South Africa national rugby union team

The South Africa national rugby union team, commonly known as the Springboks (colloquially the Boks, Bokke or Amabhokobhoko) is the country's national team governed by the <a href="/facts/South_African_Rugby_Union/5c0prxE9">South African Rugby Union</a>. The Springboks play in green and gold jerseys with white shorts, and their <a href="/facts/Emblem/BahYjxLn">emblem</a> is the <a href="/facts/Springbok/5oExV2fb">Springbok</a>, a native antelope and the national animal of South Africa. The team has represented <a href="/facts/South_African_Rugby_Union/5c0prxE9">South African Rugby Union</a> in international <a href="/facts/Rugby_union/AJSbnB89">rugby union</a> since 30 July 1891, when they played their first <a href="/facts/Test_match_(rugby_union)/bHS4z0js">test match</a> against a <a href="/facts/British_%2526_Irish_Lions/HCFefTqp">British Isles</a> touring team. Currently, the Springboks are the reigning World Champions, having won the World Cup a record four times (<a href="/facts/1995_Rugby_World_Cup/fCzLea0z">1995</a>, <a href="/facts/2007_Rugby_World_Cup/RpwmwhHr">2007</a>, <a href="/facts/2019_Rugby_World_Cup/9pbYbVAg">2019</a> and <a href="/facts/2023_Rugby_World_Cup/D9npR6UA">2023</a>). South Africa are the only team to have won half of the <a href="/facts/Rugby_World_Cup/jV5g3dk6">Rugby World Cups</a> they have participated in, and are also the second nation to win the World Cup consecutively (2019 and 2023).
The team made its World Cup debut in <a href="/facts/1995_Rugby_World_Cup/fCzLea0z">1995</a>, when the newly <a href="/facts/History_of_South_Africa_(1994%25E2%2580%2593present)/rvz0jjSJ">democratic South Africa</a> hosted the tournament. Although South Africa was instrumental in creating the <a href="/facts/Rugby_World_Cup/jV5g3dk6">Rugby World Cup</a> competition, the Springboks could not compete in the first two <a href="/facts/Rugby_World_Cup/jV5g3dk6">World Cups</a> in <a href="/facts/1987_Rugby_World_Cup/L6UbJHL3">1987</a> and <a href="/facts/1991_Rugby_World_Cup/aY9Hefoq">1991</a> due to international <a href="/facts/Anti-Apartheid_Movement/3wpVAS9B">anti-apartheid</a> <a href="/facts/Sporting_boycott_of_South_Africa_during_the_Apartheid_era/QyLml01l">sporting boycotts</a>. The Springboks' victory over the <a href="/facts/New_Zealand_national_rugby_union_team/bj4jtf4c">All Blacks</a> 15–12 in the <a href="/facts/1995_Rugby_World_Cup/fCzLea0z">1995 final</a> is remembered as one of the greatest moments in <a href="/facts/List_of_years_in_South_African_sport/ptCXpe9c">South Africa's sporting history</a>, and a watershed moment in the post-apartheid <a href="/facts/Culture_change/erYrrQ2A">nation-building process</a>.
South Africa regained the world champions title 12 years later by defeating <a href="/facts/England_national_rugby_union_team/wY7M1nes">England</a> 15–6 in the <a href="/facts/2007_Rugby_World_Cup/RpwmwhHr">2007 final</a>. Following their 2007 World Cup victory, the Springboks ascended to first place in the <a href="/facts/IRB_World_Rankings/dsFD08sJ">IRB World Rankings</a>, a position they held until July of the following year when New Zealand reclaimed the top spot. The team was named 2008 World Team of the Year at the <a href="/facts/Laureus/RRvI7LjX">Laureus World Sports Awards</a>. South Africa then won their third World Cup title, defeating England 32–12 in the <a href="/facts/2019_Rugby_World_Cup_final/JpVqqv48">2019 final</a>, and were named 2020 World Team of the Year at the <a href="/facts/Laureus/RRvI7LjX">Laureus World Sports Awards</a> for the second time. They retained their world champions title in <a href="/facts/2023_Rugby_World_Cup_final/xLAgeCop">2023</a>.
The Springboks also compete in the annual <a href="/facts/The_Rugby_Championship/qh3HezKS">Rugby Championship</a> (formerly the Tri-Nations), along with their <a href="/facts/Southern_Hemisphere/QfJ4z9L5">Southern Hemisphere</a> counterparts <a href="/facts/Argentina_national_rugby_union_team/SMz4xGdH">Argentina</a>, <a href="/facts/Australia_national_rugby_union_team/QDvvWqAy">Australia</a> and <a href="/facts/New_Zealand_national_rugby_union_team/bj4jtf4c">New Zealand</a>. They have won the Championship five times in 27 competitions and are the only team to have won a version of the competition and the <a href="/facts/Rugby_World_Cup/jV5g3dk6">Rugby World Cup</a> in the same year.
Rugby union is a highly popular sport in South Africa, often attracting the country's most talented athletes. For nearly a century, South Africans have rallied behind the Springboks, the team's success has transcended the sport, becoming a symbol of national pride recognized even by those who don't follow rugby.
Sixteen former Springboks and influential South Africans have been inducted into the <a href="/facts/World_Rugby_Hall_of_Fame/qTPx3FYA">World Rugby Hall of Fame</a>.
Many teams have suffered their biggest record defeats to the Springboks, including <a href="/facts/Australia_national_rugby_union_team/QDvvWqAy">Australia</a>, <a href="/facts/Italy_national_rugby_union_team/78ahVucJ">Italy</a>, <a href="/facts/Scotland_national_rugby_union_team/gk5Lxp8V">Scotland</a>, <a href="/facts/Uruguay_national_rugby_union_team/hXfTyHF7">Uruguay</a>, <a href="/facts/Wales_national_rugby_union_team/48zJmqQQ">Wales</a> and <a href="/facts/New_Zealand_national_rugby_union_team/bj4jtf4c">New Zealand</a>.

South Africa national rugby union team open-in-new

South Africa national rugby union team