Interview
Rugby World Cup
Wales 
{{item.n}}
Springboks
The Springboks are the pride of South Africa. They’ve won four Rugby World Cups and they’re the current holders of The Rugby Championship.
Springboks News
RWC 2027 schedule: 5 high-stakes matches on the road to the Round of 16
1
Boks' title defence starts with top 10 clash: 2027 World Cup schedule released
6
International
Opinion
The Springboks' biggest critic might be right on this one
58
Latest
'A dangerous thing': Rassie Erasmus issues sombre warning over Razor axing
'If you’ve got that mindset, you shouldn’t be playing': Sam Wainwright
World Rugby appoint ex-New Zealand CEO Mark Robinson to key new role
International
Opinion
Fate has a beautiful gift coming for Rassie and the Boks
International
LONG READ
The coaching conundrum part three: Time is running out for Australia and New Zealand
The Rassie Erasmus verdict on England 159 days ahead of Nations Championship
World Ranking
Springboks are currently 1st in the World Rugby Rankings. They have held the top spot for 4 months.
Ranking Over Time
Date {{date}}
Rank # {{rank}}
Points {{points}}
2003
2015
2026
Springboks Rugby Team Players
Springboks Forwards
Name
Position
Springboks Backs
Name
Position
Springboks Tournaments
South Africa National Rugby Union Team: The Springboks
The South Africa national rugby union team are affectionately known as the Springboks by supporters all over the world. They're the current holders of both the Rugby World Cup and The Rugby Championship. As a result, they're one of the most formidable teams on the planet.
Several giants of the game have played for the South Africa national rugby union team. This includes more than a dozen former Springboks players who have been inducted into either the International Rugby Hall of Fame or the World Rugby Hall of Fame, such as John Smit and Francois Pienaar.
The current Springboks squad features several stars of the modern game, including Siya Kolisi, Eben Etzebeth and Cheslin Kolbe. All three have won back-to-back Rugby World Cups with the squad.
The Springboks at The Rugby Championship
The Springboks joined the inaugural edition of the Tri-Nations in 1996, alongside Australia and New Zealand. In 2012, the competition was expanded to include Argentina. It’s now known as The Rugby Championship and is the pinnacle of rugby in the Southern Hemisphere.
Since 1996, the Springboks have won this annual competition on six occasions, including in both 2024 and 2025. To date, they're the only team to win both this competition and the Rugby World Cup in the same year.
The Springboks at the Rugby World Cup
Although South Africa was instrumental in the creation of the Rugby World Cup, the team could not compete in the first two editions of the tournament due to anti-apartheid sporting boycotts.
But, the first time the Springboks entered the competition in 1995, they both hosted and won the tournament. Famously, Nelson Mandela presented the Springboks players with the trophy after the final. Since, they've continued to be highly successful. They've won the tournament three more times (2007, 2019 and 2023) and they've claimed third-place twice. Interestingly, they’ve won all four of the Rugby World Cup finals they’ve played in.
Added to this, the Springboks are now the most successful team in the history of the Rugby World Cup. This is because South Africa’s 2023 Rugby World Cup victory made the Springboks the first team to capture four Webb Ellis Cups. They’re followed by New Zealand on three, Australia on two and England on one.
