South African Squad
Current Springbok Starting XV:
• 15. Aphelele Fassi
• 14. Cheslin Kolbe
• 13. Jesse Kriel
• 12. Damian de Allende
• 11. Kurt-Lee Arendse
• 10. Manie Libbok
• 9. Grant Williams
• 8. Jasper Wiese
• 7. Pieter-Steph du Toit
• 6. Siya Kolisi (Captain)
• 5. RG Snyman
• 4. Eben Etzebeth
• 3. Wilco Louw
• 2. Bongi Mbonambi
• 1. Ox Nche
Facts
They are known for their powerful forward pack and skillful backline, and have achieved significant success, including four Rugby World Cup victories. The great leadership of the captain and coach "Rassie Erasmus" has lead them to 2 consecutive world cups the past 6 years.
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.