South Africa national rugby union team

The Springboks (or Springbokke in Afrikaans and Amabokoboko in Zulu), as the South Africa national rugby union team is commonly referred to, are ranked number one in the world and are the reigning Rugby World Cup champions, having defeated England 15–6 in the 2007 Rugby World Cup final. The Springboks compete annually in the Tri Nations alongside the New Zealand All Blacks and Australia's Wallabies, as well as in other international competitions such as the Rugby World Cup.

Although South Africa was instrumental in the creation of the Rugby World Cup competition, the Springboks did not compete in the first two World Cups in the 1987 and 1991 due to anti-Apartheid sports boycotts of South Africa. The team made its World Cup debut in 1995, when the recently unified nation of South Africa hosted the tournament. The Springboks defeated the All Blacks 15-12 in the 1995 World Cup final, which is now remembered as one of the greatest moments in South Africa's sporting history, and a watershed moment in the post Apartheid relationship building process.

South Africa has emerged as champions in the 2007 World Cup final over England, preventing England from becoming the first team to successfully defend a title. As a result of their World Cup Final victory, the Springboks were promoted to first position in the IRB World Rankings—the first time that they have occupied the primary rank.

The Springboks play in green and gold jerseys, and their emblems are the Springbok and the Protea. The side have been playing international rugby since 1891, when a British Isles side toured the nation, playing South Africa in their first Test on 30th July. South Africa is currently seeking a new coach as Jake White, who led the Boks to the 2007 World Cup title, announced his resignation effective at the end of 2007. It remains to be seen if captain John Smit will continue with the team, as he is now playing in France's Top 14.

[edit] History

[edit] Early years

When Canon George Oglivie became headmaster of Diocesan College in Cape Town in 1861, he introduced the game of football, as played at Winchester School. This version of football, which included handling, is seen as the beginnings of rugby in South Africa.^[2] Soon, the young gentlemen of Cape Town joined in and the first match in South Africa took place between the "Officers of the Army" and the "Gentlemen of the Civil Service" at Green Point in Cape Town in 1862 and ended as a 0-0 draw. The local press reported a series of football matches between scratch sides "Town v Suburbs" or "Home v Colonial-born".

Rugby began to be played in the Cape colony around 1875, the following year the first rugby (as opposed to Winchester football) club was formed. Former England international William Henry Milton arrived in Cape Town in 1878. He joined the Villagers club and started playing and preaching rugby. By the end of that year Cape Town had all but abandoned the Winchester game in favour of rugby. British colonists helped spread the game through the Eastern Cape, Natal and along the gold and diamond routes to Kimberley and Johannesburg. British troops would also play a key role in spreading the game throughout the country.

In 1887, the Stellenbosch club was formed in the farming district outside Cape Town. Rugby was enthusiastically adopted by the young Boers. The game was strong enough in the Western Cape for the Western Province Rugby Football Union to be formed that same year. Griqualand West followed in 1886, Eastern Province in 1888, and Transvaal in 1889. The South African Rugby Board was founded during the same year. The first nationwide tournament was held at Kimberley in 1889, with the Western Province prevailing over Griqualand West, Eastern Province and Transvaal.

[edit] First internationals

The first-ever British Isles tour took place in 1891, with the trip financially underwritten by Cecil Rhodes and President Kruger of the Transvaal Republic. These were the first representative games played by South African sides, who were still learning the game. The tourists played and won a total of twenty matches, conceding only one try in the process. Three games played against regional sides were considered tests, although "South Africa" did not exist as a political unit in 1910. In a notable event of the tour, the British side presented the Currie Cup to Griqualand West, the province they thought produced the best performance on the tour.

The British Isles' success continued on their 21 game tour of 1896. The British Isles won three out of the four tests against South Africa. South Africa's play improved markedly from 1891. Their forwards were particularly impressive, and their first Test win in the final game was a pointer to the future. For the first time South Africa had worn myrtle green shirts, which their captain, Barry Heatlie, borrowed from his Old Diocesian club. Rugby was given a huge boost by the early Lions tours, which created great interest in the South African press.

Rugby was so popular that in 1902 there was a temporary ceasefire in the Second Boer War so that a game could be played between British and Boer forces^{[citation needed]}. The game had spread amongst the Afrikaner population through POW games during the Boer War, and afterwards Stellenbosch University became a training ground for future players and administrators.

In 1903 the British Isles lost a series for the first time in South Africa, drawing the opening two Tests before losing the last 8-0. In all, they won just 11 of their 22 tour games. By contrast, South Africa would not lose another series - home or away - until 1956. In the final Test South Africa wore the green Old Diocesan shirts that had brought them luck in their 1896 win. The jersey was thereafter adopted as the official team kit.

[edit] Springboks

Paul Roos was the captain of the first Springbok team, which was largely dominated by players from the Western Province. The first tour of Britain took place in 1906/7 and took in 29 matches. England managed a draw, but Scotland was the only one of the Home unions to gain a victory.

During this tour the nickname 'Springboks' was first used. At an impromptu meeting, the tour manager, officials and Paul Roos invented the nickname to prevent the British press from coining their own nickname. Roos told newspaper reporters that they were to call the team 'De Springbokken'. The Daily Mail then printed an article referring to the 'Springboks'. The team thereafter wore blazers with a springbok on the left breast pocket. The trip helped heal wounds after the Boer War and instilled a sense of national pride among South Africans.

The South Africans crossed the channel to play an unofficial match against a 'France' team drawn from the two Parisian clubs: Stade Français and Racing Club de France. The official French team were in England at the time. The Springboks won 55-6 and scored 13 tries in the process.

The 1911 British Isles tour of South Africa was the first to include representatives from all four Home unions. The team performed moderately against the non-test parties, claiming victories in just over half their matches. The tourists won just one of their three Tests.

The Boks' second European tour took place in 1912/13. They beat the four Home nations to earn their first Grand Slam and also went on to defeat France.

Historically the term 'Springbok' was applied to any team or individual representing South Africa in international competition regardless of sporting discipline. This tradition was abandoned with the advent of South Africa's new democratic government in 1994.

[edit] Inter war

The 1924 Scarborough team were ravaged by injuries and let down by poor kicking. They won only nine of 21 games, including defeat in all four tests. A game against the Western Province had test status. Despite the sorry tour record the public agreed that it had been a fantastic test series with some thrilling rugby.

The Springboks and the All Blacks started a famous rivalry in 1921. The Springboks' tour of New Zealand was tense and competitive, with the test series being drawn. The All Blacks first toured South Africa in 1928, and again the test series finished level. In 1937 South Africa broke the deadlock with a series win in New Zealand and also in Australia. Only in 1996 did New Zealand finally win its first series in the Republic, under Sean Fitzpatrick's captaincy.

The Springbok tourists of 1931-2 were an unloved team. They had a jumbo pack and a kicking fly-half in captain Benny Osler. They steamrollered the opposition, winning their second Grand Slam. A strong Welsh side was beaten 8-3 at St Helen's with Danie Craven enjoying a superb debut at scrum-half.

The British Isles toured South Africa again in 1938, winning more than half of their normal matches. The Springboks easily claimed the first two tests. But the tourists recorded a surprise win in the third and last test, the first Lions win in South Africa since 1910.

[edit] Post-War Era

Danie Craven was appointed coach in 1949, and started his coaching career with a bang. The Springboks won 10 matches in a row, including a 4-0 whitewash of New Zealand on their 1949 tour to South Africa. The 1951/52 team, considered by many to be the finest Springbok side to tour, swept the board and won the Grand Slam while playing exciting rugby. Hennie Muller took over the captaincy after Basil Kenyon suffered a serious eye injury. They also beat France as they won 30 of 31 matches on tour.

During their 1955 tour to South Africa, the Lions won 19 and drew 1 from the 25 fixtures. The four-test series ended in a draw. In 1956 New Zealand won its first ever series over the Springboks, under the captaincy of Bob Duff. Surprise selection Don Clarke from Waikato, nicknamed 'the Boot', kicked the decisive penalties in the final games,

[edit] 1960s

Even before the apartheid laws were passed after 1948, sporting teams going to South Africa had felt it necessary to exclude non-white players. New Zealand rugby teams in particular had done this, and the exclusion of George Nepia and Jimmy Mill from the 1928 All Blacks tour[1], and the dropping of "Ranji" Wilson from the New Zealand Army team nine years before that, had attracted little comment at the time. However in 1960 international criticism of apartheid grew in the wake of the The Wind of Change speech and the Sharpeville massacre.

From this point onward, the Springboks were increasingly the target of international controversy and protest.

The All Blacks toured in 1960, despite a campaign based on the slogan of "No Maoris, No Tour"[2], and a 150,000 signature petition opposing it. The Springboks took the series, with two wins, and loss and a draw.

Later that same year the Springboks themselves toured, and led by Avril Malan they defeated all four Home unions for their fourth Grand Slam. On a four-month, 34-game sweep through Europe they played a ruthless, forward-oriented game in which intimidation was a key part, and opposition players suffered a string of controversial injuries. However they lost their final game 6-0 against the Barbarians in Cardiff, beaten when perhaps the best Barbarians' pack ever, played an uncharacteristically pragmatic game.

In 1962 the British Isles, now known as the Lions, won 16 of their 25 games on their tour to South Africa, but did not do so well in the tests, losing all three.

South Africa had a disastrous year in 1965, losing on tour to Ireland, Scotland, Australia (twice) and New Zealand (3 times), winning just once against New Zealand.

The planned 1967 tour by the All Blacks was cancelled by the New Zealand Rugby Football Union after the South African government refused to allow Maori players.

In 1968 the Lions toured and won 15 of their 16 provincial matches, but lost three tests and drew one. Next year the 1969 Springbok tour to Britain and Ireland found a new spirit and confidence had developed in Home nations rugby, and the tourists lost two of their seven games in Wales—against Newport and a composite side from Gwent. Wales nearly claimed their first win against the Springboks as the game ended 6-6. The Springboks lost the test matches against England and Scotland, drawing the one against Ireland. Throughout the tour however, large anti-apartheid demonstrations were a feature, and matches had to be played behind barbed wire fences.

[edit] 1970s

In 1970 the All Blacks toured South Africa once again—after the 1967 standoff the South African government now agreed to treat Maoris in the team, and Maori spectators, as "honorary whites". The Springboks won the test series 3-1.

The Springbok tour of Australia in 1971 began with matches in Perth, then Adelaide and Melbourne. The Springboks won all three tests, scoring 18-6, 14-6, and 19-11. As in Britain three years before however, massive anti-apartheid demonstrations greeted the team, and they had to be transported by the Australian Air Force after the trade unions refused to service planes or trains transporting them.

Although a tour of New Zealand had been planned for 1973, it was blocked by their Prime Minister Norman Kirk on the grounds of public safety[3].

The Lions team that toured South Africa in 1974 led by Willie John McBride was unbeaten over 22 games, and triumphed 3-0 (with one drawn) in the test series—the first Lions test series victory in South Africa. A key feature was the infamous '99 call'. Lions management had decided that the Springboks dominated their opponents with physical aggression, so decided "to get their retaliation in first". At the call of '99' each Lions player would attack their nearest rival player. The idea was that a South African referee would be unlikely to send off all of the Lions. At the "battle of Boet Erasmus Stadium", one of the most violent in rugby history, JPR Williams famously ran over half of the pitch and launched himself at 'Moaner' van Heerden[4] after such a call.

The 1976 All Blacks tour of South Africa went ahead, and the Springboks won by three tests to one, but coming shortly after the Soweto riots the tour attracted international condemnation and 28 countries boycotted the 1976 Summer Olympics in protest, and the next year, in 1977, the Commonwealth signed the Gleneagles Agreement, which discouraged any sporting contact with South Africa.

In response to the growing pressure the segregated South African rugby unions merged in 1977. Four years later Errol Tobias would became the first non-white South African to represent his country when he took the field against Ireland.

A planned 1979 Springbok tour of France was stopped by the French government, who announced that it was inappropriate for South African teams to tour France.

[edit] 1980s

The Lions toured South Africa in 1980. The team completed a flawless non-test record, winning 14 out of 14 non-test matches on the tour. But they lost the first three tests before winning the last one.

The 1981 tour of New Zealand went ahead in defiance of the Gleneagles Agreement. South Africa lost the series 2-1, but the tour and the massive civil disruption in New Zealand had ramifications far beyond rugby. As an indirect result of this tour, South Africa was banned by the International Rugby Board from international competition until such time as apartheid ended.

South Africa sought to counteract its sporting isolation by inviting the South American Jaguars to tour. Eight matches were played between the two teams in the early 1980s.

In 1985, a planned All Black tour of South Africa was stopped by the New Zealand High Court. An rebel tour took place the next year by a team known as 'the Cavaliers', consisting of all but 2 of the official squad that had been picked[5], and sometimes advertised inside South Africa as the All Blacks. The Springboks won the series.

In 1989, a World XV sanctioned by the International Rugby Board went on a mini-tour of South Africa. All bar New Zealand supplied players to the team with ten Welshmen, eight Frenchmen, six Australians, four Englishmen, one Scot and one Irishman.

[edit] 1990s

From 1990 to 1991 the legal apparatus of apartheid was abolished, and the Springboks were readmitted to international rugby in 1992. They initially struggled to return to their previous high standards, and in their first game after readmission the Springboks were defeated 27-24 by New Zealand on 15th August 1992. Ian McIntosh was sacked as national coach following a series defeat to the All Blacks in New Zealand in mid-1994. In October of that year, Kitch Christie accepted an offer to take over from McIntosh.

After 1994 the newly elected ANC government wanted the Springbok nickname and emblem to be replaced with the Protea, the national flower of South Africa. For many South Africans the Springbok symbolised apartheid. After an intervention by Nelson Mandela, South Africa's first black president, special dispensation was given to continue using the springbok emblem ahead of the 1995 Rugby World Cup.

There was a remarkable surge of support for the Springboks among the white and black communities in the lead-up to the 1995 Rugby World Cup. This was the first major event to be held in what Archbishop Desmond Tutu had dubbed "the Rainbow Nation." South Africans got behind the 'one team, one country' slogan, but the squad included only one “coloured” player, Chester Williams.

By the time they hosted the 1995 World Cup, the Springboks were seeded ninth. They defeated Australia, Romania, Canada, Western Samoa and France to play in the final. South Africa won the epic final against New Zealand 15-12 at Ellis Park Stadium. A drop goal by Joel Stransky secured victory in extra-time. The New Zealanders claimed to have been affected by a virulent food poisoning the day before the fixture. Suspicions fell on the South African rugby authorities, a view that continues to this day in New Zealand.^{[3] [4]}

Black African Nelson Mandela wearing a Springbok shirt presented the trophy to captain Francois Pienaar, a white Afrikaner. The gesture was widely seen as a major step towards the reconciliation of white and black South Africans. SARFU President Louis Luyt caused controversy at the post-match dinner by declaring that the Springboks would have won the previous two World Cups if they had been allowed to compete. The day after the World Cup victory, the Xhosa word for Springbok, Amabokoboko! appeared as the headline of The Sowetan's sports page.

A series of crises followed in 1995 through 1997 as it became clear that South African rugby was an unreformed element of the new Rainbow Nation. The team was also struck by tragedy, as Christie, who had led them to victory in all 14 Tests he coached, was forced to resign in 1996 after being diagnosed with leukemia. An on-field slump saw South African sides struggle in the new Super 12 (now the Super 14) and Tri-Nations competitions. In 1996 New Zealand recorded a historic test series winning two games to one. The 1997 Lions completed their South African tour with only two losses in total, winning the Test series two games to one.

Coach Andre Markgraaff quit in 1997 due to a racial comment he made and his successor, Carel du Plessis, got sacked in 1997 and replaced by Nick Mallett. In 1998 Mallett and new captain Gary Teichmann produced a record winning streak, winning 17 consecutive Tests, including the 1998 Tri Nations. In the same year, South Africa mourned as Christie's illness claimed his life.

The Springboks entered the 1999 Rugby World Cup competition with little hope. Reverting to a kicking game and forward strength, they showed they were still a force to be reckoned with, losing to eventual champions Australia in a tense semi-final at Twickenham.

[edit] New millennium

At Twickenham in November 2002 England handed the Boks their worst defeat ever (53-3). During the match, an increasingly frustrated South African side began targeting England players with physical attacks. Match footage appeared to show captain Corné Krige as a leader.^[5] In the 2002/3 season, the Springboks also lost by record margins to France, Scotland and New Zealand. They defeated Argentina by only one point, and were easily dispatched in the quarter finals of the 2003 World Cup.

The buildup to the Boks' 2003 World Cup campaign was tumultuous. During a pre-World Cup training camp, there was a highly publicized dispute between Geo Cronjé (an Afrikaner) and Quinton Davids (a coloured). Both were dropped from the team, and Cronjé was called before a tribunal to answer charges that his actions in the dispute were racially motivated. Cronjé was eventually cleared. Later, the Boks were sent to a military-style boot camp in the South African bush called Kamp Staaldraad (literal English translation "Camp Steel-wire", idiomatically "Camp Barbed Wire"). When details of the events at Kamp Staaldraad leaked out, most South African rugby supporters reacted in outrage.

After the World Cup debacle, then-Boks coach Rudolph Straeuli was under fire, not only because of the team's poor results, but because of his role in organizing Kamp Staaldraad. He eventually resigned, and in February 2004 Jake White was named as new national coach. He had previously coached the Springboks under-21 side, which won the inaugural U-21 Rugby World Cup in 2002.

The Boks then proceeded to prove to the rugby world that they were ready to return to past greatness. They swept Ireland in a two-Test series and won against Wales during their opponents' June 2004 tours of the Southern Hemisphere. Next came a pulsating win in the most closely-contested Tri Nations in history. In November 2004, the Springboks went on an ambitious "Grand Slam" tour of the Home Nations. They were decisively defeated by England and lost a controversial decision to Ireland. But they won a hard-fought match against Wales, and prevailed comfortably against Scotland. While the tour did not live up to the Boks' original aspirations, it did prove that they had awakened from their slumber of the past few years.

The Springbok resurgence was honored with a sweep of the major IRB awards. The Boks were named IRB World Team of the Year, White was named IRB World Coach of the Year, and young flanker Schalk Burger was named IRB World Player of the Year.

In 2005 the Springboks defeated an embarrassed Uruguay by a world record margin. Zimbabwean-born new cap, Tonderai Chavanga, scored a record 6 tries in the match, surpassing Stefan Terblanche's previous record of five. The side finished second in the Tri-Nations that year, losing their final match to New Zealand. The year ended positively with close victories away from home against Argentina, among others.

With several new players aboard, the 2006 Springboks defeated Scotland twice in South Africa, before a loss in a closely contested match to France ended their long undefeated home record. A very bad start to the 2006 Tri Nations Series saw them lose 49-0 to the Wallabies. The Springboks put together better games in the following two matches, losing in the final minutes in the second test against Australia. Answering the call from many South African supporters to play a more expansive style of rugby, coach Jake White fielded a far more adventurous team. They broke South Africa's five game losing streak by beating the All Blacks 21-20 at Royal Bafokeng Stadium - the first time a test match had been played at this rural venue near Rustenburg. The highlight of South Africa's tour to Europe was the 24-15 win over England at Twickenham, after a loss to Ireland and one to England the previous week. A South Africa XV also played a World XV on this tour at the Walkers Stadium in Leicester.

In July 2006, Springbok coach Jake White told the press he had been unable to pick some white players for his squad "because of transformation" - a reference to the ANC government’s policies attempting to redress the racial imbalances in national sport.

[edit] Rugby World Cup 2007

Grouped in Pool A at the 2007 Rugby World Cup in France, they opened their campaign in Paris with a 59-7 victory over Samoa. Next up was England at the Stade de France, where the Springboks triumphed 36-0. The third pool game against Tonga in Lens was more competitive and they narrowly won 30-25. The final pool game against the USA in Montpellier produced a 64-15 win. Having won all their pool games, they advanced to the quarter finals to defeat Fiji 37-20 before accounting for Argentina 37-13 in the semi-finals. They prevailed 15-6 over England yet again in a tense final to lift the Webb Ellis Cup for a second time on 20th October 2007.

The Springboks join the Australian Wallabies as the only other national team to win the trophy twice, thereby reinforcing the southern hemisphere dominance in the competition with five out of six titles to date (1987, 1991, 1995, 1999 and 2007); the solitary northern hemisphere title by way of England in 2003.

[edit] Strip

The Springboks play in green and gold jumpers and have been playing international rugby since 1891, when they debuted against a touring British Isles side in South Africa. Currently, their strip is made by Canterbury of New Zealand and their shirt sponsor is South African synfuels and chemicals company Sasol.

The jersey has traditionally always had a gold collar. White shorts and green socks with two gold hoops, with the Canterbury logo in gold, make up the kit. The flag of South Africa can be seen on the sleeve. The Springboks also have an alternate jersey which is white to avoid kit clashes, although it is not commonly used.

The springbok nickname and logo dates from the 1906/7 tour of Britain. The logo was not restricted to the white team alone, the first coloured national team used the springbok in 1939 and the first black team in 1950. In 2004 the South African Sports Commission’s National Colours Board decided that the springbok could stay but wanted the protea made bigger as it was their official sports logo. [6]

The SA Rugby logo is on the upper left corner of the front of the jersey. When Australia first toured South Africa in 1933, the visitors wore sky blue jerseys to avoid confusion, as at the time, both wore dark green strips. In 1953, when the Wallabies toured again, the Springboks wore white jerseys for the test matches.^[6]

For the 2006 November Test against Ireland the Springboks wore a replica of the jersey that was worn by the Paul Roos' touring side in 1906. The kit consisted of a green jersey with a white collar, blue shorts and blue socks. Not even sponsors Sasol appeared on the jersey. The strip is a part of South African rugby's centenary celebrations.^[7]. However the badge on the jersey had the springbok jumping in the opposite direction.

[edit] Home grounds

The first ever South African international took place at Port Elizabeth's St George’s Park Cricket Ground .

The Springboks do not use a national stadium as their home, but play out of a number of venues throughout South Africa. The 60,000 seater Ellis Park Stadium in Johannesburg was the main venue for South Africa's 1995 World Cup, where the Springboks defeated the All Blacks in the final. Other regular venues for tests include Pretoria's Loftus Versfeld Stadium, the Newlands Stadium in Cape Town, the ABSA Stadium in Durban, and the EPRFU Stadium in Port Elizabeth. Most of the stadiums used today are owned by the provincial Rugby Unions.

The Springboks are said to have a notable advantage over touring sides when playing at altitude in Gauteng province. Games at Ellis Park or Loftus Versfeld are said to present physical problems, and to factor into a match in a number of other ways, such as the ball travelling further when kicked.^[8] Some players dismiss altitude as a state of mind rather than an actual physical challenge.

[edit] Records

[edit] Tri Nations

South Africa's only annual tournament is the Tri-Nations competed with Australia and New Zealand. South Africa have won the tournament twice; in 1998 and 2004. South Africa also contest the Mandela Challenge Plate with Australia, and the Freedom Cup with New Zealand as part of the Tri-Nations.

Updated 21 July 2007

[edit] World Cup

South Africa did not participate in the 1987 and 1991 World Cups because of the sporting boycott of them due to apartheid. South Africa's introduction to the event was as hosts. They defeated defending champions Australia 27–18 in the opening match, and went on to defeat the All Blacks 15–12 after extra time in the final, with a drop goal from 40 metres by Joel Stransky.^[9] In 1999 South Africa suffered their first ever World Cup loss when they were defeated 21–27 by Australia in their semi-final; they went on to defeat the All Blacks 22–18 in the third-fourth play-off match.^[10] The worst ever South African performance at a World Cup was in 2003 when they lost a pool game to England, and then were knocked out of the tournament by the All Blacks in their quarter-final.^[11] In 2007 the Springboks defeated Fiji in the quarter-finals and Argentina in the semi-finals. They then defeated England in the final 15–6 to win the tournament for a second time.

[edit] Overall

 id:Norank         value:rgb(0.796,0.804,0.784)
 id:NewZealand     value:black 
 id:England        value:white
 id:Scotland       value:rgb(0.2,0.2,0.4)
 id:France         value:rgb(0,0,1)
 id:RSA            value:teal

 bar:Leaders width:25 mark:(line,black) align:left fontsize:M 

 from:01/01/2003 till:20/10/2003 shift:(20,0) text:"No Rankings" color:Norank
 from:20/10/2003 till:17/11/2003 shift:(20,-8) text:"England" color:England
 from:17/11/2003 till:24/11/2003 shift:(20,0) text:"New Zealand" color:NewZealand
 from:24/11/2003 till:07/06/2004 shift:(20,0) text:"England" color:England
 from:07/06/2004 till:22/10/2007 shift:(20,0) text:"New Zealand" color:NewZealand
 from:22/10/2007 till:end shift:(20,-3) text:"South Africa" color:RSA

South Africa are currently ranked number one in the world rankings When the ranking system was introduced in October 2003 South Africa were ranked sixth. They rose to fifth in November that year before falling back to sixth in March 2004. After rising back to fifth in June 2004, they rose to fourth in December that year. They rose to third, then second in 2005. They fell from that high of second to third in July 2006, and were ranked fourth by December 2006. Between then and May 2007 they have fluctuated between fourth and fifth, before settling at fourth by September 2007. They then gained top spot after winning the 2007 Rugby World Cup.^[12]

Their Test record against all nations:^[13]

[edit] Players

[edit] Current squad

South Africa's squad for the 2007 Rugby World Cup.^[14]

[edit] Individual records

South Africa's most capped player is Percy Montgomery with 94 caps. Montgomery also holds the South African record for Test points, having scored 873 points, which is the seventh highest in international rugby.^[18] The most points Montgomery ever scored in a single international was 35 against Namibia in 2007—this is also a South African record.

South Africa's most capped captain is John Smit who captained South Africa 49 of his 75 Tests. Smit also played 46 consecutive matches for South Africa, which is a record. The record try scorer is Joost van der Westhuizen who scored 38 tries in his 89 appearances. Prop Os du Randt, who retired in 2007, has the record for appearances of a forward with 80.^[18]

[edit] Notable players

Nine former South African internationals have been inducted into the International Rugby Hall of Fame. One of those, Danie Craven, has also been inducted into the IRB Hall of Fame.

Bennie Osler played 17 consecutive Tests between 1924 and 1933. Playing at fly-half, his first Test was against the touring British team in 1924. He also played in the series against the All Blacks in 1928, but most notably captained the Springboks on their Grand Slam tour of 1931–32 when they defeated all four Home Nations.^[19] His last Tests were the five played against Australia when they toured to South Africa in 1933.^[20]

Making his Test debut in Olser's Grand Slam winning team in 1931 was scrum-half Danie Craven. Craven played several positions including fly-half, scrum-half, centre and even number 8.^[21] However Craven was most famous for popularising the dive pass.^[22] As well as winning a Grand Slam with Osler's team, Craven toured with 1937 Springboks to New Zealand where they achieved their first ever series victory over New Zealand.^[23] His last act as player was captaining South Africa in a Test series against the Lions.^[21] Craven's involvement with the Springboks continued after his playing retirement, and he coached them to a 4–0 series win over the touring All Blacks in 1949.^[24] He was elected President of the South African Rugby Board in 1956, a position he held until the post-apartheid South African Rugby Union was formed in 1991. Craven was instrumental in the formation of the South African Rugby Union and became its first Executive President.^[23] Such was Craven's influence in South African rugby he became known as "Mr Rugby", and was the third inductee into the IRB Hall of Fame; behind Rugby School and William Web Ellis.^[23]

The man most credited with inventing modern number 8 play was Hennie Muller.^[25] He played 13 Tests between 1949 and 1953, and in the process won a 4–0 series victory over the All Blacks and a Grand Slam tour of Britain and Ireland.^[26] He was nicknamed Windhond (greyhound) due to his speed around the field.^[25] When writing about the 1949 series against the All Blacks, Harding and Williams wrote: "(Okey) Geffin won the series, perhaps, but Muller made it possible."^[27] Of Muller's 13 Tests, he only lost one—against Australia in 1953.^[26]

Named South Africa's player of the 20th Century in 2000, Frik du Preez played 38 Tests between 1961 and 1971.^[28] Du Preez could play both flanker or lock and was one of the most dominant forwards of the 1960s,^[28] but was especially well known for his all round skills.^[29] Danie Craven said of du Preez, "To my mind he could have played any position on a rugby field with equal brilliance."^[28]

Morne du Plessis played 22 Test for South Africa between 1971 and 1980.^[30] His debut was at Number 8 in South Africa's series win over Australia in 1971. He went on to captain South Africa and became the only father son pair to captain South Africa—his father had captained South Africa in 1949.^[31] He led South Africa to a 3–1 series win over the All Blacks in 1976 and a series win over the British Lions in 1980 by the same margin.^[32]

Both International Hall of Fame inductees Naas Botha and Danie Gerber had careers interrupted by South Africa's sporting isolation in the 1980s and early 1990s. Botha made his Test debut against the South American Jaguars in 1980. Playing at fly-half, Botha played 28 Tests and scored 312 Test points before his international retirement in 1992.^[33] Botha contributed significantly to the Springboks 1980 series win over the Lions, and also played for the World XV in the IRB Centenary Match at Twickenham.^[34] Gerber also made his debut in 1980, and scored 19 tries in his 24 Tests before retiring in 1992.^[35] He scored a hat-trick against England in 1984, and played alongside Botha in the World XV team in 1986. In South Africa's first Test since the fall of apartheid against the All Blacks in 1992 he scored twice.^[36]

Two players that straddled the amateur and professional eras were Francois Pienaar and Joost van der Westhuizen. Both first played for the Springboks in 1993. Pienaar was named captain in his first Test against France, and went on to captain the side to the 1995 World Cup.^[37] It was there he captained South Africa to the World Cup title, and received the trophy from Nelson Mandela who was wearing his number 6 jersey.^[38] Nelson Mandela later wrote "It was under Francois Pienaar's inspiring leadership that rugby became the pride of the entire county. Francois brought the nation together."^[37] Joost van der Westhuizen also participated in the 1995 World cup victory, but went on to play in two more World Cups. Playing at scrum-half, van der Westhuizen played 89 Tests for South Africa and scored 38 tries.^[39] At the time of his retirement following the 2003 World Cup he was South Africa's leading try scorer and most capped player.^[40]

[edit] Coaches

The role and definition of the South Africa coach has varied significantly over the team's history. Hence a comprehensive list of coaches, or head selectors, is impossible. The following table is a list of coaches since the 1949 All Blacks tour to South Africa:

[edit] See also

• South Africa national sevens team
• Rugby union in South Africa
• South Africa vs Ireland
• South Africa vs Wales
• All Blacks vs Springboks

[edit] References

[edit] Bibliography

• Dine, Philip (2001). French Rugby Football - Cultural History. Berg. ISBN 1859733271. 
• Harding, Grant; Williams, David (2000). The Toughest of Them All: New Zealand and South Africa: The Struggle for Rugby Supremacy. Auckland, New Zealand: Penguin Books. ISBN 0140295771. 
• Howitt, Bob (2005). SANZAR Saga - Ten Years of Super 12 and Tri-Nations Rugby. Harper Collins Publishers. ISBN 1-86950-566-2. 
• Palenski, Ron (2003). Century in Black - 100 Years of All Black Test Rugby. Hodder Moa Beckett Publishers Limited. ISBN 1-86958-937-8. 
• Smith, David; Williams, Gareth (1980). Fields of Praise: The Official History of The Welsh Rugby Union. Cardiff: University of Wales Press. ISBN 0-7083-0766-3. 

[edit] Notes

[edit] Sources

• "United Nations, India and the boycott of Apartheid sport". anc.org.za. Accessed August 6, 2006.
• "History favours Springbok slam". BBC Sport. Accessed August 6, 2006.
• "Origins of the Game". sarugby.co.za. Accessed August 6, 2006.
• "100 years of SA rugby contact with France". planet-rugby.com. Accessed August 6, 2006.
• The colours - 1906 - 2006. planet-rugby.com. Accessed November 14, 2006.
• 100 years of South African rugby (part one) - IRB
• 100 years of South African rugby (part two) - IRB
• 100 years of South African rugby (part three) - IRB

[edit] External links

• SA Rugby Homepage
• Official Merchandise South African Rugby Online Store
• Official South Africa Rugby Store for North America
• Springbok Rugby Hall of Fame.
• Rugby365 Rugby News Site
• World Cup Preview
• SA Rugby blog SA Rugby blog
• South African Rugby Blog South African Rugby blog
• We Love Rugby Video of South Africa Rugby Union Team

af:Springbokke de:Südafrikanische Rugby-Union-Nationalmannschaft es:Selección de rugby de Sudáfrica fr:Équipe d'Afrique du Sud de rugby à XV it:Nazionale di rugby XV del Sudafrica nl:Zuid-Afrikaans rugbyteam ja:ラグビー南アフリカ共和国代表 ka:სამხრეთ აფრიკის ეროვნული რაგბის ნაკრები no:Sør-Afrikas herrelandslag i rugby union pt:Seleção Sul-Africana de Râguebi ro:Echipa naţională de rugby a Africii de Sud sv:Sydafrikas herrlandslag i rugby union