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, and their emblem is the native antelope springbok. The team has been representing South Africa in international rugby union since 30 July 1891, when they played their first test match against a British Isles touring team.
Rudolf August Wilkens Straeuli is a former South African rugby union player and coach and currently the CEO of the Lions Rugby Company. He played in the positions of flanker and Number 8, making ten test appearances for South Africa in 1994 and 1995. He was the coach of the Springboks rugby team in 2002 and 2003. He also played for the Golden Lions provincial team in the Currie Cup and Super 12 competitions.
South African Barbarians is an invitational rugby union club styled along the lines of Barbarian F.C. It was formed in 1960 by Frank Mellish, the former 1951–2 Springbok selector and manager, together with former Natal Rugby Union President, Harry Stacey. The club is directly affiliated to the South African Rugby Union.
Wynand Claassen is a former South African rugby player and Springbok captain.
The 1994 South Africa rugby union tour of New Zealand was a series of rugby union matches played in New Zealand by the South African national rugby union team, from June - August 1994. The team played 14 matches in total; 11 against several provincial rugby teams and 3 against the New Zealand national rugby union team. South Africa won 10 out of the 11 matches against provincial sides, losing one match to Otago. They lost their first two test matches against the New Zealand national side and drew the last test. The South African coach for the tour was Ian McIntosh. This was the South African team's first tour to New Zealand since the controversial 1981 South Africa rugby union tour, which was received negatively by New Zealanders due to South Africa's Apartheid legislation at the time.
Rugby union and apartheid had a complex and supportive relationship. From 1948 to 1994, international rugby relations with the country, and also the non-integrated nature of rugby within South Africa drew frequent controversy. South Africa remained a member of the International Rugby Board (IRB) throughout the apartheid era.
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 1990–91, South Africa has once again fully participated in international rugby.
In 1992, South Africa played a rugby union test match against New Zealand, which later became known as the Return Test. It was a rugby union test match between the South African national rugby union team and New Zealand national rugby union team at Ellis Park Stadium in Johannesburg on 15 August 1992. It was named as the Return Test as it was South Africa's first test match since the International Rugby Board (IRB) had banned them due to apartheid.
Jan Theodorus 'Theo' Jansen van Rensburg, is a former South African rugby union player who played for the South Africa national rugby union team. He played as fullback.
Philip "Flippie" Rudolph van der Merwe is a South African former rugby union player who played six test matches for the South Africa national rugby union team from 1981 to 1989.
Matthys Boshoff 'Thys' Burger is a former South African rugby union player.
Eben-Haeser Jansen is a former South African rugby union player.
Henning Jonathan van Aswegen (born 11 February 1955 in Okahandja, South West Africa is a former South African rugby union player.
Pieter Gerhardus 'Hempies' du Toit is a former South African rugby union player.
Daniël Sarel 'Darius' Botha was a South African rugby union player.
Johan Wilhelm Heunis is a former South African rugby union player.
Jacobus Johannes 'Colin' Beck is a former South African rugby union player.
Wahl Justice Bartmann is a former South African rugby union player.
Eduard Friedrich Wilhelm 'Edrich' Krantz is a former South African rugby union player.
Cornelius Michael 'Nelie' Smith was a South African rugby union player and coach.
