The Rugby World Cup is a men's rugby union tournament contested every four years between the top international teams, the winners of which are recognised as the World champions of the sport.
The New Zealand national rugby union team, commonly known as the All Blacks, represents New Zealand in men's international rugby union, which is considered the country's national sport. Famed for their international success, the All Blacks have often been regarded as one of the most successful sports teams in history.
Super Rugby is a men's professional rugby union club competition involving teams from Australia, Fiji, New Zealand, and the Pacific Islands. It has previously included teams from Argentina, Japan, and South Africa. Super Rugby started as the Super 12 in the 1996 season with 12 teams from Australia, New Zealand, and South Africa, building on competitions dating back to the South Pacific Championship in 1986. The Super 12 was established by SANZAR after the sport became professional in 1995. After the COVID-19 pandemic forced the competition to split into three, the reformed competition in 2021 only included teams from Australia, New Zealand and the Pacific islands.
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. They are currently the number one ranked rugby team in the world and 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, and stand second to their rivals the All Blacks in terms of success in international rugby.
The United Rugby Championship (URC) is an annual rugby union competition involving professional teams from Ireland, Italy, Scotland, South Africa, and Wales. For sponsorship reasons the league is known as the Vodacom United Rugby Championship in South Africa, and the BKT United Rugby Championship in the competition's other territories, the split branding mirroring the format previously adopted in Super Rugby. The Championship represents the highest level of domestic club or franchise rugby in each of its constituent countries.
Twickenham Stadium in Twickenham, south-west London, England, is a rugby union stadium owned by the Rugby Football Union (RFU), English rugby union governing body, which has its headquarters there. The England national rugby union team plays home matches at the stadium.
The South Africa national rugby league team to date have competed at two Rugby League World Cups in 1995 and 2000.
Matthew James Giteau is an Australian rugby union professional player who plays for San Diego Legion of Major League Rugby (MLR).
Waylon Michael Murray is a rugby union player. He has retired from professional rugby and is now the director of sport at Kearsney College. He stands 190 cm tall and weighs in at 105 kg and plays the position of centre or wing.
Robert Kearney is an Irish former rugby union player. He played for 15 years for Leinster followed by a six-month stint in Australia, playing for Perth based side Western Force. He also played over a decade for the Ireland national rugby union team with whom he earned 95 caps, and went on two British & Irish Lions tours in 2009 and 2013. As a youth he also played rugby union for Clongowes Wood College and Gaelic football for Louth in the All-Ireland Minor Football Championship.
Christiaan Johan Stander is a South African-born Irish former rugby union player. Stander's career began in his native South Africa, where he played for the Blue Bulls in the Currie Cup between 2010 and 2012 and for the Bulls in Super Rugby in 2012. He moved to Irish province Munster in 2012 and, after qualifying via residency in 2015, made his debut for Ireland in 2016, going on to earn 51 caps for his adopted country, as well as 1 cap for the British & Irish Lions in 2017, before retiring in 2021.
Petrus Willem van der Walt is a South African-born Japanese rugby union player who represents Japan at international level and is currently playing with NTT DoCoMo Red Hurricanes in the Japanese Top League. His regular position is lock or flanker.
James Hilterbrand is an Australian-born United States international rugby union player, currently playing for New South Wales Shute Shield side Manly and the United States rugby union team. His regular position is hooker, however he can also play as a prop.
Sergeal Phillipe Petersen is a South African rugby union player for the Stormers in Super Rugby and Western Province in the Currie Cup. His regular position is winger.
Jacobus Johannes de Kock is a South African rugby union player, currently playing with the Golden Lions. His regular position is full-back or fly-half.
Thomas Joubert du Toit is a South African rugby union player for the South Africa national team and Bath Rugby in the Gallagher Premiership. His regular position is prop. His nickname is The Tank.
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.
Dillyn Yullrich Leyds is a South African rugby union player for the South Africa national team and Stade Rochelais in the French Top 14. He can play as a fullback, fly-half or wing.
Albertus Stephanus Smith, known professionally as Kwagga Smith, is a South African professional rugby union player who currently plays for the Shizuoka Blue Revs in Japan Rugby League One and South Africa national rugby team. His regular position is flanker.
Dylan Michael Sage is a South African rugby union player for the Bulls in Super Rugby, the Blue Bulls in the Currie Cup and the Blue Bulls XV in the Rugby Challenge.
