Siya Kolisi lifted the Webb Ellis Cup on 2 November 2019 and the Springboks have reigned as world champions for 2 000 days since.
Champions in 1995 and 2007, the Springboks are currently two-time defending world champions after successfully retaining rugby’s top trophy at the 2023 Rugby World Cup in France.
The world’s top-ranked team, the Boks have compiled a 73% win rate in 52 Tests since their World Cup triumph in Japan.
Under Kolisi’s leadership, the men in green and gold defeated England 32-12 in the 2019 decider, where Makazole Mapimpi became the first South African to score a try in a World Cup final.
Pieter-Steph du Toit’s dominant performances earned him both SA Rugby and World Rugby Player of the Year awards.
The Boks lost the entire 2020 Test calendar to global lockdown and travel restrictions, but returned with a bang in 2021 when they beat the British & Irish Lions 2-1 in a hard-fought series in the Republic.
South Africa then secured a 31-29 victory against the All Blacks on the Gold Coast during a shortened Rugby Championship campaign, before Kolisi capped off a standout season as SA Rugby Player of the Year.
In 2022, SA claimed a 2-1 home series win over Wales while introducing new talents such as speedster Kurt-Lee Arendse and the oldest Bok debutant Deon Fourie.
South Africa finished second in the 2022 Rugby Championship behind the All Blacks and in November that year beat Eddie Jones’ England 27-13 in London. Eben Etzebeth, who joined the elite 100-cap club, was named SA Rugby Player of the Year.
The 2023 season elevated the Boks’ tactical innovation. Their record 35-7 demolition of the All Blacks at Twickenham introduced rugby to the 7-1 bench split or “Nuke Squad” – an evolution of the famous Bomb Squad first deployed by Rassie Erasmus and Jacques Nienaber in 2019.
At the World Cup in France, this revolutionary approach featured twice, including during the nail-biting 12-11 final win over the All Blacks. Despite a pool stage defeat to Ireland, South Africa’s resilience shone through in one-point knockout victories against hosts France, England and New Zealand.
Du Toit’s record 28 tackles in the decider helped secure his second SA Rugby Player of the Year award.
The Boks maintained momentum in 2024, exacting revenge on Ireland with a 27-20 victory at Loftus Versfeld in a thrilling 1-1 series against the then Six Nations champions.
Erasmus’ troops conquered the Wallabies with a rare 33-7 win in Brisbane and completed a historic four-game sweep of the All Blacks with an 18-12 triumph at Cape Town Stadium – the fourth consecutive victory dating back to the 2023 Twickenham clash.
The Boks’ Rugby Championship title victory, their first since 2019, cemented their dominance.
Meanwhile, Etzebeth surpassed Victor Matfield’s 127-cap record, while Cheslin Kolbe became the first backline player since 2013 to claim SA Rugby Player of the Year.
To reach the 3000-day milestone, the Boks would have to be world champions on 19 January, 2028 …
CHECK OUT: Springboks 2025 schedule
Photo: Twitter/@Springboks
The post Celebrate Boks’ 2000-day reign appeared first on SA Rugby magazine.
