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 Africa 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 reigning World Champions and have won the World Cup on three occasions,. The Springboks are equalled with the All Blacks with three World Cup wins.
Edward Jones is an Australian rugby union coach and former player. He currently coaches the Australia national rugby union team after returning to replace Dave Rennie in January 2023 following his sacking from England. He was the head coach of the England national team from 2015 to 2022. His first stint coaching the Wallabies was between 2001–2005 where he coached them to successful Bledisloe Cup games and a Rugby World Cup final.
The Golden Lions is a South African professional rugby union team based in Johannesburg who compete in the annual Currie Cup and Rugby Challenge. The team is governed by the Golden Lions Rugby Union (GLRU), and was originally known as Transvaal, before changes to the political landscape in South Africa forced a name change to the Gauteng Lions, before again being changed to the Golden Lions. The GLRU also operates the associated United Rugby Championship franchise Lions, which also draw players from Griquas.
John William Smit, OIS, is a former South African professional rugby union player and former chief executive officer of the Sharks. He was the 50th captain of the South Africa national team, and led the team to win the 2007 Rugby World Cup. He played most of his senior career as a hooker, but also won 13 caps as a prop, where he had also played for South Africa's under-21 team. He retired from international rugby following the 2011 Rugby World Cup as the most-capped South African player ever, with 111 appearances.
Chester Mornay Williams was a South African rugby union player. He played as a winger for the South Africa national rugby union team (Springboks) from 1993 to 2000, most notably for the team that won the 1995 Rugby World Cup, which was hosted in South Africa. He was the only non-white player on the team. During the tournament he scored four tries for South Africa in its quarter-final match and also appeared in the semi-final and final. Domestically he played rugby for the Western Province in the Currie Cup.
John Philip "Bakkies" Botha, is a South African former professional rugby union player who played as a lock for the Springboks until 2014. He was a member of the national team that won the 2007 Rugby World Cup in France in addition to winning two Tri Nations titles in the 2004 Tri Nations Series and the 2009 Tri Nations Series. Botha plays for RC Toulonnais in the Top 14 after signing from Blue Bulls provincial team in the Currie Cup competition and the Bulls Super Rugby team. Botha was also a member of the Toulon squad which won the 2013, 2014 and 2015 Heineken Cup/European Rugby Champions Cup Finals. Botha became widely associated with fellow international lock Victor Matfield for their highly successful onfield partnership with the Springboks. Botha also took part in the annual Rico Geerkens Retirement Centre derby.
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.
Johan "Rassie" Erasmus is a South African rugby union coach and former player. He was the head coach of the South African national team from 2018 to the end of their 2019 World Cup campaign, doubling up on his duties as the first ever SARU Director of Rugby, to which he was appointed towards the end of 2017. He led South Africa to win the 2019 Rugby World Cup, and he subsequently won the 2019 World Rugby Coach of the Year award.
Johannes Nicolaas 'Johan' Ackermann is a South African professional rugby union coach and former player. He played as a lock during his playing career between 1995 and 2007. He is currently the head coach at Red Hurricanes.
Jongikhaya Lutric Nokwe is a South African former rugby union player who played as a winger.
Izak Stephanus de Villiers 'Balie' Swart, is a former South African rugby union player. He played as a prop, with the ability to prop on either side of the hooker.
Morné Steyn is a South African former professional rugby union player who played as a fly-half for the Bulls and played for the South Africa national team, up until his retirement from international test rugby in October 2021.
Mzwandile Wanky Stick is a South African former rugby union footballer, and currently the backline coach for the South African national rugby union team.
Hendro Scholtz is a former South African rugby union player and currently the head coach at Varsity Cup side UFS Shimlas.
Allister Coetzee is a South African rugby union coach and former player, currently in charge of the Namibian national team on a part time basis, whilst also head coach of Rugby Rovigo in Italy. He served as the head coach of the South African national team from April 2016 to February 2018.
Hanyani Masana Shimange is a former professional rugby union player. His position of choice was hooker, but he played one game for the Springboks at flank.
Pieter Willem Gabriel Rossouw is a South African former professional rugby player and current coach. Rossouw played wing for Western Province in the Currie Cup and the Stormers in the Super Rugby competition. He played a total of 43 times for the Springboks, making him one of the most capped Springbok wingers after South Africa's readmission to international rugby. He was also one of South Africa's most prolific try-scoring wingers, post-isolation, with only Breyton Paulse(26) and Bryan Habana(53) scoring more tries. He is 7th on the all-time try-scoring list for the Springboks. Rossouw is currently the backline coach of the Bulls in Super rugby and the Blue Bulls in the Currie Cup. He was known as "Slaptjips", apparently because the sight of his running legs was like potato chips slapping together. Pieter is the older brother of Chris Rossouw, who played flyhalf for Western Province and the Free State Cheetahs.
Petrus Francois Smith is a former South African international rugby union player. He is now the head coach for Glasgow Warriors. His regular playing position was fly-half or centre.
Jacques Nienaber is a South African rugby union coach who is currently the head coach of the South Africa national team, the Springboks.
Dick John Muir is a South African former rugby union player, and now the interim head coach of Netherlands national rugby union team.
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