South Africa national rugby union team

The team made its World Cup debut in 1995, when the newly democratic South Africa hosted the tournament. Although South Africa was instrumental in creating the Rugby World Cup competition, the Springboks could not compete in the first two tournaments, in 1987 and 1991 due to international anti-apartheid sporting boycotts. The Springboks' victory over New Zealand, 15–12 in the 1995 final is remembered as one of the greatest moments in South Africa's sporting history, and a watershed moment in the post-apartheid nation-building process.

The Springboks also compete in the annual Rugby Championship (previously the Tri Nations), along with Argentina, Australia and New Zealand. They have won the Championship six times in 29 competitions and are the only team to have won the competition and the World Cup in the same year.

Rugby union is a highly popular sport in South Africa, often attracting the country's most talented athletes.

Many teams have suffered their biggest record defeats to the Springboks, including Australia, Italy, New Zealand, Scotland, Uruguay and Wales. The Springboks’ worst record defeats were inflicted by New Zealand, England and Australia.

Eighteen former Springboks and influential South Africans have been inducted into the World Rugby Hall of Fame.

History

First internationals: 1891–1913

The first British Isles tour took place in 1891, at Diocesan College. These were the first representative games played by South African sides. The tourists won all twenty matches they played, conceding only one point. The British Isles' success continued on their tour of 1896, winning three out of four tests against South Africa. South Africa's play greatly improved from 1891, and their first test win in the final game was a pointer to the future. 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. Rugby was given a huge boost by the early Lions tours, which created great interest in the South African press. South Africa would not lose another series—home or away—until 1956.

The first South African team to tour the British Isles and France occurred during 1906–07. The team played tests against all four Home Nations. England managed a draw, but Scotland was the only one of the Home unions to gain a victory. The trip instilled a sense of national pride among South Africans. The South Africans played an unofficial match against a 'France' team while the official French team were in England; the Springboks won 55–6. It was during this tour that the nickname Springboks was first used.

The 1910 British Isles tour of South Africa was the first to include representatives from all four Home unions. 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 defeated France.

Inter war

By the first World War, New Zealand and South Africa had established themselves as rugby's two greatest powers. A Springbok tour to New Zealand and Australia in 1921 was billed as "The World Championship of Rugby". The All Blacks won the first Test 13–5, The Springboks recovered to win the second Test 9–5, and the final Test was drawn 0–0, resulting in a series draw.

The 1924 British Lions team lost three of the four Tests to the Springboks, drawing the other. This was the first side to pick up the name Lions, apparently picked up from the Lions embroidered on their ties. The All Blacks first toured South Africa in 1928, and again the Test series finished level. The Springboks won the first Test 17–0 to inflict the All Blacks' heaviest defeat since 1893. The All Blacks rebounded to win the second Test 7–6. After a Springbok win in the third Test, the All Blacks won 13–5 to draw the series.

Despite winning South Africa's second Grand Slam, the Springbok tourists of 1931–32 were an unloved team, due to their tactics of kicking for territory. It was successful however, winning against England, Ireland, and Scotland, as well as defeating all their Welsh opponents for the first time.

In 1933, Australia toured South Africa, with the Springboks winning the series 3–2.

In 1937, South Africa toured New Zealand and Australia and their 2–1 series win prompted them to be called "the best team to ever leave New Zealand".

The British Isles toured South Africa again in 1938, winning the majority of their tour matches. The Springboks secured easy victories in the first two tests. However, the Lions bounced back to record a win in the third test, for the first Lions win on South Africa soil since 1910.

Post-war era

Danie Craven was appointed coach in 1949, and started his coaching career winning ten matches in a row, including a 4–0 whitewash of New Zealand on their 1949 tour to South Africa.

The 1951–52 team that toured Europe was considered amongst the finest Springbok sides to tour. The team won the Grand Slam as well as defeating France. Hennie Muller captained the side. The South African highlight of the tour was a 44–0 defeat of Scotland. The team finished with only one loss, to London Counties, from 31 matches.

In 1953, Australia toured South Africa for the second time and although they lost the series, they defeated South Africa 18–14 in the second test. The 1955 British Lions tour to South Africa four-test series ended in a draw.

In 1956, Springboks toured Australasia the All Blacks won its first series over the Springboks, in "the most bitterly fought series in history."

When France toured South Africa in 1958 they were not expected to compete. France exceeded expectations and drew 3–3. The French then secured a Test series victory with a 9–5 victory.

Anti-apartheid protests: 1960s–1970s

In 1960, international criticism of apartheid grew in the wake of The Wind of Change speech and the Sharpeville massacre. The Springboks increasingly became the target of international protest. The All Blacks toured South Africa in 1960, despite a 150,000 signature petition opposing it. The Springboks avenged their 1956 series defeat by winning the four-match test series 2–1 with one draw. that same year the Springboks toured Europe, and they defeated all four Home unions for their fourth Grand Slam.

The 1962 British Lions tour to South Africa lost three of the four tests, drawing the other. In 1963 the touring Wallabies beat the Springboks in consecutive tests, the first team to do so since the 1896 British team. In 1964, in Wales' first overseas tour they played one test match against South Africa, losing 3–24, their biggest defeat in 40 years.

South Africa had a poor year in 1965, losing matches in a tour of Ireland and Scotland, and in a tour of Australia and 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 lost three Tests and drew one.

Next year in the 1969–70 Springbok tour to the UK and Ireland the Springboks lost test matches against England and Scotland, and drew against Ireland and Wales. Throughout the tour however, large anti-apartheid demonstrations meant that several matches had to be played behind barbed wire fences.

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

In the Springbok tour of Australia in 1971, the Springboks won all three tests. As in Britain three years before, however, massive anti-apartheid demonstrations greeted the team, and they had to be transported by the Royal Australian Air Force after the trade unions refused to service planes or trains transporting them. A planned tour of New Zealand for 1973 was blocked by New Zealand Prime Minister Norman Kirk on the grounds of public safety.

The Lions team that toured South Africa in 1974 triumphed 3–0 (with one drawn) in the test series. A key feature was the Lions' 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 "battle of Boet Erasmus Stadium" was one of the most violent matches in rugby history.

Sporting isolation: 1970s–1980s

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. Twenty-eight countries boycotted the 1976 Summer Olympics in protest, and in 1977 the Gleneagles Agreement discouraged any Commonwealth sporting contact with South Africa. In response to the growing pressure, the segregated South African rugby unions merged in 1977. A planned 1979 Springbok tour of France was blocked by the French government.

The Lions toured South Africa in 1980, losing the first three tests before winning the last one.

The 1981 Springbok tour of New Zealand went ahead in defiance of the Gleneagles Agreement. South Africa lost the series 1–2. The tour and the massive civil disruption in New Zealand had ramifications far beyond rugby. In 1981, Errol Tobias became the first non-white South African to represent his country when he took the field against Ireland. South Africa sought to counteract its sporting isolation by inviting the South American Jaguars to tour. The team contained mainly Argentinian players. Eight matches were played between the two teams in the early 1980s—all awarded Test status. In 1984, England toured losing both test matches; of the players selected, only Ralph Knibbs of Bristol refused to tour for political reasons.

Due to the isolation from apartheid, from 1985 to 1991, South Africa did not play a single test match against an established country, although South Africa did play some matches against makeshift teams. In 1985, a planned All Black tour of South Africa was stopped by the New Zealand High Court. A rebel tour took place the next year by a team known as the Cavaliers, which consisted of all but two of the original squad. The Springboks won the series 3–1. In 1989, a World XV sanctioned by the International Rugby Board went on a mini-tour of South Africa; all traditional rugby nations bar New Zealand supplied players to the team. South Africa was not permitted by the International Rugby Board to compete in the inaugural 1987 Rugby World Cup, nor in the following 1991 Rugby World Cup.

Rainbow nation and 1995 World Cup

Apartheid was abolished during 1990–91, and the Springboks were readmitted to international rugby in 1992. They struggled to return to their pre-isolation standards in their first games after readmission. During the 1992 All Blacks tour, the first to South Africa since 1976, the Springboks were defeated 24–27 by New Zealand, and suffered a 3–26 loss to Australia the following month.

South Africa hosted the 1995 Rugby World Cup, with a surge of support for the Springboks among the white and black communities behind the slogan "one team, one country." This was the first major international sports event to be held in the Rainbow Nation. By the time they hosted the 1995 World Cup, the Springboks, coached by Kitch Christie, were seeded ninth. They won their pool by defeating Australia, Romania, and Canada. Wins in the quarter-final against Western Samoa (42–14) and in the semi-final against France (19–15) sent the Springboks to the final. South Africa won the 1995 Rugby World Cup final against the All Blacks 15–12 in extra-time. President 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.

A series of crises followed in 1995 through 1997. Christie resigned in 1996 due to leukaemia, which led to his death in 1998. South Africa struggled in the new Tri-Nations competition, the All Blacks won a test series in South Africa for the first time in 1996, and the Lions won their 1997 South African tour test series two games to one. Coach Andre Markgraaff was fired in 1997 due to a racist comment he made. The team suffered successive defeats in the Lions 1997 tour and the 1997 Tri Nations Series.

In 1997, coach Nick Mallett coached South Africa's unbeaten 1997 tour of Europe, and in 1998 the Boks tied the then-existing record for longest test winning streak, winning 17 consecutive tests, including the 1998 Tri-Nations. At the 1999 Rugby World Cup the Springboks reached the semi-finals of the competition, where they lost to eventual champions Australia.

During the 2002 and 2003 seasons, the Springboks lost by record margins to England (3–53), France, Scotland and New Zealand. At the 2003 Rugby World Cup, they were eliminated in the quarter-final round – their worst showing to date.

Following wins during the June 2004 tours, the Boks won the 2004 Tri Nations Series. The Springboks won the 2004 IRB International Team of the Year award. The Springboks finished second in the 2005 Tri-Nations.

The 2006 Springboks lost to France, ending their long undefeated home record. A poor 2006 Tri Nations Series included two losses to the Wallabies. Coach Jake White told the press in July 2006 that he had been unable to pick some white players for his squad "because of transformation"—a reference to the ANC government's policies to redress racial imbalances in sport.

2007 Rugby World Cup victory

At the 2007 Rugby World Cup in France, the Springboks won their pool. The Springboks then defeated Fiji 37–20 in the quarter-finals, and Argentina 37–13 in the semi-finals. In the final they prevailed 15–6 over England to lift the Webb Ellis Cup for a second time.

In January 2008, Peter de Villiers was appointed as the first non-white coach of the Springboks. De Villiers's first squad included ten of colour. The team finishes last in the Tri Nations, but notched several wins during their 2008 end of year tour.

The 2009 season was more successful. The Boks earned a 2–1 series win over the Lions, and then won the 2009 Tri Nations Series. However, during the November tests they lost their top spot in the IRB rankings with losses to France and Ireland. Nonetheless, the Boks were named IRB International Team of the Year.

The Boks' June 2010 test campaign included a win over France (their first victory over the French since 2005). However, the Boks performed poorly in the 2010 Tri Nations campaign, sliding to third in the world rankings. In the 2011 Tri Nations the Boks rested a number of players in preparation for the upcoming World Cup. At the 2011 Rugby World Cup, the Springboks topped their group before falling to Australia 9–11 in the quarter-finals.

2012-2015: Heyneke Meyer Era

In January 2012, Heyneke Meyer was appointed as the Bok coach ahead of an upcoming 3 match series against England which was subsequently won by the Boks 2-0.

The newly expanded Rugby Championship was next (which saw Argentina participate for the first time) and a series of mixed results saw the Boks finish 3rd with 2 wins, a draw and 3 losses. Results improved on the end of year tour as the Boks went unbeaten.

2013 started with 6 consecutive victories including a record 73-13 win over Argentina and a first win at Suncorp Stadium (Australia) before a loss against New Zealand at Eden Park in a game marred in controversy after Bismarck Du Plessis was yellow carded for a tackle against New Zealand flyhalf Dan Carter. The 2013 Rugby Championship ultimately came down to the final round with the Boks needing a bonus point win against New Zealand (who themselves only needed a bonus point). In a match which referee Nigel Owens considered to be the best game he officiated , New Zealand prevailed 38-27 in front of a sold out Ellis Park.

Another unbeaten end of year tour followed leaving South Africa with an 11/13 record for the year.

2014 started with a 2-0 series win over Wales before recording a consecutive second place finish in the Rugby Championship which saw a first win over a New Zealand in 3 years. However this was undone by a disappointing end of year tour in which the Boks only won 2 out of their 4 games suffering losses against Ireland and a first loss against Wales since 1999.

2015 was a World Cup Year and subsequently saw a shortened Rugby Championship which saw the Boks lose all 3 games including a first ever loss to Argentina (25-37) in Durban. A composed away win away in Argentina seemed to steady the ship before the Boks suffered a historic loss against Japan (32-34) in their first World Cup game in what was a major upset and subsequently been labeled the "Miracle of Brighton" and made into a film. The Boks recovered to win the rest of their pool games (46-6 v Samoa; 34-16 v Scotland and 64-0 v USA in a game where Bryan Habana equaled Jonah Lomu's record of 15 tries at a Rugby World Cup ) and subsequently finished top of Pool B and a meeting with Wales in the Quarter Finals. The Quarter Final was a close game which was eventually won in spectacular fashion where a one handed pass from 8th man Duane Vermeulen saw Fourie du Preez score a late try in the corner that saw the Boks win 23-19. The Boks then faced New Zealand in the Semi final but were knocked out 20-18. However the Boks did recover to finish 3rd, beating Argentina 24-13 in the Bronze Final.

After the World Cup, Meyer subsequently resigned following pressure from the local clubs.

2016-2017 The Allister Coetzee Era

In April 2016, Allister Coetzee was named as Meyer's replacement.

His tenure started on the worst possible note when South Africa suffered their first home loss to a 14 man Ireland (20-26) and appeared to be on course for a historic series loss when the Boks found themselves 26-10 down in the second test at Ellis Park with 20 minutes left. However the Boks rallied to win the game 32-26 which set up the series decider in Port Elizabeth (Modern Day Gqeberha) where some heroic defending in particular from scrum half Faf De Klerk allowed the Boks to escape with a 19-13 win and the series victory.

However the mixed results continued into the Rugby Championship where a narrow 30-23 win against Argentina was followed by a first ever loss in Argentina (24-26), a defeat to a struggling Australia (17-23) and a 41-13 hiding in Christchurch against New Zealand. In a move of desperation, veteran flyhalf Morne Steyn was recalled for the home game against Australia where he kicked all 18 of South Africa's points in a scrappy 18-10 win. However Steyn's heroics would not be repeated a week later where the All Blacks handed the Boks a record 57-15 defeat in Durban . The Boks ended the year with a 31-31 draw against the Barbarians before losing the rest of their games on the November tour which included a first loss in 10 years against England and a first ever loss against Italy (20-18) and to Wales leaving Coetzee under serious pressure but his job was retained.

The 2017 season opened on a strong note with 5 successive victories against France (3-0 series whitewash) and then Argentina twice in the Rugby Championship (where the Boks wore a once off Red shirt for the away game in order to commemorate 25 years of South African Rugby Unity )before emerging from Australia with a credible 23-23 draw. However in their next game against New Zealand in Albany, the All Blacks inflicted the heaviest defeat in Springbok history with a 57-0 hiding. The Boks would not win another game in the Rugby Championship, drawing for the second time against the Wallabies in Bloemfontein (27-27) before almost upsetting the All Blacks in Cape Town (24-25). The End of Year Tour was a mixed bag with 2 wins against Italy and France being sandwiched by a heavy defeat to Ireland (38-3) - A match which would serve as a catalyst for Rassie Erasmus's return to South Africa- and a second consecutive loss to Wales (24-22).

2018–2019: Erasmus/Kolisi era and Rugby World Cup success

Following the sacking of Allister Coetzee in February 2018, Rassie Erasmus was named head coach of the national team, alongside his duties as Director of Rugby at SA Rugby, on 1 March 2018 and immediately decided to appoint Siya Kolisi as the new Springbok captain, a landmark decision.

In his first match in charge, Erasmus awarded thirteen new players their first test cap, in a one-off match in Washington, D.C. in a 22–20 loss to Wales. A week later, he secured his first win, a 42–39 victory over England, during their three-test series. The series title was clinched in the second test, with the Springboks winning 23–12, to secure a series victory. However, South Africa were unable to gain the clean-sweep, after losing the third test, 25–10. During the 2018 Rugby Championship, Erasmus led the Springboks to second, their best placing since 2014. The 2018 Championship saw South Africa win three games, including a thrilling 36–34 victory over New Zealand in Wellington, South Africa's first win in New Zealand since 2009. Erasmus later revealed that had the Springboks lost that match, he would have resigned:

"We [had recently] lost to Australia and Argentina, and if we didn't win in Wellington I would have resigned ... I have never lost three games in a row as a coach and if I did that I don't deserve to be a Springbok coach. We played New Zealand in Wellington and that was important, as if we lost it I wouldn't be here."

South Africa came within moments of reclaiming the Freedom Cup in the final round, but an All Black try in the dying moments of the game helped New Zealand snatch victory in 32–30 win in Pretoria and retain the cup.

2019 Rugby World Cup

The Springboks won the 2019 Rugby World Cup in Japan after defeating England 32–12 in the final. It was the first time that a Black South African rugby captain got to lift the Webb Ellis Cup, as well as the first time that a team won a final with a defeat in pool stages, the captain being Siya Kolisi who presented South African president Cyril Ramaphosa the number 6 jersey to commemorate Nelson Mandela, who wore the same numbered jersey during the 1995 Rugby World Cup.

The final match between South Africa and England served as a rematch between the two in reference to the 2007 Rugby World Cup final. This marks the third time South Africa has won the World Cup which ties the team with the All Blacks for most Rugby World Cup wins.

2020‒2023: COVID-19 and Back-to-Back World Cups

Following their 2019 World Cup win, the Springboks saw Jaques Nienaber appointed as the new head coach in January 2020 after Rassie Erasmus stepped down, but the team faced immediate disruptions due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, the Springboks, were affected by the cancellation and postponement of several matches, as well as concerns over player welfare and safety. However, the Springboks were able to continue playing international rugby through strict COVID-19 protocols.

In August 2020, South Africa withdrew from the Rugby Championship due to concerns over player welfare and COVID-19 restrictions. The tournament proceeded without the Springboks, who were the defending champions.

Consequently, South Africa became the first major rugby nation to not play an international match for an entire calendar year in the professional era, retaining their top world ranking despite this inactivity. The year was marked by canceled fixtures against Argentina, Australia, and New Zealand, with the focus shifting to the 2021 British & Irish Lions tour.

In July 2021, South Africa made their return to international rugby after a year-long absence due to the pandemic.

The British & Irish Lions

In 2021, the Springboks returned to international competition after a 20-month hiatus. Operating under strict bio-secure bubbles with severely restricted crowd attendance, newly appointed head coach Jacques Nienaber navigated a highly chaotic 13-teast season. The Springboks opened their campaign in early July with a convincing 40‒9 victory over Georgia in Pretoria, though a subsequent outbreak of COVID-19 cases within the squad forced the cancellation of the second scheduled test match.

The primary milestone of the 2021 season was the highly anticipated British & Irish Lions tour, which went ahead without spectators in the stadiums. Despite dropping the first test 17‒22 after yielding a second-half comeback, South Africa leveled the series in a brutally physical second test, clinical defensive execution securing a 17‒9 victory. The historic series concluded on a tense evening in Cape Town. Mirroring the legendary late-game heroics of previous eras, veteran fly-half Morné Steyn‒who had kicked the series-winning penalty against the Lions 12 years prior in 2009‒was substituted onto the field and slotted a decisive penalty goal in the 79th minute, sealing a dramatic 19‒16 victory to claim a 2‒1 series triumph for the Springboks.

Following their emotional Lions series success, the Springboks immediately transitioned into the 2021 Rugby Championship, opening with back-to-back home victories against Argentina in Port Elizabeth, winning 32‒12 and 29‒10 respectively. However, severe travel restrictions forced the remainder of the southern hemisphere tournament to be relocated entirely to Australia, where South Africa's momentum stalled. The team suffered consecutive losses to the Wallabies‒a narrow 26‒28 defeat in Gold Coast followed by a comprehensive 17‒30 loss in Brisbane‒before facing their historic rivals, the All Blacks.

The 100th test match between South Africa and New Zealand, hosted in Townsville, saw the All Blacks edge out a tightly contested 19‒17 victory. One week later, the Springboks snapped their three-match losing streak in Gold Coast with an exhilarating, post-siren 31‒29 win over New Zealand, courtesy of a clutch Elton Jantjies penalty goal.

The Springboks concluded their demanding 2021 schedule with an end-of-year your to the United Kingdom. They secured a historic 23‒18 win over Wales in Cardiff‒breaking an eight-year drought at the Principality Stadium‒and comfortably defeated Scotland 30‒15 at Murrayfield. The season ended with a heartbreaking 26‒27 loss to England at Twickenham, conceded via a last-minute Marcus Smith penalty goal. Despite completing an exhausting calendar under unprecedented bio-bubble conditions and finishing with an overall record of 8 wins and 5 losses, Frances late-November victory over New Zealand ensured that the Springboks retained their position as the number-one ranked team in the World Rugby Rankings to close out the year.

In 2022, the Springboks opened their campaign in July with a demanding three-test home series against Wales. In the opening match in Pretoria, South Africa clinched a dramatic 32‒29 victory courtesy of a post-siren penalty goal from Damian Willemse. Seeking to build squad depth, Nienaber made 14 changes to his starting lineup for the second test in Bloemfontein; however, the experimental strategy backfired as Wales snatched a historic 12‒13 win, marking their first-ever test victory against the Springboks on South African soil. The hosts recovered their clinical edge in Cape Town, securing a commanding 30‒14 victory to claim the series 2‒1, an occasion that also marked the milestone of lock Eben Etzebeth earning his 100th international cap.

The Springboks carried this momentum into the 2022 Rugby Championship, launching their tournament with a decisive 26‒10 demolition of New Zealand in Mbombela‒the All Blacks' heaviest defeat in South Africa in 94 years. The joy was short-lived, as the All Blacks responded a week later with a clinical 23‒35 victory at Ellis Park in Johannesburg. Traveling to Australia, South Africa's historical struggles Down Under reemerged with a frustrating 17‒25 loss to the Wallabies in Adelaide. The Springboks snapped their drought the following week in Sydney, executing a physical and clinical gameplan to overpower Australia 24‒8, registering their first victory in Australia since 2013 and in New South Wales since 1993. They concluded the championship with consecutive wins over Argentina, winning 36‒20 in Buenos Aires and 38‒21 in Durban, but narrowly missed out on the title to New Zealand based on points difference.

The demanding 13-test season culminated in an end-of-year tour of Europe. The tour opened with consecutive, razor-thin defeats against the continent's top-ranked sides, as South Africa fell 16‒19 to Ireland in Dublin before suffering a dramatic 26‒30 loss to France in Marseille. The Springboks quickly rebounded in Genoa, unleashing an expansive ball-in-hand attack to overwhelm Italy 63‒21, crossing the line for nine tries. They finished their year on a resounding high at Twickenham, dismantling England 27‒13 through sheer forward dominance and a brilliant individual try from Kurt-Lee Arendse. The emphatic victory capped an exhausting 2022 schedule with a final record of 8 wins and 5 losses, maintaining South Africa's fierce momentum ahead of their 2023 World Cup title defense.

2023 Rugby World Cup

In 2023, the Springboks completed one of the most grueling and historic campaigns in rugby union history, culminating in back-to-back Rugby World Cup titles. Due to the impending tournament, the 2023 Rugby Championship was shortened to a three-match series. South Africa opened with a comprehensive 43‒12 demolition of Australia in Pretoria, featuring a hat-trick by winger Kurt-Lee Arendse. A subsequent 20-35 defeat to New Zealand in Auckland derailed their title ambitions, but they recovered to edge Argentina 22‒21 in Johannesburg, finishing the tournament as runners-up. During the World Cup warm-up fixtures, the Springboks made an emphatic statement by dismantling Wales 52‒16 in Cardiff, before recording a historic 35‒7 victory over New Zealand, inflicting the heaviest defeat in All Blacks history.

The Springboks arrived at the 2023 Rugby World Cup in France placed in Pool B, widely labeled the "Pool of Death." They initiated their defense with an authoritative 18‒3 victory over Scotland in Marseille, followed by a clinical 76‒0 shutout of Romania in Bordeaux. In a highly anticipated clash between the world's two top-ranked teams, South Africa suffered a narrow 8‒13 defeat to Ireland at the Stade de France, despite a fierce defensive effort. The Springboks secured safe passage into the knockout rounds by dispatching Tonga 49‒18 in Marseille, finishing second in the pool.

The knockout phase produced three of the most tense, dramatic, and emotionally exhausting consecutive matches in World Cup history, with South Africa clinching every victory by a single point. In the Quarter Finals, they faced host nation France in a Parisian thriller. Driven by a revolutionary "7‒1" split on the substitutes' bench and an explosive ball-in-hand counter-attack, the Springboks triumphed 29‒28, sparked by a crucial second-half try from Eben Etzebeth. The Semi-Final against England on a rain-affected evening proved equally dramatic. Trailing for 73 minutes under a relentless English kicking game, the Springboks orchestrated a late rescue mission; RG Snyman scored an equalizing try before Handré Pollard slotted a monumental 78th-minute penalty goal from past the 50-meter line to snatch a 16‒15 victory.

On 28 October 2023, South Africa faced traditional rivals New Zealand in the World Cup final at a damp Stade de France before a crowd of 80,067. In a fiercely contested match marked by multiple yellow cards and a historic red card to All Blacks captain Sam Cane, Handré Pollard kicked four first-half penalties to establish a lead. Despite a ferocious second-half onslaught from New Zealand that yielded a Beauden Barrett try, the Springboks' relentless, desperate defensive line held firm in the final minutes. Pieter-Steph du Toit executive an extraordinary 28 tackles to secure Player of the Match award as South Africa held on for a dramatic 12‒11 victory.

The historic triumph marked several unprecedented milestones. The Springboks became the first team to win four Rugby World Cup titles, the most successful nation in tournament history with an 80% winning ratio across all World Cups and the only team to win 50% of the World Cups they've participated in (having been excluded from the first two editions due to sporting boycotts). The victory prompted nationwide celebrations and a week-long trophy tour across South Africa, cementing the 2023 squad's legacy as one of the greatest teams of the professional era.

Era of Dominance and Tactical Evolution (2024‒Present)

In 2024, Rassie Erasmus returned to the helm as head coach, initiating a period marked by massive squad rotation, tactical evolution under new attack coach Tony Brown, and an influx of youthful talent. The Springboks opened their 13-test season in June with a dominant 41‒13 victory over Wales at Twickenham, claiming the Prince William Cup. They then hosted Ireland in a highly contentious two-test home series. In Pretoria, South Africa secured a 27‒20 victory, thought Ireland retaliated a week later in Durban by clinching a dramatic 24‒25 win via a last-minute Ciaran Frawley drop goal. the Springbok quickly rebounded by thrashing Portugal 64‒21 in Bloemfontein, a match that saw seven test debutants.

The 2024 Rugby Championship stood as one of the most clinical campaigns in the nation's history. South Africa launched with back-to-back bonus-point triumphs over the Wallabies in Australia–winning 33‒7 in Brisbane and 30‒12 in Perth–to claim the Mandela Challenge Plate. Returning home, they secured consecutive victories over their traditional rivals, the All Blacks. They overcame a late deficit to wind 31–27 in Johannesburg, before shutting down the New Zealand attack in an 18‒12 victory in Cape Town to recapture the Freedom Cup for the first time since 2009. Despite a narrow 29-28 loss to Argentina in Santiago del Estero, the Springboks secured the 2024 Rugby Championship title in style by dismantling the Pumas 48‒7 in Nelspruit.

The year culminated in a flawless end-of-year tour to Europe, where South Africa posted an undefeated three-match streak. They handled Scotland 32‒15 in Edinburgh, outmuscled England 29‒20 at Twickenham, and comfortably put away Wales 45‒12 in Cardiff. The Springboks finished 2024 with 11 wins from 13 matches, comfortably maintaining their world number-one ranking.

The momentum carried into 2025 as Erasmus continued building unparalleled depth, introducing seven more test debutants. The mid-year internationals saw comprehensive home victories over Italy (42‒24 and 45‒0) and Georgia (55‒10). Despite starting the 2025 Rugby Championship with an unexpected 22‒38 loss to Australia in Johannesburg, the Springboks rallied immediately. They avenged the defeat a week later by beating the Wallabies 30‒22, split their away fixtures against New Zealand–falling 17‒24 in Auckland before producing a staggering 43‒10 blowout against the All Blacks in Wellington with the 33 point margin ranking as New Zealand's heaviest defeat surpassing the Springboks own record of 28 points‒and swept Argentina (67‒30 in Durban and 29‒27 in London) to successfully retain the Rugby Championship title. Their win over the All Blacks marked the second time in consecutive years where the Springboks delivered their rivals their biggest defeats in rugby history.

South Africa's dominance reached its zenith during the 2025 end-of-year European tour. The team went entirely undefeated across November, routing France 32‒17 in Paris, controlling Italy 32‒14 in Genoa, and securing an emphatic 24‒13 wind over Ireland in Dublin. They completed their season by inflicting a historic 73‒0 shutout over Wales in Cardiff, executing one of the most complete performance of the professional era to finish the season as the undisputed global powerhouses.

In 2026, Rassie Erasmus celebrated his milestone 55th test match in charge during an historic calendar that cemented the team's total global dominance. The Springboks opened their 2026 test season in spectacular fashion in Gqebertha, crossing for 12 tries to orchestrate an 80‒31 blowout victory over the Barbarians. Transitioning immediately into the newly established, inaugural Nations Championship tournament, South Africa launched their campaign at a packed Ellis Park by dismantling England 45‒21. The performance featured a dominant seven-try display that placed the world number-one team firmly at the top of the southern conference standings.

The following week, the Springboks hosted a resurgent Scotland side at Loftus Versfeld in Pretoria. Operating with a heavily altered matchday squad that saw Erasmus make 10 changes to his starting lineup, the Springboks surged into an early 14‒0 lead courtesy of quick-fire tires from Embrose Papier and Evan Roos. Despite Scotland fiercely rallying to level the score 14‒14 at halftime, South Africa's trademark second-half physical power ultimately overwhelmed the visitors, sealing a thrilling 42‒28 bonus-point victory.

The triumph over Scotland marked an unprecedented milestone in international rugby union history. With the victory, the two-time defending World Cup champions became the first tier-1 nation to defeat every single Six Nations side (France, Italy, Ireland, England, Wales, and Scotland) and every Rugby Championship opponent (New Zealand, Australia, and Argentina) within a rolling 12-month window. No other country in the professional era had ever achieved a complete global sweep against all nine other major northern and southern hemisphere rivals in the same 365-day span, confirming the 2026 Springboks squad's status as the definitive benchmark of world rugby.