Known as the Boks, or "Bokke", South Africa's rugby union team is one of the world's most successful and revered sides. Named for the native antelope, the springbok, the team is known just as much for its strength and grit as its eponymous light-footedness and guile. The Springboks first played in 1891, losing 0-4 to a touring British side, but the team quickly improved, becoming a capable and imposing outfit. Indeed, the team's physicality became so infamous that the visiting British and Irish Lions team of 1974 established a "99" shout, used to rally teammates and combat their opponents aggression en masse.
This physicality, combined with agility, quick-thinking, and tactical awareness, has brought South Africa 3 Rugby World Cup trophies - the joint-most in the tournament's history - including a historic victory on home soil in 1995, which saw President Nelson Mandela present the Webb Ellis Cup to winning captain Francois Pienaar.
