OPINION: Historically, the Springboks struggled to maintain momentum in the years between their 1995 and 2007 World Cup victories.
Following their iconic 1995 triumph, performances dipped. Notable low points included the controversial dropping of key players like Gary Teichmann ahead of the 1999 tournament and a period of instability.
After winning in 2007, the team again failed to consistently dominate the world stage in the subsequent years, experiencing mixed results in the Tri-Nations (now The Rugby Championship) and other Test matches.
The Rassie Erasmus Era
The period under head coach Rassie Erasmus (initially Director of Rugby, now head coach) has been a significant turning point, characterised by meticulous planning, building squad depth, and a focus on consistency.
The team managed to carry their World Cup-winning momentum into the subsequent seasons, a first in the professional era.
Key achievements in this era include:
Winning The Rugby Championship in 2019.Securing a series win against the British & Irish Lions in 2021.Bouncing back from a record 0-57 defeat to New Zealand in 2017 to win the 2019 World Cup two years later.Winning the 2023 World CupAchieving the world’s No. 1 ranking.Two unbeaten end-of-year tours in a row (2024 and 2025)Handing the All Blacks their worst-ever defeat – a historic 43-10 thrashing in Wellington
The Springboks have started the next cycle heading into the next World Cup [in Australia in 2027] in a historically strong position, maintaining high win percentages and an expanded player base.
They won The Rugby Championship in 2024 and 2025 and beat most of the top ten-ranked nations, and finished the year as the number one-ranked team in the world.
The build-up to the 2027 World Cup in Australia is underway with the goal of an unprecedented “three-peat”.
This sustained success between World Cups marks a major change from past patterns, with the Springboks now widely considered the dominant force in global rugby.
Finishing off their five-week tour at the end of this year unbeaten has made them the envy of the world.
When one looks at the Springboks, one thinks, ‘Do they even have a weakness? ‘
Two years out from the World Cup, is there anything that Erasmus can identify to improve on?
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“When we won the World Cup, people said we don’t win between the World Cups. Now that we are winning in between the World Cups, they say you aren’t going to win the World Cup.
“It’s a challenging task to accommodate different points of view.
“But we just want to get better internally in every game, and every player must get better.
“Guys are getting older, and we have to manage that.
“And when the young guys come in, I don’t think only their games are getting better, but also their calmness and their understanding,” Erasmus said following the Springboks’ 73-0 victory over Wales in Cardiff last month.
“When I asked how many haven’t played here [in Cardiff], I think 11 put up their hands.
“Because this is special for us, we like the horses in front of the bus, the military band, and we like the whole thing that the Welsh do.
“And that was a new experience for guys who haven’t played here, and now [against Wales] they won.
“So getting experience and staying ahead of the pack is a nice challenge,
“But we know what lies ahead next year. We are getting comfortable with sometimes being the favourite.
“We aren’t great at that as South Africans. When we are the favourites, we seem to find a problem with it somewhere.
“I think when we are the favourites, we must embrace it without being arrogant.”