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.
Paul Johannes Roos was one of the first South African Springbok rugby union captains and led the first South African rugby team to tour overseas – to Britain in 1906. Roos was born near the South African town of Stellenbosch on 30 October 1880 and completed his education there.
Hendrik "Hennie" Scholtz Vosloo Muller was a South African rugby union footballer. Born in Witbank, Muller is considered one of the greatest South African rugby players, captaining the national side, the Springboks in nine tests, and is a member of the International Rugby Hall of Fame. His usual position was at number eight.
Brian Price was a Wales international rugby union player. Price first played international rugby for Wales in 1961 after impressing in the Barbarians squad against South Africa. He was selected for the 1966 British Lions tour of Australia and New Zealand playing in all four tests, and spent the majority of his career playing at club level for Newport. A teacher by profession he later became a journalist and sports presenter for radio and television. In 2006 he became President of the Former Player Association.
Douglas Francis Theodore Morkel was a South African international rugby union player. He was one of Paul Roos 1906 touring Springboks.
The 1906–07 South Africa tour of Europe was a collection of friendly rugby union games undertaken by the South Africa national team against the four British Home Nation teams. The tour also took in several matches against British and Irish club, county and invitational teams before finally travelling to France to play the national team.
Terence John Davies MBE was a Welsh international full back who played club rugby for Swansea and Llanelli. He won 21 caps for Wales and was selected to play in the British Lions on the 1959 tour of Australia and New Zealand. Davies was seen as the last of the great Welsh full backs, before the 'No direct kicking into touch' rule was introduced in the late sixties and changed the full back role.
Harry Hiams was a Welsh international forward who played club rugby for Swansea and Llanelli. He won two caps for Wales and played for Llanelli against the touring South Africans. During the First World War, Hiams served with the Royal Field Artillery.
William Rex Willis was a Welsh international rugby union scrum-half who played club rugby for Cardiff and invitational rugby for the Barbarians. He won 21 caps for Wales and was selected to play in the British Lions on the 1950 tour of Australia and New Zealand.
Howell Lewis was a Welsh international rugby union wing who played club rugby for Swansea Rugby Football Club and was capped for Wales on four occasions. Lewis was also part of the Swansea team that beat the touring South Africa team in 1912.
The 1964 Wales rugby union tour of Africa was a collection of friendly rugby union games undertaken by the Wales national rugby union team to Africa. The tour took in five matches against African regional and invitational teams with one test against South Africa. This was the first official Wales tour to the southern hemisphere; Wales' first match outside Europe was played against East Africa on Tuesday May 12, 1964.
David John Thomas was a Welsh international forward who played club rugby for Swansea Rugby Club. He won ten caps for Wales and is most notable for scoring the only try in Swansea's win over South Africa in 1912.
John Charles Meredith Dyke was a former Wales international rugby union fullback. Dyke made his debut for Wales on 1 December 1906 versus South Africa and was selected for the 1908 British Lions tour to New Zealand and Australia. He played club rugby for Penarth and London Welsh.
John "Jack" Charles Jenkins was a Welsh international rugby union forward who played club rugby for Newport and London Welsh. He won just a single cap for Wales in 1907 but faced both New Zealand and South Africa at county level with Middlesex and Monmouthshire.
Jan "Jacky" Willem Hurter Morkel was a South African international rugby union player, who also played first class cricket. Morkel played at centre for Somerset West RFC and Western Province. He was selected for South Africa for the 1912–13 tour of the Home Nations and France. He played in 18 games on the tour, including all five test matches, and scored four tries, two of them against Ireland. His brother, Gerhard, and his cousins 'Boy' and Dougie, were also on the tour. Jacky Morkel also represented Transvaal in cricket.
Gerald "Tommy" W. Thompson was a South African rugby union player who played for Somerset West Rugby Club. He was selected for the provincial team of Western Province in 1912. He was selected to participate in the 1912–13 South Africa rugby tour to the British Isles and France, and was capped in three tests, against Scotland, Ireland and Wales, all in 1912. He played in a further 12 matches against club sides. He was considered one of the two best of an outstanding pack of South African forwards.
In 1960-61 the South Africa national rugby union team toured England, France, Ireland, Scotland, and Wales, playing a series of test matches, as well as games against club, regional, and representative teams. South Africa won a Grand Slam by winning their test matches against all four Home Nations sides, as well as the test against France. This was the fifth Springboks tour of the Northern Hemisphere.
The History of the South Africa national rugby union team dates back to 1891, when the British Lions first toured South Africa where they played against South African representative sides. The South Africa national rugby union team played few international matches during a period of international sanctions due to apartheid. Since the end of apartheid in 1994, South Africa has once again fully participated in international rugby.
John Clother Morkel was a South African-born Rhodesian international rugby union player. He was born in Cape Town, Union of South Africa and was the captain of the Rhodesia national rugby union team and played as a lock.
William Herman "Boy" Morkel was a South African rugby union player and 14th captain of the South Africa national rugby union team.
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