South Africa Rugby News, Updates and Interviews
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The Springboks won a record-setting fourth World Cup trophy in France in 2023, defeating New Zealand 12-11 in the final to defend the title.
South Africa also claimed the Rugby Championship - their second title since Argentina joined the competition in 2012.
On the domestic stage, South African teams have also made their mark.
The Durban-based Sharks also won the 2023/2024 European (EPCR) Challenge Cup in their first appearance.
Expectations are high for South African domestic and international rugby as the sport builds its strength from the roots up.
Latest Rugby News
South Africa are currently atop the World Rugby rankings, ending their end-of-year tests with a convincing win against Wales.
The focus has since shifted to domestic rugby and its bearing on how the Springboks squad could shape up next year.
Top Rugby Events in South Africa
The Rugby Championship
Just as the Northern Hemisphere has the Six Nations, the Southern Hemisphere has the Rugby Championship, featuring South Africa, New Zealand, Australia, and most recently Argentina.
Evolving from the Tri Nations, the quadrangular Rugby Championship is also where the Bledisloe Cup (between New Zealand and Australia), the Freedom Cup (between the All Blacks and the Springboks), the Mandela Challenge Plate (between the Wallabies and South Africa), and the Puma Trophy (between Australia and Argentina) are decided.
The Currie Cup
Boasting a legacy dating back to 1891, the Currie Cup is South Africa’s premier domestic rugby tournament and is home to many storied local derbies.
The 2024 trophy was claimed by the Sharks, who recorded a narrow 16-14 win over the Golden Lions at Ellis Park in Johannesburg.
With the expansion of the United Rugby Championship, the Currie Cup also offers the top four franchises a place in the European tournament.
United Rugby Championship
Since the inclusion of South Africa into the European tournament in 2021/2022, the Bulls, Lions, Sharks and Stormers have competed in the URC.
The competition is split into pools representing Ireland, Wales, and South Africa, with Scotland and Italy grouped together to make up the fixtures.
The only South African winner of the United Rugby Championship is the Stormers, who defeated fellow locals the Bulls in the 2021/2022 edition.
Best South African Rugby Team Wins
South Africa versus New Zealand: 1995 World Cup
Undoubtedly the most historically relevant moment in South African sporting history, the Springboks claiming their first Rugby World Cup is considered the most famous sports final.
The Springboks went into half-time with a 9-6 lead, thanks to the boot of Joel Stransky, although the All Blacks’ Andrew Mehrtens helped his squad draw level in the second half.
An emotionally charged extra time period was capped off by the iconic Stransky drop goal, paving the way for then-President Nelson Mandela to hand the Webb Ellis trophy to then-Springbok captain Francois Pienaar, as the world watched.
Nelson Mandela and François Pienaar//Getty Images
South Africa versus Samoa: 2007 Rugby World Cup
The Springboks’ opening game of the tournament in France saw Percy Montgomery convert eight kicks and Bryan Habana lay the framework for later rewards.
To say Samoa was outclassed would be an understatement.
Left-winger Habana used his blistering pace to cross the try line four times as the Pacific islanders were handed a 59-7 drubbing at Parc des Princes, Paris.
The Springbok speedster was also recognised as IRB’s 2007 Player of the Year days after his nation claimed their second Rugby World Cup title.
South Africa’s Rugby Legends – Top Players Who Made History
Siya Kolisi: 2013-present
The Springbok skipper wrote his name in the history books as the first black captain of the South African team and has earned his place among the greats.
Kolisi led his national team to the trophy in the 2019 and 2023 editions of the World Cup, as well as the 2019 and 2024 editions of the Rugby Championship.
Known for his determination and passion in the green and gold, the 33-year-old currently plays as a loose forward for the Sharks in the domestic leagues.
Siya Kolisi of South Africa lifts The Webb Ellis Cup//Getty Images
Francois Pienaar: 1993-1996
While his later career ended abruptly after only three years in the Springbok jersey, Francois Pienaar remains one of South Africa’s iconic figures in global rugby.
Most famously, he captained his nation to the 1995 Rugby World Cup title and gave a famous speech stating that the win was not just for 60,000 at Ellis Park, but for 43-million South Africans.
After being dropped from the Springbok squad by then-coach Andre Markgraaff in 1996, Pienaar left South Africa to join Saracens in England as a player-coach and retired in 2000.
Bryan Habana: 2004-2016
Considered one of the greatest players in Springbok history, Habana starred in the 2007 Rugby World Cup and is one of the tournament’s most notable names.
During the 2015 edition, he equalled Jonah Lomu’s record of 15 World Cup tries and is second among the all-time top try scorers in test rugby, crossing the line 67 times.
He also transitioned between rugby union and sevens rugby, playing for the Blitzboks during the 2003/2004 World Sevens Series and briefly in 2016.
Bryan Habana of South Africa scores his second try//Getty Images
South Africa’s Iconic Rugby Stadiums
Loftus Versfeld
- An iconic stadium in Pretoria with a legacy dating back over 100 years
- Current tenants include the Bulls and Mamelodi Sundowns (PSL football giants)
- The venue has a capacity of 51,762 spectators
- It was named after Robert Loftus Owen Versfeld, the founder of organised sport in Pretoria
- The stadium first opened in 1923
- Loftus Versfeld was renovated in 1977 and expanded in 2008
- Five games of the historic 1995 Rugby World Cup were played at Loftus, including the quarter-final between New Zealand and Scotland, and the third-place playoff between France and England
- Loftus also hosted games of the 2009 FIFA Confederations Cup and the 2010 FIFA World Cup, including the Round of 16
- Celine Dion performed at Loftus Versfeld during her Taking Chances Tour in 2008
- In 1979, Gerrie Coetzee unsuccessfully challenged John Tate for the vacant WBA World Heavyweight belt at the stadium.