The Springboks’ end-of-year tests have become a staple part of their rugby calendar. They did not always tour Europe at year-end, but that has become the norm in the post-apartheid era.
Ahead of the 2024 Springboks’ end-of-year tour of Scotland (34.02), England (9.00) and Wales (34.02), we are looking back at some of the most memorable year-end games for South Africa (4.00) – both wins and losses.
1937: New Zealand 6-17 South Africa
In 1937, the Tri-Nations (later the Rugby Championship) did not yet exist. Although South Africa was far from a racially integrated country, the system of apartheid that led to the sporting boycott had not yet been formally put in place.
It was against this backdrop that the Springboks – playing in an era of racially segregated South African rugby – achieved a memorable series win over New Zealand (3.50) with their final test of the year.
For the country at large, this was a dark period. However, this win played a part in setting in motion a chain of events which led to rugby becoming a sport that would shape South Africa’s culture for better or worse.
1997: France 10-52 South Africa
By 1997, the Springboks were world champions in a racially integrated era but they still had problems on and off the field.
Licking their wounds from defeat to the British Lions, South Africa’s resurgence reached full tilt with a huge win over France (6.00).
This was perhaps the most memorable test from the Springboks’ 17-match winning streak under Nick Mallett.
2004: England 32-16 South Africa
Although this test at Twickenham ended in defeat for South Africa, it is memorable due to the strong performance on debut from Bryan Habana.
The winger scored the first of his 67 tries for the Springboks against the then-world champions with his first touch of the ball after coming off the bench.
South Africa would go on to beat England in the final of the next World Cup in 2007.
2009: France 20-13 South Africa
In hindsight, this test can be viewed as the end of an era of dominance for the Springboks, who had won the 2007 World Cup under Jake White and the Tri-Nations and British & Irish Lions series under successor Peter de Villiers.
Perhaps thrown off by a bizarre rendition of their national anthem, South Africa – then the team to beat in the rugby world – underperformed.
It would be a decade before they would recover the spark that had seen them dominate the way they had earlier that year.
2016: Italy 20-18 South Africa
One of the low points for post-apartheid South African rugby came on the 2016 tour when Allister Coetzee’s Springboks lost to the unfancied Italy (151.10).
The Springboks would appoint Rassie Erasmus as head coach a little over a year later and he would lead South Africa into a new era of dominance.
2018: France 26-29 South Africa
A victory on the road against France in the 2018 year-end tour was a sign that Rassie Erasmus was slowly putting in place the building blocks of a revolution.
His work would pay dividends by the following year as the Springboks claimed a shock World Cup win.
With Erasmus as Director of Rugby and Jacques Nienaber as head coach, the Boks would go on to retain their World Cup in 2023.
Erasmus has since returned to head coaching duties.
