20 best Springbok rugby players ever: where are they today?
Did you know the Springboks was founded in July 1891? Over the years, there have been many Springbok rugby players. These elite sportsmen play for the South Africa National Rugby Union Team. They are known for playing in green and gold jerseys and white shorts.
Source: UGC
Springbok rugby players have a native antelope, the springbok, as their emblem. They are known for their agility, speed, muscular strength, and power, just like the springbok.
Best Springbok rugby players ever
Below is a list of the best Springbok rugby players' names and photos. They have made indelible marks in the sports scene in South Africa.
20. Cobus Reinach
Source: UGC
- Full name: Jacobus Meyer Reinach
- Date of birth: 7th February 1990
- Age: 32 years (as of 2022)
- Place of birth: Bloemfontein
Cobus Reinach followed in his father's footsteps. His dad, Jaco, is also on the list of Springbok rugby players who propelled the team to greater heights. Jaco won four caps on the wing for the Springboks in 1986.
Reinach made his South Africa debut against Australia in September 2014. In 2019, he made history after scoring the fastest hat trick from the start of a match.
19. Eben Etzebeth
Source: UGC
- Full name: Eben Etzebeth
- Date of birth: 29th October 1991
- Age: 31 years (as of 2022)
- Place of birth: Cape Town
Eben Etzebeth has a towering 6' 7" stature and normally plays number four lock, but can switch to a flanker. He started his career in the Western Province youth setup and is currently signed with French Top 14 side Toulon.
In 2017, Etzebeth was named the new captain of the Springboks. In the 2019 World Cup, he helped South Africa get its famous win over England.
18. Franco Mostert
- Full name: Franco John Mostert
- Date of birth: 27th November 1990
- Age: 32 years (as of 2022)
- Place of birth: Welkom
Growing up, Franco Mostert dreamed of becoming a golfer. He started his age-grade rugby career for the Blue Bulls and later for the Tuks at the University of Pretoria.
His older brother, Jean-Pierre, is an athlete who played flanker for the Pumas and Falcons until 2017. In June 2016, Franco Mostert made his international debut for South Africa in a match against Ireland. He played for South Africa in the 2019 World Cup.
17. Trevor Nyakane
- Full name: Trevor Ntando Nyakane
- Date of birth: 4th May 1989
- Age: 33 years (as of 2022)
- Place of birth: Bushbuckridge
Trevor Nyakane is an alumnus of Hoërskool Ben Vorster and is the first-ever Springbok from this high school. His late dad briefly played representative football.
Nyakane signed with the Bulls in 2015 and has been playing with the team since then. He was selected for the 2019 Rugby World Cup squad but had to go home after tearing his right calf in the opening pool match. Besides rugby, he is a businessman and entrepreneur.
16. Tendai Mtawarira
Source: Getty Images
- Full name: Tendai Mtawarira
- Date of birth: 1st August 1985
- Age: 37 years (as of 2022)
- Place of birth: Harare
Tendai Mtawarira is arguably the greatest South African prop of all time. He has been in over 150 games for the Sharks in Super Rugby.
At Springboks, he is known as the beast. In 2019, he played a crucial role in the final of the Rugby World Cup, which the Springboks won.
15. Faf de Klerk
Source: UGC
- Full name: Francois "Faf" de Klerk
- Date of birth: 19th October 1991
- Age: 31 years (as of 2022)
- Place of birth: Mbombela
Faf de Klerk is a household name in the South African sports scene. He is a strong and powerful scrum half.
Klerk started his career in high school. He was scouted by the Blue Bulls and the Golden Lions at the youth level. He was first picked to represent South Africa in 2016 and has been an integral part of the team.
14. Bongi Mbonambi
- Full name: Mbongeni Theo 'Bongi' Mbonambi
- Date of birth: 7th January 1991
- Age: 31 years (as of 2022)
- Place of birth: Bethlehem
Did you know Bongi Mbonambi was once told he was too small to play rugby? He beat the odds to become one of South Africa's best rugby players of all time.
Mbonambi comes from a sporty family. His dad is a boxer and baseball player, while his mother played tennis. In 2016, Mbonambi made his international debut against Ireland.
13. Duane Vermeulen
Source: UGC
- Full name: Daniel Johannes "Duane" Vermeulen
- Date of birth: 3rd July 1986
- Age: 36 years (as of 2022)
- Place of birth: Mbombela
Duane Vermeulen plays as a number-eight forward. In 2021, he was inducted into the RugbyPass Hall of Fame for his impressive work.
The major teams he has played for include the Blue Bulls, Barbarians, Bulls, Emerging Springboks, Cheetahs, Stormers, Western Province, and Toulon. In the 2020/21 season, he was named SA Rugby Player of the Year.
12. Damian de Allende
- Full name: Damian de Allende
- Date of birth: 25th November 1991
- Age: 31 years (as of 2022)
- Place of birth: Cape Town
Damian de Allende is arguably one of the best defensive centres globally. He first featured at the professional level for Western Province and made his international debut for South Africa in 2014.
He made his first try for the Springboks in 2015. After winning the 2019 World Cup, he signed for the Panasonic Wild Knights on a short-term basis.
11. Malcolm Marx
Source: UGC
- Full name: Malcolm Justin Marx
- Date of birth: 13th July 1994
- Age: 28 years (as of 2022)
- Place of birth: Germiston
Malcolm Marx is one of the Springbok rugby players in 2022. He was a member of the South African squad at the 2014 Junior World Cup in New Zealand.
In September 2016, Marx made his international debut for the Springboks against New Zealand. In his career, he has been voted SA Rugby Player of the Year and SA Rugby Young Player of the Year.
10. Pieter-Steph du Toit
- Full name: Pieter Stephanus du Toit
- Date of birth: 20th August 1992
- Age: 30 years (as of 2022)
- Place of birth: Cape Town
Pieter-Steph du Toit can play in both the second and back rows. He comes from a sporty family and one of his siblings, Johan, is a back-row or lock for the Stormers.
In November 2013, Du Toit made his senior Springbok debut against Wales. He tore his ACL in 2014 and had a transplant before the 2019 World Cup.
9. Siya Kolisi
Source: Getty Images
- Full name: Siyamthanda Kolisi
- Date of birth: 16th June 1991
- Age: 31 years (as of 2022)
- Place of birth: Zwide, Eastern Cape Province
In 2020, the Rugby World magazine named Siya Kolisi the rugby’s most influential person. Kolisi is the national team’s first black captain.
The athlete started playing rugby at seven, following in the footsteps of his family members. His professional career began in 2011 at Western Province. Besides rugby, he runs the Kolisi Foundation that assists children from underprivileged backgrounds.
8. Lood de Jager
Source: UGC
- Full name: Lodewyk de Jager
- Date of birth: 17th December 1992
- Age: 30 years (as of 2022)
- Place of birth: Alberton
Lood de Jager is a brilliant defender with a towering height of 6' 9". He joined the English club Sale Sharks in 2019 and is also part of the South African national team.
In 2019, he played in the World Cup final. However, he was forced to exit from the game after dislocating his shoulder in the 22nd minute.
7. Sbu Nkosi
Source: UGC
- Full name: S'busiso Romeo Nkosi
- Date of birth: 21st January 1996
- Age: 26 years (as of 2022)
- Place of birth: Barberton
Sbu Nkosi plays as a winger. He is a professional rugby union player for the South Africa national team and the Bulls in United Rugby Championship.
He has previously played for the Pumas, Golden Lions, Sharks, UKZN Impi, and South Africa Under-20. He was part of South Africa's squad for the 2019 Rugby World Cup.
6. Francois Louw
Source: Getty Images
- Full name: Francois Louw
- Date of birth: 15th June 1985
- Age: 37 years (as of 2022)
- Place of birth: Cape Town
Francois Louw is a former player who retired in 2019. He made his professional rugby debut in 2006 for the Western Province. He later played for the Stormers.
He then joined the English Premiership giants Bath and was signed with the team until his retirement. He made 76 appearances during his career at Springboks.
5. Willie le Roux
- Full name: Willem Jacobus le Roux
- Date of birth: 18th August 1989
- Age: 33 years (as of 2022)
- Place of birth: Stellenbosch
Did you know Willie le Roux was part of the 2019 World Cup-winning squad? He made his International debut against Italy in June 2013.
In 2013, he was named the South African Players’ Association Player of the Year. The following year, he was nominated for the World Player of the Year award, but Brodie Retallick bagged the title.
4. Jesse Kriel
- Full name: Jesse André Kriel
- Date of birth: 15th February 1994
- Age: 28 years (as of 2022)
- Place of birth: Cape Town
Jesse Kriel is the Springboks centre. He previously played for the Bulls, Lions, Stormers, and South Africa U20.
He made his Springbok debut right before the 2015 World Cup. He participated in the opening game at the 2019 World Cup but had to leave due to a hamstring injury.
3. Frans Steyn
Source: Getty Images
- Full name: François Philippus Lodewyk Steyn
- Date of birth: 14th May 1987
- Age: 35 years (as of 2022)
- Place of birth: Aliwal North
Frans Steyn has earned a good reputation because of his long-range goal-kicking ability. He started his professional career in 2007 at the Sharks.
In 2019, Steyn made history as the second South African to win the Rugby World Cup twice. He is also the youngest player to win a Rugby World Cup.
2. Elton Jantjies
- Full name: Elton Thomas Jantjies
- Date of birth: 1st August 1990
- Age: 32 years (as of 2022)
- Place of birth: Graaff-Reinet
Elton Jantjies is a veteran member of the Lions. He has played for South Africa since 2012. His younger brother, Tony Jantjies, is also a professional rugby player.
At 21, he played in the Currie Cup final and won the Man of the Match award. His body has dozens of tattoos that tell his life story.
1. Handré Pollard
Source: Getty Images
- Full name: Handré Pollard
- Date of birth: 11th March 1994
- Age: 28 years (as of 2022)
- Place of birth: Somerset West
Handré Pollard is arguably the best Springbok rugby player ever. He is respected for kicking South Africa to Rugby World Cup glory in 2019.
Pollard can kick, pass, run and tackle, which is quite impressive. He played in three Junior World Championships, where he honed his skills.
Who is the best rugby player in South Africa in 2022?
Handré Pollard is arguably the best South African rugby player as of 2022. Besides playing for the national team, he is signed with Leicester Tigers in England.
How much do Springbok rugby players earn?
The amount a player earns varies depending on the terms of the contract they signed. More experienced athletes typically earn more than those with less experience.
Who is the best rugby player in Springbok?
The best Springboks player as of 2022 is Handré Pollard. The athlete also plays for the Leicester Tigers.
Who is the youngest Springbok player in 2022?
The youngest player in the 2022/23 season is Canan Moodie. Moodie is 20 years old as of 2022.
Springbok rugby players have placed South Africa on the map, especially after winning the 2019 World Cup. The team is made of members of different ages and strengths.
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Source: Briefly News
