Rugby union in South Africa is a highly popular team sport, along with cricket and soccer, and is widely played all over the country.

The local press reported a series of football matches between scratch sides "Town v Suburbs" or "Home v Colonial-born".

[8] British colonists helped spread the game through the Eastern Cape, Natal and along the gold and diamond routes to Kimberley and Johannesburg.

From 1960, international criticism of apartheid in particular grew in the wake of "The Wind of Change" speech by the British Prime Minister, Macmillan, and the Sharpeville massacre near Johannesburg in South Africa.

From then onward, the Springboks, perceived as prominent representatives of apartheid South Africa, were increasingly isolated internationally.

Coming shortly after the Soweto riots as it did, the 1976 All Blacks tour of South Africa attracted international condemnation and 28 countries boycotted the 1976 Summer Olympics in protest.

Despite the Gleneagles Agreement, in July 1982, Hong Kong Rugby Football Union Vice-President A. D. C "Tokkie" Smith brought the first ever mixed-race team on tour in South Africa.

The Cape Town Sevens has since become one of the biggest annual events on the South African sporting calendar, attracting numerous local and international visitors over the course of the weekend on which it is held.

Super Rugby is an international provincial competition initially featuring teams from New Zealand, Australia and South Africa.

The Currie Cup tournament has been the premier domestic rugby union in South Africa since its first edition in 1892.

Since then, the number of teams participating in the competition varied in different seasons, with the Currie Cup trophy being awarded to the champions of the top tier.

Simkins Trophy and the South African Cup (currently awarded to the winners of the First Division), were also on offer.

The Challenge now includes only South African sides, plus the Namibian team that had sporadically featured in the Vodacom Cup.

Since 2008, the Varsity Cup is an annual tournament held between the top university club sides in South Africa.

South Africa did not take part in the first two World Cups, held in 1987 and 1991, as they were still under an international boycott due to apartheid.

The 1995 tournament concluded with then President Nelson Mandela (at the time described as the world's most famous former political prisoner), wearing a Springbok jersey and matching baseball cap, presenting the trophy to the South Africa's captain François Pienaar (a young Afrikaner).

In 2007 the Springboks repeated their 1995 feat winning the 2007 World Cup by defeating England at Stade de France.

South Africa won the Rugby World Cup for a third time in 2019, once again defeating England, 32–12 in the final in Yokohama.

South Africa won the Rugby World Cup for a fourth time in 2023, once again defeating New Zealand at Stade de France., 12–11 in the final.

[16][17] The invitation was however subject to certain conditions, like the guaranteed availability of the top Puma players, most of whom play highly paid professional club rugby in Europe at present.