| One of the highlights of this year’s Rugby | | | | segregated South African rugby unions merged |
| World Cup, to kick off in September is the | | | | and, four years later, Errol Tobias became the |
| presence of one of the most spectacular and | | | | first non-white South African to represent his |
| controversial rugby teams in the world. | | | | country when he took the field against Ireland. |
| The Springboks (also named Springbokke in | | | | After public opposition and international |
| Afrikaans) is the more common name for the | | | | representations, the French government stopped |
| South African national rugby union team. Over the | | | | the 1979 South African tour of France. Mass |
| years, the Springboks have shared the turmoil of | | | | demonstrations greeted the South African tour of |
| the country they represent, and made history | | | | the United States in 1981, and put an end to |
| with a series of more or less sports- related | | | | similar tours. |
| events. The Springboks play in green and gold | | | | In defiance of the Gleneagles agreement, the |
| jumpers and have been playing international rugby | | | | notorious 1981 tour of New Zealand went ahead. |
| since 1891, when they debuted against a touring | | | | Although South Africa lost the series, the tour |
| British Isles side in South Africa. The jersey has | | | | had ramifications far beyond rugby. As an indirect |
| traditionally always had a gold collar. White shorts | | | | result of this tour, South Africa was banned by |
| and green socks with two gold hoops, with the | | | | the International Rugby Board from international |
| Canterbury logo in gold, make up the kit. The flag | | | | competitions until Apartheid ended. |
| of South Africa can be seen on the sleeve. | | | | South Africa sought to counteract its sporting |
| Today the Springboks are regarded as one of the | | | | isolation by inviting the South American Jaguars to |
| best rugby nations in the world. The current head | | | | tour. Eight matches were played between the |
| coach is Jake White, and the captain, John Smith. | | | | two teams in the early 1980s. In 1985, a planned |
| A team that has survived turmoil over historical | | | | All Black tour of South Africa was stopped by the |
| decades | | | | New Zealand High Court. An unofficial tour did |
| Although they did not compete in the first two | | | | take place in 1986 by a team including some but |
| World Cups in the late 1980s and early 1990s due | | | | not the majority of All Black players, known |
| to sports boycotts of South Africa, the | | | | outside South Africa as 'the Cavaliers', but |
| Springboks did make their debut in the 1995 | | | | advertised inside the Republic as the All Blacks. |
| World Cup, hosting it as well; they defeated the | | | | A thorny road to victory crowns with 1995 |
| All Blacks in the final, which is now remembered | | | | historical win |
| as one of the greatest moments in South Africa's | | | | In 1989, a World XV sanctioned by the |
| sporting history. | | | | International Rugby Board went on a mini-tour of |
| The history of the team is closely linked to the | | | | South Africa. All bar New Zealand supplied players |
| history of rugby in South Africa. When Canon | | | | to the team with ten Welshmen, eight |
| George Ogilvie became headmaster of Diocesan | | | | Frenchmen, six Australians, four Englishmen, one |
| College in Cape Town in 1861, he introduced the | | | | Scot and one Irishman. |
| game of football, as played at Winchester School. | | | | Until the 1990s the Springboks had a positive win |
| This version of football, which included handling, is | | | | record against every nation they played. Following |
| seen as the beginnings of rugby in South Africa. | | | | the demise of apartheid, the Springboks were |
| Rugby began to be played in the Cape colony | | | | readmitted to international rugby in 1992 but |
| around 1875; the following year the first rugby | | | | initially struggled to return to their previous high |
| club was formed. Former England international | | | | standards. There was a remarkable surge of |
| William Henry Milton arrived in Cape Town in 1878, | | | | support for the Springboks among the white and |
| he joined the Villagers club and started playing and | | | | black communities in the lead-up to the 1995 |
| preaching rugby. By the end of that year Cape | | | | Rugby World Cup. This was the first major event |
| Town had all but abandoned the Winchester game | | | | to be held in the country divided by apartheid. |
| in favor of rugby. British colonists helped spread | | | | South Africans got behind the 'one team, one |
| the game through the Eastern Cape, Natal and | | | | country' slogan, but the squad included only one |
| along the gold and diamond routes to Kimberley | | | | “colored” player, Chester Williams. |
| and Johannesburg. British troops would also play a | | | | By the time they hosted the 1995 World Cup, the |
| key role in spreading the game throughout the | | | | Springboks were seeded ninth. They defeated |
| country. | | | | Australia, Romania, Canada, Western Samoa and |
| Paul Ross was the captain of the first Springbok | | | | France to play in the final. South Africa won the |
| team, which was largely dominated by players | | | | epic final against New Zealand 15-12 at Ellis Park |
| from the Western Province. The first tour of | | | | Stadium, when a drop goal by Joel Stransky |
| Britain took place in 1906 and took in 29 matches. | | | | secured victory in extra-time. The New |
| England managed a draw, but Scotland was the | | | | Zealanders claimed to have been affected by a |
| only one of the Home unions to gain a victory. It | | | | virulent food poisoning the day before the fixture. |
| was during this tour that the nickname 'Springboks | | | | Suspicions fell on the South African rugby |
| was first used. At an impromptu meeting, the | | | | authorities, a view that continues to this day in |
| tour manager, officials and Paul Ross invented the | | | | New Zealand. |
| nickname to prevent the British press from | | | | Black African Nelson Mandela wearing a Springbok |
| coining their own nickname. Historically the term | | | | shirt presented the trophy to Captain Francois |
| 'Springbok' was applied to any team or individual | | | | Pienaar, a white Afrikaner. The gesture was |
| representing South Africa in international | | | | widely seen as a major step towards the |
| competition regardless of sporting discipline. This | | | | reconciliation of white and black South Africans. |
| tradition was abandoned with the advent of South | | | | 2007- reconciliation year for Springboks? |
| Africa's new democratic government in 1994. | | | | As for this year’s event, opinions are divided. |
| The Springboks and the New Zealand legendary | | | | Some specialists the Springboks have 50 % |
| All Blacks started a famous rivalry in 1921. The | | | | chances of winning the tournament, while other, |
| Springboks' tour of New Zealand was tense and | | | | more skeptical; consider there is only 20% chance |
| competitive, with the test series being drawn. The | | | | that they will lift the cup this time. This is one of |
| All Blacks first toured South Africa in 1928, and | | | | the intimidating, aggressive and ruthless teams |
| again the test series finished level. In 1937 South | | | | that have kept the same play style over the |
| Africa broke the deadlock with a series win in | | | | years, as rugby fans consider that the one thing |
| New Zealand and also in Australia. Only in 1996 did | | | | that never changed about South African rugby is |
| New Zealand finally win its first series in the | | | | the fact that it never changes. South Africa meet |
| Republic. | | | | the USA Eagles on September 30, in pool |
| The Springbok tour to Britain and Ireland in 1969 | | | | ‘A’ of Rugby World Cup 2007, at La |
| was met with large anti-apartheid demonstrations | | | | Mosson Stadium, Montpellier. This is the first |
| wherever they went, and matches had to be | | | | meeting between the sides in RWC. South Africa |
| played behind barbed wire fences. Massive | | | | will be expected to win this encounter with ease, |
| anti-apartheid demonstrations greeted the South | | | | even playing their back up squad. We expect the |
| African rugby tour of Australia in 1971. The South | | | | Springboks to put on a festival of running rugby |
| African team had to be transported in Australian | | | | and go on to win by more than 40 points. This will |
| Air Force planes as the trade unions refused to | | | | be a chance to see some of the new names in |
| service planes or trains transporting them. In 1977 | | | | the South African squad making a showing. Look |
| the Commonwealth signed a document called the | | | | out for: Bobby Skinstad making his international |
| Gleneagles Agreement, which discouraged sporting | | | | comeback, complete with the flying wingers |
| contact with South Africa. In 1977, the | | | | Bryan Habana and Breyton Paulse. |