The Story Behind The Springboks' Return to International Rugby 

I'm always intrigued by South Africa. God bless them and u, great content.

I should add that 1992 Test against New Zealand was one of the very first sporting events I watched as a young boy. It was part of my introduction to sport ... it didn't take long for me to fall in love with rugby, tennis, cricket, football and the Olympic Games!

When I was a young kid in new zealand in the late 80s my father would always talk about how springboks was an absolute beast team. He was not wrong

Wow. This is an awesome video. I really appreciate this, being a young South African who absolutely loves rugby but doesn’t know much of the earlier history of the springboks. I hope your channel continues to grow.

Danie Gerber. My rugby hero since childhood. Imagine him and Habana on the field together!

I was 12 years old listening to this match on the radio in Graaff-Reinet (after a Volkskool vs Union High interschools game).

What is not often spoken about is how Mac got the axe as Springbok coach after what was seen at the time as a pretty disappointing tour of NZ but in retrospect was an incredible feat as not only was the overall points difference minimal but Mac had us playing a style of rugby that was not familiar to most Springbok rugby players.

Uli Schmidt to John Kirwan after the 1992 match: “You never become a real Springbok until you play against the All Blacks. Thank you for making us real Springnoks today”

It did not matter that South Africa lost the 2 matches. It was just great to have the Springboks back in world Rugby.

Nostalgic to see the Bok’s reemergence, what an amazing job they did and repeatedly do to climb back to the top . But on a side note , seeing John Eales in the first Wallabies match….. everything he touched turned into gold , amazing career ! And to think he was a FAR better cricketer ( both bat and ball ) right up to the time he was selected for Queensland rugby

What has not been said that Altitude played a big part late in the second half...JoBurg is brutal for tourists

Remember that time well. Used to say that no side could call themselves “the best in the world until they played against the Springboks.“. A year later we were saying, “nobody could call themselves the worst in the world, until they played against the Springboks”. Made the 95 World Cup win all that more enjoyable.

Thank you for this! This video in particular brings back so many memories for me. As a teenager at this point I only had old video tapes of pre-isolation test matches to watch... on repeat! (Springbok Saga I think it was called) So I was just happy to finally watch the Springboks actually play again. Your channel is quickly becoming the best rugby history channel ever. Love the new content!

Danie Gerber was always on support he added a lot of playmaking in addition to his legendary breaks.

Good round up mate. I remember this era well. Cheers from NZ.

Fantastic video. These guys were playing when our hearts and hopes were greater than our ability. We continued to show our talents and 3 world cups later we are the champions. My age is such that every players's name is familiar to me 😃

A popular behind the scenes video of the NZ SA tour in 1992 was released in NZ. The crowds greeting the All Blacks were huge and noisy at the airports and a complete contrast to the World Champions Australia's arrival a week later . What was really interesting was the compete belief by the partisan South Africans fans interviewed on the video absolutely believed that that the Springboks would completely smash both the All Blacks and the Wallabies. Isolated for many years most SA fans hadn't realised that international rugby had moved on significantly. The opening AB game was close in the end but this was largely because the Boks scored a number of tries in the final quarter due to the altitude and the ABs inexperience at playing on the hight veldt leaving them out on their feet at the end. At sea level it was a completely matter though a week later and the Boks were thrashed by the Wallabies 26-3. The would play 5 games for one win against the French that year and it would take them a few years to get their game going.

This is seriously a fantastic channel

I was at that game at Ellis park. It was my first live rugby match and I was so excited. What an experience it was! :)

South Africa have been to me the team to beat , being a New Zealander and I will always support them but South Africa and England NOW ARE THE TEAMS TO BEAT there is nothing between these three sides it all depends on the DAY!!!!!!👍

The memories! Just talented guys playing the game they love, but incredibly significant players in a drama played out on the world stage. History in the making! And just 4 years to world cup domination...! Fairy tale stuff. If Hollywood hadn't already made the movie, I might have suspected it would be inevitable!

I am a Spanish rugby fan and I seriously love this channel. I love South African rugby and enjoy learning more and more of its history, whether recent or from ages ago. Do you have any video explaining the story behind the South African teams representing the black communities, like the Leopards or the Proteas? Would be an awesome one to watch, not many people over here know they even existed.

Another lekker video! Always enjoy your stuff.

The Boks return to international rugby in 1992 by playing the All Blacks first up may have been a bit premature. For obvious reasons they hadn't played an official test match since 1984 against England. At the very least the Boks should have had some warm up games against a rest of SA rugby side to test combinations instead of taking on the ABs who had just toured Aust and played 3 tests. I think the final score 27-24 to the ABs flattered the Boks who never really looked like winning.

It's true that by 1992 isolation had taken an understandable toll on their game but had the ban been lifted on time for the 1987 RWC that would had been a different story, that backline with Gerber, Duplesiss, Reinah, Botha, etc at their prime was the one ahead of their time...

A blast from the past. Isolation not a good thing. I remembered the same thing happened when we compared our much vaunted wines to the worlds. It took a while to win the top awards as well.

Danie Gerber was amazing as a center

Thanks for putting this together

Great channel. Should have 1 mil subs

Dankie vir die vid

Excellent video 👍

South Africa in the 80s and 90s gave one an orgasm . The best rugby ever. Loved the Currie cup so much though its lost it's way nowadays.

I was there that day, 7 years old and not a clue about the significance of the day. We sat on thr main pavilion in the far most right seat on the top of the bottom tier just below the suits 😊 and boy Danie Gerber was good that day. I can't think of another centre who was as good as him, he was something else!

Danie Gerber was a monster

Ek hou baie van hierdie "The story behind" reeks. Ek hoop jy beplan nog baie sulkes. Goeie werk!

This story is well told. SA rugby seemed off the pace post isolation.

As an 18 year old I was gifted a bunch of stuff from my idol Pieter Muller. Included was 2 embroided formal white shirts and 2 embodied Springbok ties from that French tour as well as Springbok Lion lager match boxer shorts. Alas when I emigrated to London in 1999 and my family followed 4 years later the container they purchased to ship the family home over from Durban was raided and all valuables were stripped out stolen. In fact the only things left actually cost them money to dump here in London. I wish I still had those mementos.

Very good video. I always felt the Aus and Eng games the bounce of the ball was against us and the scoreline looked worse than it was on the field. But yes, we were 2nd best.

Great vid

I love these rugby stories. I also love the music from “the game” and have many fond memories kicking a leather super springbok in my back yard with a springbok jersey on while singing that song in my head.Any idea where I can find episodes of that series?

Bokke 💥.. i was in school this was an exciting time

A tremendous shame for the players themselves that they were denied. The late 70's and the 80's in particular produced some of the best Boks, arguably, in their positions of all time. Naas Botha, Danie Gerber, Michael Du Plessis, Uli Schmidt, Ray Mordt, Karel Du Plessis, Peter Whip, Rob Louw etc. The '87 Bok team would have been extremely well placed to win that RWC. In fact when the NZ Cavaliers (the All Blacks in all but name, for political reasons) toured SA in 1988, they were well beaten by the Boks who probably had the best backline in the world at that time, not to mention ever-reliable forwards.

Traan in my oog gehad om daai pragtige volkslied te hoor.. 30 jaar later en als wat mooi was is feitlik vernietig

In 91/92 it was great to see the Springboks return to international Rugby but I would of Loved to seen them at the 1991 world cup even thou the Wallabies were the best side in the world at that stage behind the All blacks.

Where did you get that early colour footage from the 1970 Springbok series against the All Blacks ? Would love to see more if you have any.

Shocking that you would think of leaving out Danie Gerber.

The Springboks would have, without a doubt, won the 1987 RWC. The young team that toured NZ in the early 80s would have matured into a beast of a team given international exposure. Those guys were past it in the 90s.

Gerber invented the side step, love it!

imagine if sa was never in isolation for all those years.....just how good could they have been.....much better today I think

It was quite possible *Springbok Rugby* was "dead and buried" in 2015 When n.z. had Won the Rugby world cup in 2011 & 2015. *But* here We are back to back [ 2019 & 2023 ] Webb Ellis trophy 🏆 winners 💚🏉💪

Danie Gerber, the greatest centre ever. A shame his springbok career was so short

Die Boere sold their country for a rugby Cup. That deal was made before 1994 when the cup was delivered.

Next year the came to Argentina, a more realistic fixture, with a propper team as opposed to the 1992 improvisation. They struggled to find they best shape tough dominating clearly only in the last test. The Tucuman match is often cited as a turning point as they faced an extremely hostile environment and a team more intrested on headbutting than scoring: ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-WbJDDSLqfEM.html

What were the shortcomings of isolation in terms of how the game was played in South Africa up until reintegration? Just that the game had evolved internationally but the South African game didn't keep pace with that evolution? Looking at the two Springbok sides in 1992 and, let's say, 1995, there was a massive difference in that they looked like genuine athletes rather than 'big' Rugby players...

But when it counted 3 years later the Bokke, despite being underdogs, rose to the occasion, played above themselves and won the most coveted trophy in rugby "The 1995 Rugby World Cup" the trophy everyone remembers

I remember my dad hating the Springboks for not letting the Maori boys play. He always said they were number 1 back in his days but he hated them with a passion.

Hey what's the song playing at the start of the video? Can be clearly heard from 1:06 to 1:30.

I see at the intro that there are colour clips of rhe 1970 Boks vs AB series. Do by any chance have any highlights from that series?

Yes that was still an anthem and a flag to be proud of

All the tests in 1992 were against the 1987 and 1991 World Cup Finalists

What is the theme song? It's catchy and unique.

@11:12 Look at us today, 4 Times World Champions 1995 2007 2019 2023

Name of intro song?

Rugby Fans in Argentina have always believed the South America XV (Pumas, in fact), and Pumas themselves were a significant contribution to some sort of international brush during the blockage due to apartheid. Is there any real substance to this comment?

That return test had an awful lot of political games being played between the SARFU and the ANC, thanks for keeping it focussed on the rugby.

those guys not close to the quality we have now

SA arguably now have the best record at World Cups. And even better, they have now actually learn't how to score a try in RWC Final!! :)

4:30. Goosebumps hearing the crowd passionately singing!

What is that opening song name

From a standing start boks have won 3 world cups even after years of isolation and then the quota system leaving their best all over Europe

6:35 That would be the last time Australia won a match against the Springboks at Newlands.

It never ceases to amaze me how SA can field such BIG guys....what do you Boers eat?!?!

How young looks Os du Randt in that video

The debate is over, The Springboks are the best rugby team in history.

Springboks would have more world cups if would have been in the 87 and 91 World Cups

Had they played Italy or Wales both would have their first win before they actually had

4:10 That's definitely not Nkosi sikileli

Rugby is Football but without the life threatening injuries (yes i come from freedomcheeseburgerexpensivehealthcarland)

I'm sure Wales would appreciate being referred to as lesser opposition.

@4:20 You can see by their posture that the old army taught them well.

1987, only one winner

Lol play easy teams like Italy and Wales 😂 12 Tim Horan 🇦🇺 13 Danie Gerber 🇿🇦 14 Big J.K 🇳🇿 3 *LEGEND'S* for ya!

To think that there was once a time in the country’s history when the majority of the population cheered for the opposition of this mighty sports team because of the disgraceful, disgusting, abhorrent crime against humanity that was apartheid. I, for one, do not shed a tear that the Springboks missed the first two editions of the RWC. What happened in Japan in 2019 could have happened a lot earlier in Springbok history... now we have a country we can all build together. We fail regularly... but we still keep trying. And the Boks are that uniting force that reminds us that we are #StrongerTogether.

The real shame is that SA had some of the greatest players ever during the 1980s. Naas Botha, Carel du Plessis and Danie Gerber were incredible. The other shame, of course, was apartheid, who denied them international participation. Imagine that apartheid had not been imported from the USA... how much better the Boks would have been during the 20th century.

Ironically the to then SA apartheid government mixed sports and politics

What is intro music

Welcome to the father in heaven family

You see the photos of rugby teams from just 20 years ago and you realise how juiced up they are now.

John Williams looks like one scary dude.

In hindsight world rugby probably wished they'd never allow SA to play international rugby again. 4.

Saying 'unfortunately they didn't separate sports and politics' is a bit odd, when apartheid used the Springboks as a political tool

The greatest player ever from Gqeberha was Danie Gerber ha! 😘

Isolation is only good if you have covid 19. Go the boks

Been reading old books at the library. Suddenly, new thought. After the infamous New Zealand tour, RSA was tarnish and ostracized. Was this the point to punt them out and have Kiwis take over as a power? Can you imagine the foaming derangement that Boks were the best in the world while liberal wim hate, hate, hate. Sports should be sports, no politics. The only time they meet, is kicking the clowns out of the way for real men to compete.

Got their arse handed to them ... I recall

How much steroids did the early 1990s Springboks take gain

We want to thank the National Party to give the country away

South Africa were better NZ were against SA we beat them untill 1986

Yes we had to give our country away in order to play international sort. How stupid were we? Today SA is in turmoil. 4 x rugby world cups or not

The old anthem was much better than this new " koosie soek i lêplek in afrika"