South African rugby is no longer just winning – it is setting the pace for the global game, writes MARK KEOHANE.
Writing for the Sunday Times, Keohane argues that Rassie Erasmus’ Springboks are streets ahead of the rest of the rugby world in innovation, selection, conditioning and long-term planning. Back-to-back World Cup titles and consecutive Castle Rugby Championship crowns are the visible proof of a system that has become the benchmark.
Since losing to Ireland at the 2023 World Cup, the Boks have been beaten just four times in 31 Tests, winning away against every major nation, including France in Paris, Ireland in Dublin, England at Twickenham and the All Blacks in Wellington, where they delivered a record-breaking 43-10 victory.
But Keohane stresses that the success story stretches far beyond the senior side. South Africa’s U20s are world champions, the Blitzboks have reclaimed global dominance, the U18s remain unbeaten, and the Springbok Women reached a World Cup quarter-final for the first time. “The results have been unrivalled,” he writes.
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Keohane credits SA Rugby president Mark Alexander and CEO Rian Oberholzer for restoring financial stability and calm, noting that sponsorship is at an all-time high and governance has replaced the chaos of a decade ago.
Erasmus’ contract extension to 2031 signals continuity, not complacency. Keohane highlights that succession planning will come from within the national structure, reinforcing a system that has thrived on trust and stability.
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No team has ever won three successive World Cups, but Keohane believes South Africa are uniquely positioned to attempt it – not through hype, but through structure, depth and leadership that has made them rugby’s gold standard.
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