Rugby World Cup champions through the years: From 1987 to today
Are the Springboks the greatest rugby team of all time?
Not every team gets to lift the William Webb Ellis trophy. Here’s a look back at the elite list of Rugby World Cup champions, featuring the back-to-back triumphs of the Springboks and the rivals they defeated along the way.
- 1987: New Zealand beat France
- 1991: Australia beat England
- 1995: South Africa beat New Zealand
- 1999: Australia beat France
- 2003: England beat Australia
- 2007: South Africa beat England
- 2011: New Zealand beat France
- 2015: New Zealand beat Australia
- 2019: South Africa beat England
- 2023: South Africa beat New Zealand
The Springboks LOVE facing England
The Springboks’ nail-biting 16-15 win in the 2023 semi-final against England was the sixth Rugby World Cup meeting between the sides. South Africa won the 1999 quarter-final (44-21) in Paris; the pool game (36-0) and final (15-6) in 2007, also both in Paris; and the final (32-12) in Yokohama in 2019. England won the pool game in Perth in 2003 (25-6). The Springboks now boast an 83.33% win rate against their old foes at the world’s biggest tournament, and two of those four wins have come in the match that matters most of all.
Ox Nche is a Springboks cult hero
The Springboks have an absolute scrummaging maestro in the shape of Retshegofaditswe Ox Nche. Can you spell and pronounce his name, though?
Retshegofaditswe only contains 16 letters
It’s only fair that all South Africans know how to spell Retshegofaditswe and how to pronounce it. Here’s the man himself to lend a hand. It’s not rocket science either, so there’s no excuse, seeing as though there are only 16 letters in the name. Meanwhile, Woolworths came to the party and offered the big man a year’s supply of cake. Well deserved. As Ox said, salads don’t win scrums.