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The South Africa national rugby union team commonly known as the Springboks, is the country's national team governed by the South African Rugby Union. The Springboks play in green and gold jerseys with white shorts. Their emblem is a native antelope, the Springbok, which is the national animal of South Africa. The team has been representing South African Rugby Union in international rugby union since 30 July 1891, when they played their first test match against a British Isles touring team. Currently, the Springboks are the number one ranked rugby team in the world and are the reigning World Champions, having won the World Cup on a record four occasions. They are also the second nation to win the World Cup consecutively.
Schalk Willem Petrus Burger Jr. is a South African former professional rugby union player. He played as a flanker for Saracens in the English Premiership and has won 86 caps for South Africa.
John William Smit, OIS, is a South African former professional rugby union player and former chief executive officer of the Sharks. He was the 50th captain of the Springbok rugby union team and led the team to win the 2007 Rugby World Cup. He played most of his senior career as a hooker, but also won 13 caps as a prop, where he had also played for South Africa's under-21 team. He retired from international rugby following the 2011 Rugby World Cup as the most-capped South African player ever, with 111 appearances.
Juanne Hugo Smith is a South African former professional rugby union player who represented South Africa in international test rugby, the Cheetahs in the Super Rugby competition, and the Free State Cheetahs in the Currie Cup. He mainly played as a blindside flanker, although he has also played number eight.
Johannes Lodewikus 'Wikus' van Heerden is a South African former rugby union player who played as a flanker. He finished his career playing for the Lions in Super Rugby, and the Golden Lions in the national Currie Cup competition. Van Heerden also won 14 caps for the South Africa national team, the Springboks. Before his move to the Bulls, he was the captain of the Cats.
Heinrich Wilhelm Brüssow is a South African former professional rugby union player. His usual position was as open-side flanker and his most recent club was Northampton Saints in the English Premiership.
Coenraad Victor Oosthuizen, nicknamed 'Coenie' or 'Shrek', is a professional rugby union player for Sale Sharks in the English Premiership. He previously represented the Free State Cheetahs and Sharks in the Currie Cup, the Cheetahs and Sharks in Super Rugby and also was chosen for the Springboks squad in 2010, 2011 and 2012, making his test debut in the first test against England in Durban in 2012.
Pieter Stephanus du Toit is a South African professional rugby union player. Du Toit plays as a lock or a flanker for the South Africa national team and the Toyota Verblitz in Japan Rugby League One. After winning the 2019 Rugby World Cup with South Africa, he was awarded the 2019 World Rugby Player of the Year. He was awarded player of the match in the 2023 Rugby World Cup final against New Zealand.
Nizaam Carr is a South African rugby union footballer who plays either as a flanker, loose forward or number 8 and back rower. He is renowned for his athleticism and linking play.
Eben Etzebeth is a South African professional rugby union player who currently plays for the Sharks in the United Rugby Championship and the South Africa national rugby team. He made his international debut for the Springboks in 2012 and has since won more than 100 caps. His regular playing position is as a number 4 lock.
Warren Roger Whiteley is a South African former professional rugby union player for the Lions in Super Rugby, the Golden Lions in the Currie Cup and the Golden Lions XV in the Rugby Challenge. His regular playing position was eighthman. He has previously played for the Sharks and the Blitzbokke.
Jacob Johannes Taute is a South African retired rugby union player. He played as a fullback or centre, he won three caps for South Africa. Taute played for the Stormers and the Lions in Super Rugby, the Golden Lions and Western Province in the Currie Cup, Munster in the Pro14 and Leicester Tigers in Premiership Rugby.
François de Klerk known by his nickname Faf, is a South African professional rugby union player who plays scrum-half for Japan Rugby League One club Yokohama Canon Eagles and the South Africa national team. He was a member of the South Africa teams that won the Rugby World Cup in 2019 and 2023.
Damian de Allende is a South African professional rugby union player who currently plays for the South Africa national team and Japanese club Saitama Wild Knights. His usual position is either centre or wing. He was a member of the Springboks team that won a record-equalling third Rugby World Cup in 2019 and he was a member of the Springboks team that won a record-setting fourth Rugby World Cup in 2023. De Allende is a part of a few elite players to have won two world cup titles.
Cheslin Kolbe is a South African professional rugby union player who currently plays for Tokyo Sungoliath in the Japan Rugby League One and the South Africa national team. His regular position is wing, but he also plays at fullback. He has also recently featured at fly half for Toulouse in the Top 14, and as a scrum half internationally. Kolbe was a member of the South Africa Sevens team that won a bronze medal at the 2016 Summer Olympics. He has won the Rugby World Cup twice with South Africa, in 2019 and 2023. Kolbe was nominated for 2019 World Rugby Player of the Year but lost to teammate Pieter-Steph du Toit. He is widely regarded as one of the best players in the world. He previously played for Toulouse, Toulon, Stormers, and Western Province. He has won the World Cup, Rugby Championship, and Lions Series with the Springboks, the Top14, and Champions Cup with Toulouse, the Currie Cup with Western Province, and the Challenge Cup with Toulon. He is one of the highest paid rugby players in the world, with a reported salary of between ¥130-155 million yen a season. He has scored 14 tries in 31 tests for South Africa. He is one of the fastest rugby players ever with a time of 10.70 for the 100m. Kolbe is famous for his outstanding defensive capabilities-despite his diminutive frame-and stunning stepping and speed, as well as power in contact. He made his debut for South Africa in 2018 in a 23-18 loss to Australia. He rapidly became more well known and was soon regarded as a world-class player.
Malcolm Justin Marx is a South African professional rugby union player who currently plays for the South Africa national rugby team and Kubota Spears in the Japan Rugby League One. His regular position is hooker, but he did play as a flanker at youth level for the Golden Lions.
Jesse André Kriel is a South African professional rugby union player who currently plays for the Canon Eagles in the Japanese Top League and South Africa national rugby team. His regular playing position is as a utility back but can also play centre, wing or fullback. Kriel was part of the national team who won the 2019 Rugby World Cup and 2023 Rugby World Cup, where he played in all the games of the latter.
Daniel David Kriel is a South African professional rugby union player for the Lions in Super Rugby and Golden Lions in the Currie Cup and in the Rugby Challenge. He also plays for the Seattle Seawolves in Major League Rugby (MLR). His regular position is centre. Kriel is the twin brother of professional rugby player Jesse Kriel.
In June 2016, Ireland played a three test series against South Africa as part of the 2016 mid-year rugby union tests. It was the first time that Ireland had played a test series against South Africa in South Africa since 2004. They played the Springboks across the three weeks that the June International window is allocated to; 11 June–25 June. The series was part of the fourth year of the global rugby calendar established by the International Rugby Board, which ran through to 2019.
Aphiwe Odwa Dyantyi is a South African professional rugby union player recently signed for the Sharks who participate in the United Rugby Championship, the EPCR Challenge Cup. His regular position is Wing
References
- ↑ "Squad of 31 ushers in new era of Springbok rugby". South African Rugby Union. 28 May 2016. Archived from the original on 31 May 2016. Retrieved 31 May 2016.
- ↑ "Lions confirm departure of Jaco Kriel". Sport24. 30 April 2018. Retrieved 30 April 2018.
- ↑ "Jaco Kriel back at Lions". Sport24. 3 February 2020. Retrieved 3 February 2020.
