South Africa Rugby Team

South Africa Rugby Union Team

South Africa rugby history

The men’s South Africa rugby union team, known as “The Springboks”, have a long and storied history in the sport, stretching back to their first international match against the touring British Isles side in 1891.

The South African Rugby Union was founded in 1992 following the merger of two governing bodies after the end of Apartheid.

Winning habits

A turning point in South Africa's rugby history was their victory at the 1995 Rugby World Cup, where they beat old rivals New Zealand in the final. This victory was turned into a film called Invictus starring Morgan Freeman as President Nelson Mandela and Matt Damon as legendary Springboks captain Francois Pienaar. They went on to win three more Rugby World Cups in France (2007),  in Japan (2019) and again in France in 2023, where they became the first nation to win the Webb Ellis Trophy four times. The South African rugby team are a daunting assignment for European sides when they visit the northern hemisphere for the Autumn Nations Series.

Their provincial sides competed against their Australian and New Zealand counterparts in Super Rugby until 2021 when they joined the expanded United Rugby Championship.

South Africa rugby legends

Francois Pienaar is joined in World Rugby’s Hall of Fame with 15 others who've represented the South Africa rugby team including 2007 Rugby World Cup-winning captain John Smit (2011) and legendary scrum-half Joost van der Westhuizen (2015).

Famous for their physicality and powerful forward play, encounters with the South Africa rugby team are often bruising encounters.

Hospitality at South Africa rugby matches

Keith Prowse are leaders in official corporate hospitality, providing experiences that are the benchmark of the hospitality industry. Be the first to know about hospitality packages for the men's South Africa rugby union team when they go on sale, by completing the form below.