Ahead of the 2023 World Cup draw on Monday afternoon, check out the official team overview for the defending champion Springboks.
COACH: Jacques Nienaber
CAPTAIN: Siya Kolisi
NICKNAME: Springboks
SEEDED 1 (BAND 1)
RWC STATISTICS
Debut: vs Australia on 25 May 1995
Appearances: 7 – 1995-2019
Record: Played 43 – Won 36 Drawn 0 Lost 7
Best placing: Champions in 1995, 2007 and 2019
Points for/against: 1,512/553
Tries for/against: 174/37
Most RWC appearances: 20 – Schalk Burger
Top RWC points-scorer: 162 – Handre Pollard
Top RWC try-scorer: 15 – Bryan Habana
INTERESTING STATISTICS
> South Africa are one of two host nations to face the defending champions in their opening match – their first Rugby World Cup match was against 1991 champions Australia
> South Africa’s three Rugby World Cup successes each came 12 years apart
> The Springboks scored their first tries in their third RWC final in 2019
> Bryan Habana shares the record for most RWC tries (15) with Jonah Lomu. The Springbok wing, though, has scored the most tries in the tournament’s pool stage with 13
PAST POOL STATISTICS
> South Africa have never been drawn in a pool with Argentina, France or Ireland
> South Africa became the only team to lose a pool match and lift the Webb Ellis Cup in 2019, bouncing back from a 23-13 loss to New Zealand in their opening match
> The Springboks have only lost three pool matches in seven tournaments, against England (2003), Japan (2015) and New Zealand (2019)
> South Africa have scored a try in 25 of their 26 pool matches, a 25-6 defeat by England in 2003 the exception
> The Springboks have not been in the same pool as Australia since their RWC Cup debut in 1995
> South Africa have only met Fiji and Wales once in a pool, both at RWC 2011
> The Springboks’ only pool meeting with Japan ended in defeat in 2015
> South Africa met Italy for the first time in RWC history at Japan 2019, winning 49-3
> South Africa have twice been in the same pool as Scotland, in 1999 and 2015
> Their most common opponent in a pool stage is Samoa, having been drawn with the Pacific Islanders in four of their seven tournaments.
Photo: Shaun Botterill/Getty Images
