When William Webb Ellis made off with the ball in hand in 1823 – "with a fine disregard for the rules of football" – he set in motion the chain reaction which is the ever evolving game of rugby.

How could he foresee that at the tip of Africa, the sport would grow through generations to be the finest embodiment of his pioneering spirit? The Springboks are the quintessence of rugby union, the greatest team in the history of the game and, as rugby's bicentennial approaches, the team William Webb Ellis would undoubtedly support.

Sport, itself, is designed to motivate an infinite drive – to strive for better personal and social values, while instilling positive social traits like emotional control, honesty, cooperation, dependability and providing a carrot to an essential grasp of continued success.

‘Rugby in South Africa provides a fine tapestry of all the good and bad of human existence, warts and all – a thing of beauty, not a contrived, marketed aberration of Webb Ellis's intent’


The ultimate goal of all athletes is to become more effective citizens in society – achieved through teamwork, self-discipline, respect for authority, and the spirit of hard work and sacrifice.

This is Springbok rugby! A healthy blend of Webb Ellis disregard and the ABC of sport.

Rugby in South Africa provides a fine tapestry of all the good and bad of human existence, warts and all – a thing of beauty, not a contrived, marketed aberration of Webb Ellis's intent.

The game in southern Africa has deep roots. These roots have fed a network that is unrivalled but for the legacy of Webb Ellis himself. The history of rugby in the Southern Hemisphere is firmly based on South African accomplishment, with South Africa featuring as the original home of antipodean rugby. Beyond this claim of the history of the game in the south, South Africa features consistently in the evolution of the game.

A long list of firsts originate in South Africa, which is arguably the home from which the game was transplanted to modern rivals, newer colonies like Australia and later New Zealand.

South Africa claims the first game of beach rugby, the naming of the British Lions, the development of rugby in South America (the Pumas), the spread of rugby through Africa and numerous other noteworthy accomplishments of which Webb Ellis would approve.

Beyond this, the backdrop of South African rugby is a masterpiece of humanity. No-one can deny the scars of Springbok rugby, a past laced with every element of life well tested. At times not pretty, but undoubtedly the real thing.

At 2023, the bicentennial of rugby, if Webb Ellis would look back at rugby union, I'm sure he would not be blinded by eternal claims of All Black greatness and would marvel at how at the tip of Africa the game of rugby union has evolved, not only as a sport but as a driving force of humanity.

Cast a cold eye on puerile claims of All Black greatness, witnesses of war and peace, active contributors and citizens of life – support the Springboks.