Related Research Articles
Rugby union football, commonly known simply as rugby union or more often just rugby, is a close-contact team sport that originated at Rugby School in England in the first half of the 19th century. Rugby is simply based on running with the ball in hand. In its most common form, a game is played between two teams of 15 players each, using an oval-shaped ball on a rectangular field called a pitch. The field has H-shaped goalposts at both ends.
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 Namibia national rugby union team represents Namibia in men's international rugby union competitions nicknamed the Welwitschias, are a tier-two nation in the World Rugby tier system, and have participated in seven Rugby World Cup competitions since their first appearance in 1999. They are governed by the Namibia Rugby Union.
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. Incredibly, the Springboks have won half of the Rugby World Cups they've attended. They are also the second nation to win the World Cup consecutively.
The Samoa national rugby union team represents the Samoa Rugby Union in men's international rugby union. They are also known as "Manu Samoa", which is thought to derive from the name of a Samoan warrior. They perform a traditional Samoan challenge called the siva tau before each game. Samoa Rugby Union were formerly members of the Pacific Islands Rugby Alliance (PIRA) along with Fiji and Tonga. They are ranked 11th in the world.
The South Africa national rugby league team to date have competed at two Rugby League World Cups in 1995 and 2000.
Rudolf August Wilkens Straeuli is a South African rugby union administrator, and a former player and coach. He is currently the CEO of the Lions Rugby Company. He played in the positions of flanker and Number 8, making 10 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.
The Indian Rugby Football Union (IRFU), also known as Rugby India, is the governing body for sport of rugby union in India. It is situated at Marine lines, Mumbai in Maharashtra.
The Eastern Province Elephants are a South African rugby union team that participates in the annual Currie Cup and Rugby Challenge competitions. They are governed by the Eastern Province Rugby Union. The team represents the Western half of the Eastern Cape province, and they play their home games at the Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium in Port Elizabeth.
Rugby union in South Africa is a highly popular team sport, along with cricket and soccer, and is widely played all over the country. The national team is among the strongest in the world and has been ranked in at least the top seven of the World Rugby Rankings since its inception in 2003. The country hosted and won the 1995 Rugby World Cup, and won again in 2007, 2019 and 2023.
The Falcons – better known by their Afrikaans name the Valke and now known as the Hino Valke for sponsorship reasons – are a South African rugby union team in Gauteng province that participates in the annual Currie Cup tournament.
Pieter Gysbert Muller is a former international South Africa rugby union player. A centre, he was known for his strength and direct running.
Jan Nathaniel du Plessis is a former South African rugby union player, who played as a prop for Montpellier in the French Top 14 and the Lions in Super Rugby. He played for the Free State Cheetahs in the Currie Cup and the Cheetahs in Super Rugby until 2007, when he joined Durban-based side the Sharks, where he played until 2015. He won 70 caps for South Africa between 2007 and 2015.
Ruben Jacobus Kruger was a South African rugby union player. He played as a flanker. He had two daughters Zoë and Isabella. Isabella played quarter final on the junior tournament at the 2022 Wimbledon Championships.
The South Africa national under-20 rugby union team are South Africa's junior team at national level. They have been competing in the World Rugby Under 20 Championship since its inception in 2008. This Under-20 tournament replaced the previously-held Under-19 and Under-21 Rugby World Championships. Prior to 2018, it had been the country's "next senior" (second-level) 15-man national side, but World Rugby no longer allows member unions to designate age-grade sides as "next senior" teams.
Christiaan le Cordier "Chris" Rossouw is a retired South African rugby union player, usually positioned at hooker.
Mthetheleli Godfrey 'Tazz' Fuzani is a South African rugby union player for the Pumas in the Currie Cup and in the Rugby Challenge. His regular position is lock, but he has also started as a prop.
Roy Andrew Michael Godfrey is a South African rugby union player, currently playing in England with Championship side Jersey Reds. His regular position is loosehead prop.
Pieter Hendriks, is a former South African rugby union player who played for the South Africa national rugby union team between 1992 and 1996.
The 1995 Wales rugby union tour was a series of matches played in August and September 1995 in South Africa by the Wales national team. The tour consisted of two matches; a warm-up game against the South-East Transvaal provincial side, and a test match against the South African national team. The tour was held in part to thank South Africa for supporting Wales' bid to host the 1999 Rugby World Cup.
References
- ↑ "SA Rugby Player Profile – Godfrey Ramaboea". South African Rugby Union. Retrieved 25 August 2018.
   | This South Africa rugby union biography is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it. |