25 occasions, 12 times winning the Grand Slam. England also compete for the Calcutta Cup...
on the
end of year tourThe 2008 end of year rugby tests, also known as the Autumn internationals saw Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, Argentina, the Pacific Islanders and Canada tour the northern hemisphere. The tour ended with the traditional 'final challenge' Barbarians match, against Australia, which was the...
. This was good preparation for the upcoming
British and Irish Lions TourThe 2009 British and Irish Lions Tour to South Africa was an international rugby union tour which took place in South Africa from May to July 2009....
.
Apartheid and transformation
Even before the apartheid laws were introduced to South Africa in 1948 the Springboks had been an all white team. The team became a symbol of racial division within South Africa, and following the first open elections in 1994, the ruling
African National CongressThe African National Congress has been South Africa's governing party, supported by its tripartite alliance with the Congress of South African Trade Unions and the South African Communist Party , since the establishment of non-racial democracy in April 1994. It defines itself as a "disciplined...
(ANC) instituted a policy of
transformation in South African sport. In this context transformation can be defined as "a complete alternation of the appearance or character of South African rugby", and one aim is to transform the Springboks into a team more representative of South Africa's race and class.
South Africa's World Cup winning side of 1995 fielded only one non-white player (
Chester WilliamsChester Mornay Williams played er for the South African national rugby union team the Springboks from 1993 to 2000. Williams also played rugby for the Western Province in the Currie Cup...
). This continued in the team's biggest matches of the 1999 and 2003 World Cups, and in the 2007 World Cup final the team fielded two non-white players (
Bryan HabanaBryan Gary Habana is a South African rugby union player who plays as a for the Blue Bulls in the Currie Cup, the Bulls in Super 14, and the 2007 Rugby World Cup champion Springboks...
and
JP PietersenJon-Paul Roger "JP" Pietersen is a South African rugby union footballer. He generally plays fullback or wing for the Sharks and the Natal Sharks in the Currie Cup...
). Despite a quota system existing to encourage Super 14 and provincial teams to field non-white players transformation has been slow in the opinion of many. South African Rugby Union president Oregan Hoskins considered the number of non-white players in the 2007 World Cup squad too low, and in 2008 the first non-white coach of the side was appointed. The political pressure on rugby coaches and administrators to select non-white players is strong; 16 of the 35 new Springboks appointed by former coach Jake White were non-white. ANC Minister of Parliament Butana Komphela expressed a view held by many politicians in the country when he said "Sport cannot be excluded from imperatives of empowerment and transformation."
Strip
South Africa play in green jerseys, white shorts and green socks. Their jersey is embroidered with the SA Rugby logo on the upper left corner and the
flag of South AfricaThe current flag of the Republic of South Africa was adopted on April 27, 1994, during the 1994 general election. A new national flag was adopted to represent the new democracy....
on the sleeve and traditionally has a gold collar. The strip is made by
Canterbury of New ZealandCanterbury of New Zealand — sometimes referred to as CCC — is a New Zealand-based sports apparel company, now majority-owned by Kuwait Finance House, that focuses on rugby football. The company is named after the Canterbury area in New Zealand where the company started to make knitwear...
and their shirt sponsor is South African synfuels and chemicals company
SasolSasol is a South African company involved in mining, energy, chemicals and synfuels. In particular, they produce petrol and diesel profitably from coal and natural gas using Fischer-Tropsch process...
. The green jersey was first adopted when the British Isles toured South Africa in 1896. On their first tour to Great Britain and Ireland in 1906–07 the South Africa wore a green jersey with white colour, blue short, and blue socks. A replica strip was worn in 2006 against Ireland in Dublin to mark the centenary of the tour. When Australia first toured South Africa in 1933, the visitors wore sky blue jerseys to avoid confusion, as at the time, both wore dark green strips. In 1953, when Australia toured again, the Springboks wore white jerseys for the test matches. In 1961 Australia changed their jersey to gold to avoid further colour clashes.
The springbok nickname and logo also dates from the 1906–7 tour of Britain. The springbok was chosen to represent the team by tour captain Paul Roos in an attempt to prevent the British press from inventing their own name. The logo was not restricted to the white team alone, the first coloured national team used the springbok in 1939 and the first black team in 1950. After the fall of apartheid in 1992 a wreath of proteas were added to the logo. When the ANC was elected in 1994 the team's name was not changed to the Proteas like that of other South African sporting teams only because of the intervention of President
Nelson MandelaNelson Rolihlahla Mandela is a former President of South Africa, the first to be elected in a fully representative democratic election, who held office from 1994–99. Before his presidency, Mandela was an anti-apartheid activist, and the leader of the African National Congress's armed wing Umkhonto...
.
In December 2008, the SARU decided to place the protea on the left side of the Boks' jersey, in line with other South African national teams, and move the springbok to the right of the jersey. The new jersey was worn for the first time during the
British and Irish LionsThe British and Irish Lions, formerly known as the British Isles and the British Lions, is a rugby union team made up of players from England, Scotland, Ireland and Wales...
'
2009 tour of South AfricaThe 2009 British and Irish Lions Tour to South Africa was an international rugby union tour which took place in South Africa from May to July 2009....
.
Home grounds
The Springboks do not use a national stadium as their home, but play out of a number of venues throughout South Africa. The 60,000 seater
Ellis Park StadiumCoca-Cola Park, formerly and better known as Ellis Park Stadium, is a rugby union and association football stadium in the city of Johannesburg, Gauteng Province, South Africa. It hosted the Rugby World Cup final in 1995, which was won by the country's national team, the Springboks...
in
JohannesburgJohannesburg also known as Jozi or Jo'burg, is the largest city in South Africa. Johannesburg is the provincial capital of Gauteng, the wealthiest province in South Africa, having the largest economy of any metropolitan region in Sub-Saharan Africa...
was the main venue for the
1995 World CupThe 1995 Rugby World Cup was the third Rugby World Cup. It was hosted by South Africa, and had the distinction of being the first Rugby World Cup in which every match was held in one country...
, where the Springboks defeated the All Blacks in the final. Other regular venues for tests include
PretoriaPretoria is a city located in the northern part of Gauteng Province, South Africa. It is one of the country's three capital cities, serving as the executive and de facto national capital; the others are Cape Town, the legislative capital, and Bloemfontein, the judicial capital.Pretoria is...
's
Loftus Versfeld StadiumLoftus Versfeld Stadium is a sports stadium situated in Pretoria, South Africa. The stadium has a capacity of 51,762 and is an all seater venue.-History:The stadium was named after Robert Owen Loftus Versfeld, the founder of organized sports in Pretoria...
, the
Newlands StadiumNewlands Stadium is located in Cape Town, South Africa.The stadium currently has a capacity of 51,900 people and is an all seater venue.Various sports clubs currently use the stadium as their home base, including:* Stormers in Super Rugby...
in
Cape TownCape Town is the second most populous city in South Africa, and the largest in land area, forming part of the City of Cape Town metropolitan municipality. It is the provincial capital of the Western Cape, as well as the legislative capital of South Africa, where the National Parliament and many...
, the
ABSA StadiumThe Kings Park Stadium, also known for sponsorship reasons as the ABSA Stadium, is a stadium in the Kings Park Sporting Precinct in Durban, South Africa, which was originally built in 1891 and extensively renovated in the 1990s...
in
DurbanDurban is the third most populous city in South Africa, forming part of the eThekwini metropolitan municipality. It is the largest city in KwaZulu-Natal and is famous as the busiest port in Africa. It is also a major centre of tourism due to the city's warm subtropical climate and...
,
Vodacom ParkThe Free State Stadium, also known as Vodacom Park, is a stadium in Bloemfontein, South Africa, used for rugby union, as well as football .The primary rugby union tenants of the facility are:...
in
BloemfonteinBloemfontein is the capital city of the Free State Province of South Africa as well as one of the nation's three capitals, the judicial capital. The city's Sesotho name is Mangaung, meaning "place of cheetahs" and became part of the Mangaung Local Municipality in 2000...
, and the
EPRFU StadiumEPRFU Stadium, also known by its original name of Boet Erasmus Stadium, is a stadium in Port Elizabeth, South Africa. The stadium has a capacity of 33,852 people.It is used mostly for rugby union matches, as well as football...
in
Port ElizabethPort Elizabeth is one of the largest cities in South Africa, situated in the Eastern Cape Province, 770 km east of Cape Town. The city, often shortened to PE and nicknamed "The Friendly City" or "The Windy City", stretches for 16 km along Algoa Bay, and is one of the major seaports in...
.
The first ever South African international took place at Port Elizabeth's
St George’s Park Cricket GroundSt George’s Park Cricket Ground or Crusaders Ground or simply Crusaders in Port Elizabeth, South Africa is the home of Port Elizabeth Cricket Club, one of the oldest cricket clubs in South Africa, and of the Eastern Province Club. It is also one of the venues at which Test matches and One Day...
in 1891. Ellis Park was built in 1928, and in 1955 hosted a record 100,000 people in a Test between South Africa and the British Lions.
The Springboks are said to have a notable advantage over touring sides when playing at high
altitudeAltitude is defined based on the context in which it is used . As a general definition, altitude is a distance measurement, usually in the vertical or "up" direction, between a reference datum and a point or object...
on the
HighveldThe Highveld is a high plateau region of South Africa which is largely home to the largest metropolitan area in the country, the Gauteng City Region, which accounts for one-third of South Africa's population. The Highveld constitutes parts of the Mpumalanga, Northern Cape, North West, and Limpopo...
. Games at Ellis Park, Loftus Versfeld, or Vodacom Park are said to present physical problems, and to influence a match in a number of other ways, such as the ball travelling further when kicked. Experts disagree on whether touring team's traditionally poor performances at altitude are more due to a state of mind rather than an actual physical challenge.
Tri Nations
South Africa's only annual tournament is the Tri-Nations competed with Australia and New Zealand. South Africa have won the tournament three times; in
1998The 1998 Tri Nations Series was contested from July 11 to August 22 between the Australia, New Zealand and South Africa national rugby union teams. The Springboks won the tournament.-Table:-Results:-External links:** at Rugby.com.au...
and
2004The 2004 Tri Nations Series, an annual rugby union competition between the national teams of Australia, New Zealand and South Africa, was the ninth in the series. The competition is organised by SANZAR, a consortium of the three countries' rugby union federations...
and
2009The 2009 Tri Nations Series was the fourteenth annual Tri Nations rugby union series between the national rugby union teams of New Zealand, Australia and South Africa, respectively nicknamed the All Blacks, Wallabies, and Springboks...
. South Africa also contest the
Mandela Challenge PlateThe Nelson Mandela Challenge Plate is a rugby union trophy contested between Australia and South Africa. It is named after South Africa's first post-apartheid president, Nelson Mandela....
with Australia, and the
Freedom CupThe Freedom Cup is a minor international rugby union trophy contested between South Africa and New Zealand, during the Tri-nations tournament. It was first contested in 2004 , in a one-off test. The game, played at Ellis Park, Johannesburg was won 40-26 by South Africa...
with New Zealand as part of the Tri-Nations.
World Cup
South Africa did not participate in the
1987The 1987 Rugby World Cup was the first Rugby World Cup. The tournament was hosted by New Zealand and Australia in 1987 and was won by New Zealand...
and
1991 World CupsThe 1991 Rugby World Cup was the second edition of the Rugby World Cup, and jointly hosted by England, Ireland, Scotland, Wales and France; at that time, the five European countries that participated in the Five Nations Championship. As the final was played at the Twickenham Stadium in London, it...
because of the sporting boycott of them due to apartheid. South Africa's introduction to the event was as hosts. They defeated defending champions Australia 27–18 in the opening match, and went on to defeat the All Blacks 15–12 after extra time in the 1995 Rugby World Cup Final, with a drop goal from 40 metres by
Joel StranskyJoel Theodore Stransky is a former South African rugby union footballer, most notable for scoring the winning drop goal in the 1995 Rugby World Cup final. He played as a ....
. In
1999The 1999 Rugby Union World Cup was the fourth Rugby World Cup and the first to be held in rugby union's professional era. The principal host nation was Wales, although the majority of matches were played outside the country, shared between England, France, Scotland and Ireland...
South Africa suffered their first ever World Cup loss when they were defeated 21–27 by Australia in their semi-final; they went on to defeat the All Blacks 22–18 in the third-fourth play-off match. The worst ever South African performance at a World Cup was in 2003 when they lost a pool game to England, and then were knocked out of the tournament by the All Blacks in their quarter-final. In
2007The 2007 Rugby World Cup was the sixth Rugby World Cup, a quadrennial international rugby union competition inaugurated in 1987. Twenty nations competed for the Webb Ellis Cup in the tournament, which was hosted by France from 7 September to 20 October. France won the hosting rights in 2003,...
the Springboks defeated Fiji in the quarter-finals and Argentina in the semi-finals. They then defeated England in the
finalThe 2007 Rugby World Cup Final was a rugby union match, played on Saturday, 20 October 2007 at the Stade de France, Saint-Denis, Paris. The match determined the winner of the 2007 Rugby World Cup and the de facto world champions for the next four years...
15–6 to win the tournament for a second time.
Overall
Until the 1990's South Africa was easily the most successful rugby nation in Test match history, with a positive win-loss ratio against every Test playing nation including their traditional rivals, the New Zealand "All Blacks". Despite having to contend with off field problems that the other major Test nations do not face, the Springboks still maintain their positive win-loss ratio against every team, other than New Zealand. The All Blacks eventually managed to overtake South Africa because of a run of Springbok losses caused by the lack of a reliable goal kicker. South Africa are currently ranked number one in the
world rankingsThe IRB World Rankings is a ranking system for men's national teams in rugby union, managed by the International Rugby Board , the sport's governing body. The teams of the IRB's member nations are ranked based on their game results, with the most successful teams being ranked highest...
. When the ranking system was introduced in October 2003 South Africa were ranked sixth. Their ranking fluctuated in the following four years, until victory in the
2007 Rugby World CupThe 2007 Rugby World Cup was the sixth Rugby World Cup, a quadrennial international rugby union competition inaugurated in 1987. Twenty nations competed for the Webb Ellis Cup in the tournament, which was hosted by France from 7 September to 20 October. France won the hosting rights in 2003,...
sent them to the top of the rankings. Since then, the top two rankings have been interchanged between South Africa and New Zealand, with the Springboks regaining top spot in July 2009 with a win over the All Blacks in the Tri-Nations.
Their Test record against all nations:
| Against |
Played |
Won |
Lost |
Drawn |
% Won |
| |
13 |
13 |
0 |
0 |
100% |
| |
68 |
40 |
27 |
1 |
58.8% |
| |
2 |
2 |
0 |
0 |
100% |
| East Africa The East Africa rugby union team represented the colonies of British East Africa in rugby union. The players were predominantly white settlers, and from Kenya, although players from the other parts of the region - Uganda and Tanganyika did play as well. The team is sometimes referred to as "Kenya"...
|
1 |
1 |
0 |
0 |
100% |
| |
31 |
18 |
12 |
1 |
58.1% |
| |
2 |
2 |
0 |
0 |
100% |
| |
36 |
20 |
10 |
6 |
55.6% |
| |
1 |
1 |
0 |
0 |
100% |
IrelandThe Ireland rugby union team represents the island of Ireland, both Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland in rugby union. Ireland are the current Six Nations Champions...
|
18 |
14 |
3 |
1 |
77.8% |
| |
7 |
7 |
0 |
0 |
100% |
British and Irish LionsThe British and Irish Lions, formerly known as the British Isles and the British Lions, is a rugby union team made up of players from England, Scotland, Ireland and Wales...
|
43 |
21 |
16 |
6 |
48.8% |
| |
1 |
1 |
0 |
0 |
100% |
| |
78 |
33 |
42 |
3 |
42.3% |
| New Zealand Cavaliers The Cavaliers was the name given to an unofficial New Zealand rugby union team which toured South Africa in 1986.The rebel tour occurred after the official All Black tour planned for 1985 was cancelled due to a legal ruling that it would be incompatible with the NZRFU's legally stated purpose:...
|
4 |
3 |
1 |
0 |
75% |
| Pacific Islanders The Pacific Islanders rugby union team is an international rugby union team, started in 2004, that represents Fiji, Samoa and Tonga. While Niue and the Cook Islands are not members of the Pacific Tri-Nations competition, they did supply players to the squad for the Pacific Islanders' tour in 2004...
|
1 |
1 |
0 |
0 |
100% |
| |
1 |
1 |
0 |
0 |
100% |
| |
6 |
6 |
0 |
0 |
100% |
| |
20 |
16 |
4 |
0 |
80% |
| South American Jaguars The South American Jaguars was an international rugby union team consisting of South American players that played during the early 1980s against the South African Springboks. South Africa invited South America to tour there as a way of counteracting its sporting isolation which was due to the...
|
8 |
7 |
1 |
0 |
87.5% |
| |
1 |
1 |
0 |
0 |
100% |
| |
2 |
2 |
0 |
0 |
100% |
| |
3 |
3 |
0 |
0 |
100% |
| |
3 |
3 |
0 |
0 |
100% |
| |
23 |
21 |
1 |
1 |
91% |
| Total |
372 |
236 |
117 |
19 |
63.44% |
Current squad
A 23-man squad for the 2009 Tri-Nations: Wynand Olivier was called up to the squad as cover for Adi Jacobs who has a groin injury. Schalk burger was recalled to the squad following the expiration of his ban, Kankowski, Steenkamp and Ndungane were also recalled. On the 1st September, lock Johann Muller was called up to replace the injured Bekker, Pietersen also returned home injured.
Backs
| Player |
Position |
Club |
| Fourie du Preez Petrus Fourie du Preez {Pronounced Doo Preeah} is a rugby union player. His position of choice is scrum half. Du Preez plays for the Blue Bulls in the Currie Cup competition in South Africa and the Bulls in the international Super 14 competition.Fourie du Preez is widely seen as the best scrum...
|
| Bulls |
| Enrico Januarie Enrico "Ricky" Januarie is a South African rugby union scrum-half. Formerly of the Lions, he has signed with the Stormers, in the Vodacom Super 14 in 2008...
|
| StormersThe Stormers, for sponsorship reasons referred to as Vodacom Stormers, are a South African rugby union team competing in the Super 14 competition . They have never reached the final of the Super 12 competition, having been eliminated in the semi-finals in their best two years, 1999 and 2004...
|
| Ruan Pienaar Ruan Pienaar is a South African rugby union footballer who plays either as a scrum-half or as a fly-half for Natal Sharks in the Currie Cup, the Sharks in the Super 14 and the Springboks...
|
| Sharks |
| Morné Steyn Morne Steyn is a South African rugby union player who plays at the fly-half position.He plays at number 10 for the Bulls in the Super 14...
|
| Bulls |
| Jean de Villiers Jean de Villiers is a South African rugby union footballer. He started his career at wing, but now primarily plays centre. De Villiers plays for Munster and internationally for the Springboks....
|
| MunsterMunster Rugby is an Irish professional rugby union club based in Munster, that competes in the Magners League and Heineken Cup....
|
| Jaque Fourie Jaque Fourie is a South African rugby union footballer. He is a versatile backline player whose usual position is in the centres...
|
| Lions |
| Adrian Jacobs Adrian Jacobs is a South African rugby union player who plays for the Natal Sharks provincially and The Sharks in the Super 14. He predominantly plays Centre, but is a highly versatile backline player, covering Flyhalf, Wing and even Fullback for The Sharks...
|
| Sharks |
| Wynand Olivier Wynand Olivier is a South African rugby union footballer. He currently plays for the Bulls in the international Super 14 competition. His usual position is at centre, although he has played on the wing in the past....
|
| Bulls |
Bryan HabanaBryan Gary Habana is a South African rugby union player who plays as a for the Blue Bulls in the Currie Cup, the Bulls in Super 14, and the 2007 Rugby World Cup champion Springboks...
|
| Bulls |
| Odwa Ndungane Odwa Ndungane born 20 February 1981 in Umtata, South Africa is a rugby union player for the Sharks in the Super 14 competition. He plays on the .He has recently been handed his South African debut ahead of, amongst others, his twin brother Akona Ndungane....
|
| Sharks |
| JP Pietersen Jon-Paul Roger "JP" Pietersen is a South African rugby union footballer. He generally plays fullback or wing for the Sharks and the Natal Sharks in the Currie Cup...
|
| Sharks |
François SteynFrancois Steyn is a South African rugby union player, who plays for his national team; the Natal Sharks in the country's domestic competition, the Currie Cup; and the Sharks in the Southern Hemisphere Super 14 competition. He was also a member of the winning team of the 2007 Rugby World Cup...
|
| Sharks |
|
Forwards
| Player |
Position |
Club |
| Bismarck du Plessis Bismarck du Plessis is a South African rugby union player, who plays for South Africa and for the Natal Sharks.A native of the town of Bethlehem in the Free State province, Bismarck du Plessis made his debut for the Sharks in the Super 14 in 2005...
|
| Sharks |
| Chiliboy Ralepelle Mahlatse "Chiliboy" Ralepelle , generally referred to by his nickname, is a South African rugby union footballer. His usual position is at hooker...
|
| Bulls |
| Jannie du Plessis {Infobox Rugby biography| name = Jannie du Plessis| image =| caption =| birthname = Jan Nathaniel du Plessis| nickname =| dateofbirth = | placeofbirth = Bethlehem, Free State, South Africa| height = | weight = | ru_position =...
|
| Sharks |
Tendai MtawariraTendai "Beast" Mtawarira is a Zimbabwean-born South African rugby union player for the Sharks in the Super 14 competition. Tendai Mtawarira plays as a . Mtawarira is fondly known by friends and fans as "The Beast"...
|
| Sharks |
John SmitJohn William Smit is the 51st and current captain of the South African national rugby union team, the Springboks. He has played most of his career as a , but played twice for the Springboks off the bench as a prior to the South Africa coaching staff's decision to use him as a for the 2008 end of...
(C) |
| Sharks |
| Gurthro Steenkamp Gurthro Steenkamp is a South African Rugby union player. He plays loosehead prop. Steenkamp currently plays for the Blue Bulls in the Currie Cup and the Bulls in the Super 14...
|
| Bulls |
| Andries Bekker Andries Bekker is a South African rugby union player for the Springbok rugby team as well as Western Province in the Currie Cup and the Stormers franchise in the Super 14....
|
| StormersThe Stormers, for sponsorship reasons referred to as Vodacom Stormers, are a South African rugby union team competing in the Super 14 competition . They have never reached the final of the Super 12 competition, having been eliminated in the semi-finals in their best two years, 1999 and 2004...
|
| Bakkies Botha John Philip "Bakkies" Botha, usually referred to by his nickname is a South African rugby union player who plays lock for the Springboks...
|
| Bulls |
Victor MatfieldVictor Matfield is a South African rugby union player for the Springbok rugby team as well as the Blue Bulls in the Currie Cup and the Bulls franchise in the Super 14...
(VC) |
| Bulls |
| Johann Muller Gysbert Johannes Muller, more commonly known as Johann Muller , is a South African Rugby Union player. He plays for the Natal Sharks , Sharks and the Springboks....
|
| Sharks |
| Heinrich Brüssow Heinrich Wilhelm Brüssow is a South African rugby union footballer. He plays for the Free State Cheetahs and in the international Super 14 competition...
|
| Cheetahs The Central Cheetahs, known for sponsorship reasons as Vodacom Cheetahs, is a South African Super 14 rugby union franchise that entered the competition in 2006. The franchise area encompasses the Free State, Griffons, and Griquas Currie Cup unions...
|
Schalk BurgerSchalk Burger Jr. is a South African rugby union player. He plays the position of flanker in the Springbok rugby union team.-Father:...
|
| StormersThe Stormers, for sponsorship reasons referred to as Vodacom Stormers, are a South African rugby union team competing in the Super 14 competition . They have never reached the final of the Super 12 competition, having been eliminated in the semi-finals in their best two years, 1999 and 2004...
|
| Danie Rossouw Danie Rossouw is a South African rugby union footballer who plays as a loose forward. He plays for the Bulls in the international Super 14 competition. Rossouw made his provincinal debut during 1999 for the Blue Bulls in a match against the North Western Province in the Currie Cup competition...
|
| Bulls |
Juan SmithJuan Smith is a South African rugby union footballer. His usual position is at blindside , although he has also played , he plays for the Springboks. He plays for the Vodacom Cheetahs in the international Super 14 competition as well as the Free State Cheetahs in the Currie Cup...
|
| Cheetahs The Central Cheetahs, known for sponsorship reasons as Vodacom Cheetahs, is a South African Super 14 rugby union franchise that entered the competition in 2006. The franchise area encompasses the Free State, Griffons, and Griquas Currie Cup unions...
|
| Ryan Kankowski Ryan Kankowski is a South African rugby union player, who plays for the Natal Sharks provincially and The Sharks in the Super 14....
|
| Sharks |
| Pierre Spies Pierre Johan Spies is a South African rugby union player. His usual position is on the flank or at number 8, where he plays for the Vodacom Bulls in the international Super 14 competition. He has represented the Springboks since 2006.He made his debut for the Blue Bulls in 2005 in a match against...
|
| Bulls |
|
Individual records
South Africa's most capped player is
Percy MontgomeryPercival Colin "Percy" Montgomery is a retired South African rugby union footballer. When he ended his international career in August 2008, he held the all-time records for both caps and points for South Africa's national team, also known as the Springboks...
with 102 caps, placing him
joint seventh with
WallabyThe Australian national rugby union team is the representative side of Australia in rugby union. The national team is nicknamed the Wallabies and competes annually with New Zealand and South Africa in the Tri-Nations Series, in which they also contest the Bledisloe Cup with New Zealand and the...
Stephen LarkhamStephen Larkham is an Australian rugby union footballer with the Ricoh Black Rams in Japan. He is best known for his career with the Brumbies in Super Rugby, for whom he played from the inception of the professional Super 12 in 1996 through 2007, and his long tenure with the Wallabies at...
on the all-time list in international rugby. Montgomery also holds the South African record for Test points with 893, which at the time of his international retirement placed him sixth on the
all-time list of Test point scorers (he now stands eighth). The most points Montgomery ever scored in a single international was 35 against
NamibiaThe Namibian rugby union team, nicknamed the Welwitschias or Biltongboere, represents Namibia at rugby union. Although they are a tier-three nation in the International Rugby Board tier system, the team have participated in all three Rugby World Cup competitions since their first appearance in 1999...
in 2007—this is also a South African record.
On 1 Aug during the 2009 Tri Nations tournament,
Morne SteynMorne Steyn is a South African rugby union player who plays at the fly-half position.He plays at number 10 for the Bulls in the Super 14...
set a number of records during the second Test between the Springboks and the All Blacks. The Springboks won 31-19, with Steyn scoring all South Africa's points. This gave him records for:
- Most points scored by any player in a Tri Nations match, surpassing Andrew Mehrtens
Andrew Philip Mehrtens MNZM is a New Zealand rugby union footballer, currently playing in France for Racing Métro in the Paris region, who has been one of the top s in the world since the advent of the sport's professional era in the mid-1990s...
(All Blacks vs. Australia, 1999).
- Most points ever scored by an individual in a Test against the All Blacks, passing Christophe Lamaison
Christophe Lamaison is a former French rugby union footballer who represented France at international level, and Brive, Agen and Aviron Bayonnais at professional club level. He won 37 caps and is the current all-time leading points scorer for France, with 380 points...
's 29 (France, 1999).
- World record for most points scored by a player who has scored all their team's points.
- South African record for penalties in a test (8) - beating the seven achieved twice by Montgomery.
The world's most-capped captain and South Africa's most-capped forward is
John SmitJohn William Smit is the 51st and current captain of the South African national rugby union team, the Springboks. He has played most of his career as a , but played twice for the Springboks off the bench as a prior to the South Africa coaching staff's decision to use him as a for the 2008 end of...
, who has captained South Africa in 64 of his 90 Tests. Smit also played 46 consecutive matches for South Africa, which is a record. The record try scorer is
Joost van der WesthuizenJoost van der Westhuizen is a former South African rugby union footballer who was the Springboks' first choice in the mid-to-late 1990s and early 2000s. He was capped 89 times for the Springboks and scored 38 tries...
who scored 38 tries in his 89 appearances.
Notable players
Nine former South African internationals have been inducted into the
International Rugby Hall of FameThe International Rugby Hall of Fame is a hall of fame for rugby union. It was created in 1997 in New Zealand and is run as a charitable trust with an address at Chiswick in London. Most of the trustees are also inductees. IRHOF accepts new inductees every two years...
. One of those,
Danie CravenDaniël Hartman Craven , more famously known as Danie Craven or simply Doc Craven, is a former Western Province, Eastern Province, Northern Transvaal and Springbok rugby union player as well as arguably South Africa's best and best-known rugby administrator...
, has also been inducted into the
IRB Hall of FameThe IRB Hall of Fame is a hall of fame operated by the International Rugby Board that recognises special achievement and contribution to the sport of rugby union. The IRB Hall of Fame covers players, coaches, administrators, match officials, institutions and other individuals...
.
Bennie Osler played 17 consecutive Tests between 1924 and 1933. Playing at , his first Test was against the touring British team in 1924. He also played in the series against the All Blacks in 1928, but most notably captained the Springboks on their Grand Slam tour of 1931–32 when they defeated all four
Home NationsHome Nations is a collective term used to refer to England, Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales . It is most commonly heard in sporting contexts...
. His last Tests were the five played against Australia when they toured to South Africa in 1933.
Making his Test debut in Olser's Grand Slam winning team in 1931 was Danie Craven. Craven played several positions including fly-half, scrum-half, and even . However Craven was most famous for popularising the dive pass. As well as winning a Grand Slam with Osler's team, Craven toured with 1937 Springboks to New Zealand where they achieved their first ever series victory over New Zealand. His last act as player was captaining South Africa in a Test series against the Lions. Craven's involvement with the Springboks continued after his playing retirement, and he coached them to a 4–0 series win over the touring All Blacks in 1949. He was elected President of the South African Rugby Board in 1956, a position he held until the post-apartheid South African Rugby Union was formed in 1991. Craven was instrumental in the formation of the South African Rugby Union and became its first Executive President. Such was Craven's influence in South African rugby he became known as "Mr Rugby", and was in the second class of inductees into the IRB Hall of Fame; behind
Rugby SchoolRugby School, located in the town of Rugby, Warwickshire, is regarded as one of the UK's leading co-educational boarding schools and is one of the oldest public schools in England.-History:...
and
William Webb EllisWilliam Webb Ellis , famous as the inventor of Rugby, was an English Anglican clergyman. Though credited with the invention of Rugby football while he was a pupil at Rugby School, the story of how he founded the game may be false; nevertheless, his name is firmly established in the folklore of...
.
The man most credited with inventing modern number 8 play was
Hennie MullerHendrik "Hennie" Scholtz Vosloo Muller , is a former South African rugby union footballer. Muller is considered one of the greatest South African footballers, captaining the national side, the Springboks in nine tests, and is a member of the International Rugby Hall of Fame...
. He played 13 Tests between 1949 and 1953, and in the process won a 4–0 series victory over the All Blacks and a Grand Slam tour of Britain and Ireland. He was nicknamed
Windhond (greyhound) due to his speed around the field. When writing about the 1949 series against the All Blacks, Harding and Williams wrote: "(Okey)
GeffinAaron "Okey" Geffin was an South African rugby union player.He is sometimes considered the greatest Jewish rugby player of all time, and he was inducted into the International Jewish Sports Hall of Fame in 1998....
won the series, perhaps, but Muller made it possible." Of Muller's 13 Tests, he only lost one—against Australia in 1953.
Named South Africa's player of the 20th Century in 2000,
Frik du PreezFrik du Preez is a former Northern Transvaal and Springboks Rugby union player. He was born in the town of Rustenburg, South Africa and went to school at the Parys High School in Parys...
played 38 Tests between 1961 and 1971. Du Preez could play both or and was one of the most dominant forwards of the 1960s, but was especially well known for his all round skills. Danie Craven said of du Preez, "To my mind he could have played any position on a rugby field with equal brilliance."
Morne du PlessisMorne du Plessis is a former South African rugby union player. He is often described as one of the Springboks' most successful captains. Playing at number 8, his national career spanned ten years, five of which he was captain...
played 22 Tests for South Africa between 1971 and 1980. His debut was at Number 8 in South Africa's series win over Australia in 1971. He went on to captain South Africa and became part of the only father-son pair to captain South Africa—his father had captained South Africa in 1949. He led South Africa to a 3–1 series win over the All Blacks in 1976 and a series win over the British Lions in 1980 by the same margin.
Both International Hall of Fame inductees Naas Botha and
Danie GerberDanie Gerber is a former South African rugby union player, who played for South Africa between 1980 and 1992. Playing mainly at , he made only 24 caps for South Africa despite playing internationally for 12 years because of South Africa's sporting isolation caused by apartheid...
had careers interrupted by South Africa's sporting isolation in the 1980s and early 1990s. Botha made his Test debut against the South American Jaguars in 1980. Playing at fly-half, Botha played 28 Tests and scored 312 Test points before his international retirement in 1992. Botha contributed significantly to the Springboks 1980 series win over the Lions, and also played for the World XV in the IRB Centenary Match at
TwickenhamTwickenham Stadium is a stadium located in Twickenham, in the London Borough of Richmond upon Thames. It is the largest rugby union stadium in the United Kingdom and has recently been enlarged to seat 82,000...
. Gerber also made his debut in 1980, and scored 19 tries in his 24 Tests before retiring in 1992. He scored a hat-trick against England in 1984, and played alongside Botha in the World XV team in 1986. In South Africa's first Test since the fall of apartheid, against the All Blacks in 1992, he scored twice.
Two players that straddled the amateur and professional eras were
Francois PienaarJacobus Francois Pienaar captained and played for the South African Springboks national rugby union team from 26 June 1993 until 10 August 1996. He won 29 test caps and led the Springboks to victory in the 1995 Rugby Union World Cup...
and
Joost van der WesthuizenJoost van der Westhuizen is a former South African rugby union footballer who was the Springboks' first choice in the mid-to-late 1990s and early 2000s. He was capped 89 times for the Springboks and scored 38 tries...
. Both first played for the Springboks in 1993. Pienaar was named captain in his first Test against France, and went on to captain the side to the 1995 World Cup. It was there he captained South Africa to the World Cup title, and received the trophy from
Nelson MandelaNelson Rolihlahla Mandela is a former President of South Africa, the first to be elected in a fully representative democratic election, who held office from 1994–99. Before his presidency, Mandela was an anti-apartheid activist, and the leader of the African National Congress's armed wing Umkhonto...
who was wearing his number 6 jersey. Nelson Mandela later wrote "It was under Francois Pienaar's inspiring leadership that rugby became the pride of the entire county. Francois brought the nation together." Joost van der Westhuizen also participated in the 1995 World cup victory, but went on to play in two more World Cups. Playing at scrum-half, van der Westhuizen played 89 Tests for South Africa and scored 38 tries. At the time of his retirement following the 2003 World Cup he was South Africa's leading try scorer and most capped player.
Coaches
The role and definition of the South Africa coach has varied significantly over the team's history. Hence a comprehensive list of coaches, or head selectors, is impossible. The following table is a list of coaches since the 1949 All Blacks tour to South Africa:
| Name |
Tenure |
Win % |
Danie CravenDaniël Hartman Craven , more famously known as Danie Craven or simply Doc Craven, is a former Western Province, Eastern Province, Northern Transvaal and Springbok rugby union player as well as arguably South Africa's best and best-known rugby administrator...
|
1949–1956 |
74% |
| Basil Kenyon |
1958 |
0% |
| Hennie Muller Hendrik "Hennie" Scholtz Vosloo Muller , is a former South African rugby union footballer. Muller is considered one of the greatest South African footballers, captaining the national side, the Springboks in nine tests, and is a member of the International Rugby Hall of Fame...
|
1960–1961, 1963, 1965 |
44% |
| Boy Louw Matthys Michael Louw , born 21 February 1906 in Wellington, South Africa and died on 3 May 1988, is a former rugby union player who played with the South Africa rugby team. He primarily played prop but he also lined out for the Springboks at second row, flanker and number eight.He played with...
|
1960–1961, 1965 |
67% |
| Izak van Heerden Izak Van Heerden was a South African rugby union coach, and player, remembered mainly for his successes with the Argentina national team and Natal, and his unconventional style.-Biography:Van Heerden was born in Durban in 1910....
|
1962 |
75% |
| Felix du Plessis |
1964 |
100% |
| Ian Kirkpatrick |
1967, 1974 |
60% |
| Avril Malan |
1969–1970 |
50% |
| Johan Claassen |
1964, 1970–1974 |
50% |
| Nelie Smith |
1980–1981 |
80% |
| Cecil Moss |
1982–1989 |
83% |
| John Williams |
1992 |
20% |
| Ian McIntosh Ian McIntosh is a Rhodesian-South African rugby union coach. He served as head coach for the side during the early 90s.McIntosh grew up in the bushveld of Bulawayo....
|
1993–1994 |
33% |
| Kitch Christie George Moir Christie, better known as Kitch Christie , was a South African rugby union coach best known for coaching the country's national team, the Springboks, to victory at the 1995 Rugby World Cup...
|
1994–1996 |
100% |
| Andre Markgraaff Andries Thomas Markgraaff better known as Andre was strongly tipped as a future Springbok captain in the early 1980s but due to a lack of international competition he was denied. He was on the bench for the Springboks vs Cavaliers 1986 test. Also represented the then South West Africa in 20...
|
1996 |
61% |
| Carel du Plessis Carel Johan du Plessis is a former South African rugby union coach and player.-Playing career:Du Plessis played for Western Province and the Springboks, his skills earning him the nickname the Prince of Wings...
|
1997 |
37% |
| Nick Mallett Nicholas Vivian Howard Mallett is a South African rugby union coach and former player who is currently the head coach of the Italian national team. He played for and later coached the Springboks, South Africa's national rugby union team.-Early life:Mallett moved to Rhodesia with his family in 1956...
|
1997–2000 |
71% |
| Harry Viljoen |
2000–2002 |
53% |
| Rudolph Straeuli Rudolph August Wilkens Straeuli played rugby union in the positions of flanker and Number 8 for, and later coached, the Springboks rugby team. He also played for the Lions provincial team in the Currie Cup competition...
|
2002–2003 |
52% |
| Jake White Jake White is a rugby union coach and former coach of the South Africa national rugby union team, the Springboks. His most notable achievements as coach include leading the Springboks to victory in 2007 Rugby World Cup and the 2004 Tri Nations title...
|
2004–2007 |
67% |
| Peter de Villiers Peter de Villiers is a South African rugby union coach. After his successes with South African U19 and U21 squads, de Villiers was named as the coach of South Africa's national team, the Springboks in January 2008, the first-ever non-white to be appointed to the position...
|
2008–present |
73% (until Sep 14 2009) |
See also
- List of Springboks
- South Africa national sevens team
The South African national rugby union sevens team compete in the World Sevens Series, the Rugby World Cup Sevens and the Commonwealth Games.-Current Squad:A 12-man squad for the London and Edinburgh Sevens:1. Mpho Mbiyozo...
- Rugby union in South Africa
Rugby union along with cricket and football are the three most popular ball sports in South Africa. Association Football however remains the most popular sport amongst South Africans but rugby union along with cricket are very popular as opportunities are opened up to all South Africans...
- South Africa vs England
The national rugby union teams of England and South Africa have been playing each other in Test rugby since 1908, and by November 2008, they have met in 31 Test matches. Their first meeting was on 8 December 1906. The match was a draw. The score was 3–3 as part of their tour of Europe...
- South Africa vs France
- South Africa vs Ireland
- South Africa vs Scotland
- South Africa vs Wales
Since 1906 South Africa and Wales have competed against each other in rugby union. Of the 23 matches played to date, South Africa have won 21, with one draw and one loss. Since 2007, the winner has been awarded the Prince William Cup, which was created to celebrate 100 years of rugby between the...
- All Blacks vs Springboks
The All Blacks and the Springboks have been playing Test match rugby union since 1921 when the All Blacks beat the Springboks in Dunedin 13-5. There is considerable history behind the All Blacks-Springbok matches, much of it off the field...
- South African rugby union captains
http://www.genslin.us/bokke/SARugby.html...
Sources
External links