The South Africa rugby team first began to gain prominence on the international stage in the 1900s. The team grew in stature quickly following their early successes and, by the inter-war years, they’d already established themselves as one of the great powers of rugby union.
However, although the South Africa national rugby union team has always been influential, the team haven’t always had a chance to display their dominance on the pitch. For example, although South Africa was instrumental in the creation of the Rugby World Cup, the team could not compete in the early editions of the tournament due to anti-apartheid sporting boycotts.
However, since they re-emerged on the world stage in the early 1990s, the Springboks have been a formidable force. They’ve captured four Rugby World Cups and four Tri Nations/The Rugby Championship titles, making them one of the most highly decorated teams in the history of the game. They’re also one of only two teams that have ever won back-to-back Rugby World Cups (alongside New Zealand).
Given the level of success they’ve experienced, the Springboks are the pride of South Africa. They’re also now viewed as a team that truly unites a nation. This was most clearly seen at the 1995 Rugby World Cup, when Nelson Mandela, who was wearing a Springbok rugby jersey and cap, presented the Webb Ellis Cup to South African captain François Pienaar.
South Africa Rugby Players
Several giants of the game have played for the South Africa rugby team on the international stage. As a result, 13 former Springboks players have been inducted into either the International Rugby Hall of Fame or the World Rugby Hall of Fame, including John Smit and Bryan Habana.
As you may expect considering they’re back-to-back Rugby World Cup winners, the current South Africa rugby squad also includes many genuine stars of the game. Springboks players to look out for include loose forward and captain Siya Kolisi, lock Eben Etzebeth and scrum-half Faf de Klerk.