Springbok

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 South African Rugby Union. The team play in green and gold jerseys with white shorts, and their emblem is the springbok, a native antelope and the national animal of South Africa. Their first test match was on 30 July 1891 against a British Isles touring team. The Springboks are the reigning world champions and have won the Rugby World Cup four times (1995, 2007, 2019 and 2023), more than any other country. They hold a winning percentage against every rugby playing nation excluding New Zealand where the Springboks win rate currently sits at 40%. 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.