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 Springbok, a native antelope and the national animal of South Africa. The team has represented 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 top-ranked rugby team in the world and reigning World Champions, having won the World Cup a record four times. South Africa have won half of the Rugby World Cups they have participated in and are also the second nation to win the World Cup consecutively.
Bryan Gary Habana OIS is a South African former professional rugby union player. Playing mainly as a wing, he is widely considered to be one of the greatest players in the history of the sport. He played for the Golden Lions, the Blue Bulls and Western Province in South Africa, for the Bulls and the Stormers in Super Rugby, and for Toulon in the French Top 14, and won 124 caps for the South Africa national team.
Morné du Plessis OIS is a former South African rugby union player often described as one of the Springboks' most successful captains. During the five years from 1975 to 1980 that he served as captain, the Springboks won 13 of 15 matches, giving Du Plessis an 86.66% success rate as captain.
Alan Stewart Cameron was an Australian rugby union footballer of the 1950s and 60s. A State and national representative lock-forward he made twenty Test appearances and over fifty additional tour match appearances for the Wallabies, captaining the national side in four Tests matches.
This article describes the history of South African cricket from the end of the Second World War in 1945 to the start of South Africa's cricket isolation in 1970.
Peter David Sullivan is an Australian former national representative rugby union player. He represented for New South Wales and Australia, captaining the national side on eleven occasions from 1972 to 1973.
Stefanus Sebastian "Basie" Vivier was a South African rugby union player. He was capped for South Africa five times in 1956, though he was first selected to play for the Springboks on the 1951–52 South Africa rugby tour of Great Britain, Ireland and France; but was never selected for an international match on that tour. The touring team of 1951/52 is seen as one of the greatest South African teams, winning 30 of the 31 matches, including all five internationals.
Jan Hendrik Ellis was a South African rugby union player who represented the Springboks in 38 tests, which at his retirement in 1976 was a record. His 7 test tries equalled Ferdie Bergh's record for forwards and were only surpassed in 1997 by Mark Andrews' 12 tries. Playing on the flank, Ellis was instantly recognisable on the field due to his red hair and uncompromising playing style. Among three Springboks invited to participate in the first unofficial rugby sevens world cup in 1973, he was ranked in 2003 as the 12th greatest Springbok of all time.
Marthinus Theunis "Tjol" Lategan was a South African rugby union centre. Along with Ryk van Schoor he formed one of the great post-war centre partnerships in rugby. Lategan played club rugby for University of Stellenbosch and provincial rugby for Western Province. He was capped for South Africa eleven times between 1949 and 1953 first representing the team against the 1949 touring New Zealand side. He was later selected for the 1951–52 South Africa rugby tour of Great Britain, Ireland and France. The touring team is seen as one of the greatest South African teams, winning 30 of the 31 matches, including all five internationals.
Jan Gysbert Hermanus du Preez is a former South African rugby union player who made one Test match appearance in 1956.
Coenraad Frederik "Popeye" Strydom was a South Africa national rugby union team player. In all, Strydom made six appearances for the Springboks between 1955 and 1958.
George Philip "Butch" Lochner was a South African international rugby union player. He made nine appearances for the Springboks between 1955 and 1958, mostly as a number eight. He also scored two tries during his international career, at a time when tries were worth three points. Lochner, who studied agriculture at the University of Stellenbosch, started playing provincial rugby with Western Province in 1951, before moving to Boland in 1954. He made his international debut for South Africa during the 3rd Test of the 1955 British Lions tour at the Loftus Versfeld Stadium, Pretoria. The match was won by the Lions, giving them a 2–1 lead in the four Test series. He was not selected for the 4th Lions Test, but was included in the squad for the 1956 tour of Australia and New Zealand. He played in all six of the tour Tests, including two victories over Australia. After Australia, the Springboks travelled to New Zealand to compete in a four Test Series. Following a loss in Dunedin and a win in Wellington, the series with the All Blacks was level going into the 3rd Test at Lancaster Park, Christchurch. Lochner, playing as a flanker, scored a try as South Africa lost the match 17–10. New Zealand went on to win the series 3–1. He then played in both Tests of France's 1958 tour. He scored a try in the opening match, a 3–3 draw at Newlands Stadium, Cape Town, before making his final appearance as a Springbok in the 2nd Test at Ellis Park, Johannesburg. France won the game to take the series 1–0.
Stephen Perry Fry was a South African rugby union player, most often playing as a flanker. Fry played rugby for his home town of Somerset West and provincial rugby for Western Province. He won 13 caps for the South African national team, and captained the country in four matches against the British Lions.
Johannes Daniel "Hannes" Brewis was a South African rugby union player. He was capped for South Africa ten times, and was selected to play for the Springboks on the 1951–52 South Africa rugby tour of Great Britain, Ireland and France; playing in all five international games of that tour. The touring team of 1951/52 is seen as one of the greatest South African teams, winning 30 of the 31 matches, including all five internationals. Brewis represented Northern Transvaal at regional level and is recognised as one of the great South African rugby players of the 1940s and early 1950s.
Ryk Arnoldus Mauritius van Schoor was a South African rugby union centre, a crash ball specialist he was known for his hard tackling. Van Schoor played club rugby for Inyazura RFC and provincial rugby for both Western Province and Rhodesia. He was capped for South Africa twelve times between 1949 and 1953 first representing the team against the 1949 touring New Zealand side. He was later selected for the 1951–52 South Africa rugby tour of Great Britain, Ireland and France. The touring team is seen as one of the greatest South African teams, winning 30 of the 31 matches, including all five internationals.
Franswa Pierre "Buks" Marais was a South African rugby union wing. Buks played club rugby for Paarl and provincial rugby for Boland. Marais was capped seven time for the South African national team (springboks) and was a member of the 1951–52 South Africa rugby tour of Great Britain, Ireland and France.
Ernst Erich Dinkelmann was a South African rugby union player, most often playing as a lock. Dinkelmann played club rugby for Ermelo and provincial rugby for Northern Transvaal. He won six caps for the South African national team and was part of the 1951–52 South Africa rugby tour of Great Britain, Ireland and France which lost only once in 31 matches, winning all five international Tests.
John Ulrich "Johnny" Buchler was a South African rugby union player, most often playing as a fullback. Buchler played club rugby for West Rand and provincial rugby for Transvaal. He won ten caps for the South African national team, appearing in just one losing game. Bulcher was part of the 1951–52 South Africa rugby tour of Great Britain, Ireland and France which lost only once in 31 matches, winning all five international Tests. He was noted for his reliable defensive play.
Scott Kevin Barrett is a New Zealand professional rugby union player who currently plays as a lock for the Crusaders in Super Rugby and Taranaki in the Mitre 10 Cup. Barrett was chosen as the Crusaders' Captain for the 2020 Super Rugby season.
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.
