ON THIS DAY: Springboks win 2019 Rugby World Cup! [photos]

It’s been five years since South Africans around the world celebrated the Springboks’ 2019 victory in the Rugby World Cup.

The boys in green and gold beat England 32-12 in the finals in the tournament hosted by Japan.

The anniversary on 2 November comes a few days after SA commemorated their 2023 World Cup win in France.

SA has the most titles in the world – four – followed by the New Zealand’s All Blacks who have three.

REVISITING 2019 RUGBY WORLD CUP

On 2 November 2019, the Springboks beat England at the International Stadium Yokohama in Japan.

The victory was the first since the last title win in 2007 and an earlier one in 1995. It also marked the Boks’ first black captain, Siya Kolisi, leading the squad to victory.

South Africa – coached by Rassie Erasmus –  were considered underdogs going into the game against the strong English team. However, the likes of Makazole Mapimpi, Cheslin Kolbe and Handre Pollard quickly had the scoreboard in SA’s favour.

The celebrations were also memorable. Who could forget Faf de Klerk posing in his undies while meeting Prince Harry in the changerooms…

Even SA-born Trevor Noah had a special message for the Springboks.

He tweeted: “To say we’re proud would be an understatement. Congrats to a team that many wrote off just a year ago. Our captain took criticism from all sides but today, the Springboks are back on top of the world. Well done Bokke. You have made us all proud”.

Interestingly, the SA vs England final was a repeat of the 2007 Rugby World Cup final between the same countries, in which the Springboks won 15-6.

WHERE WILL RWC 2027 BE HELD?

The 2027 Rugby World Cup will be held between 1 October and 13 November in Australia.

According to SABC Sport, many of the Springboks who played in both the 2019 and 2013 events will be in their mid to late thirties. Meanwhile, several new faces will likely make their World Cup debuts.

WILL THE SPRINGBOKS MAKE IT THREE IN A ROW IN 2027?

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