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South Africa have had a memorable year in the three big sporting codes. From winning championships for the first time, retaining championship crowns and qualifying for the continents and world’s biggest competitions, 2025 will be a year for the ages.
First, in rugby, the two-time defending Rugby World Cup Champions, the Springboks, had a successful in-bound series, starting with a big win against the Barbarians at a wet DHL Cape Town Stadium. This match gave us a view of up-and-coming players who look set to have a bright future in the green and gold. The Boks then set their sights on Italy in their 2-match series which was won comfortably, even keeping out Italy to zero in the 2nd test. Georgia then toured our shores and were also taught a lesson when squaring up against the world’s top ranked side.
August saw the start of the Rugby Championship where, in the opening match, the Boks amazingly lost to Australia after leading 22-0. The Aussies fought back and scored 38 unanswered points, securing their first win at Emirates Airline Park in 62 years. The following week saw the Springboks exact revenge in a closely fought match, giving them some momentum before they flew out to New Zealand. Their first match was held at Eden Park, a venue where the All Blacks have not lost since August 1994. A brave Springbok side gave it their all, but eventually losing out 24-17, though securing a bonus point. The week after, in Wellington, was arguably the Bok’s best performance of the year, when they hammered New Zealand 43-10, their biggest win in New Zealand and the biggest defeat on home soil for the All Blacks. The final two matches of the Rugby Championship pitted a confident Springbok side against a fiery Argentina, who in turn, had won away in both Australia and New Zealand. They were no match for the Boks in Durban however, where young and talented Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu had a test match to remember, running in a hat-trick of tries and giving SA one hand on the trophy going into the away game. That game was held in London at Twickenham and while a rather close affair, the Boks ran out victors, and thus successfully defended the championship they won in 2024.
The year end tour began for the Boks with a rather easy match against Japan at Wembley, before travelling to France in what was to be a rematch of the 2023 World Cup Quarter Finals and one of the most anticipated matches of the year in world rugby. Down to 10-men for much of the match, the Springboks were too strong for a French squad without talismanic scrumhalf Antoine Dupont, winning 32-17. The following week was the third instalment for the year against Italy, and again going down to 14 men, the Boks were comfortable winners. Ireland was next, in another exciting match-up and the Irish were taught a hard lesson in the scrums which were dominated by the Springboks.
The win against the Irish marked the Boks first win in Dublin since 2012. The Boks ended their 2025 in style by humiliating Wales 73-0 at the Principality Stadium in Cardiff, giving them a clean sweep on their end of year tour, going into 2026 on an eight-game winning streak. Siya Kolisi’s side cemented the number 1 world ranking with Sacha Feinberg Mngomezulu making history as the top try-scoring flyhalf in Springbok history. To top it all, Hooker Malcolm Marx was crowned the world rugby player of the year for 2025.
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In Cricket, the Proteas men and women’s teams also enjoyed a 2025 to remember, making finals in competitions in the limited overs format and the men being crowned test match champions.
The ICC champions trophy, held in Pakistan, saw South Africa come up short, knocked out in the semi-finals to eventual runners up New Zealand, who were defeated by India in the final. The Proteas men team were gearing up for a one-off test match against Australia, being held at Lords, for the honour to be named the world’s best test team. Both teams put out a strong line-up, and it was Australia who took to the middle first with the bat aiming to set up a big score in the first innings. A 5-wicket haul by Kagiso Rabada, helped South Africa skittle Australia out for 212 before coming in to bat, hoping to give a good reply to Australia’s modest first innings score. Australia captain, Pat Cummings, also put on a show with the ball taking 6 wickets and helped to roll South Africa out for 138.
With a handy 74 run lead, the Aussie opening batters set off to build a big total and bat South Africa out the game. However, KG Rabada was outstanding in putting a quick stop to that, taking another 4 wickets and recording figures of 9/110 for the match. Australia set South Africa a not insignificant target of 282 runs to win the match and the title, though with more than a day and half to go. It was batting sensation, Aiden Markram leading from the front and, in one of his best innings, scoring 136. An injured captain, Temba Bavuma also chipped in with a useful 66 to help lead South Africa to a 5 wicket win and the title of ICC World Test Champions. Bavuma also maintained his record of not losing a test match as captain. This marked South Africa’s first ICC trophy since 1998.
Momentum was carried, later in the year, into the 50-over format, with the Proteas men travelling to both Australia and England and winning each series 2-1 before a series in the sub-continent against Pakistan saw a rather up and down performance by the boys.
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The Proteas women made history in becoming the first South African team, male or female, to reach a 50-over World Cup final. This was their 3rd ICC finals event after being runners up in the T20 Women’s World Cup in both 2023 and 2024. After being embarrassed by England in their opening match, South Africa bounced back, winning their next 5 matches in great style, steadying themselves and booking a place in the semifinals. A loss to Australia in the final group stage match saw South Africa finish 3rd and set up a semifinal clash against England, where inspirational captain, Laura Wolvaardt top scored with 169, leading her team to the finals against host nation India, who had knocked out favourites Australia in the other semifinal. The Proteas women put up a strong fight in the exciting final, but it wasn’t enough to beat India, and they fell just short of their first World Cup. Captain Wolvaardt set a record, scoring the most runs in women’s World Cup history.
The future looks very bright for the Proteas teams.
In football, Bafana Bafana did something special this year in qualifying for both the Africa Cup of Nations and the FIFA World Cup. This is the first time since 2002 that Bafana have qualified for the World Cup on merit, a 23 year long wait, excluding the 2010 World Cup which was of course hosted on our shores.
Drawn in group C for FIFA World Cup qualifying, Bafana Bafana finished top of the group, above Nigeria, and cementing their place in the showpiece event to be held next year in the USA, Canada and Mexico. It wasn’t all sweet for the boys as a win against Lesotho earlier in the year ended up being reversed due to their fielding an ineligible player, who was initially suspended for that fixture, and thus being docked 3 points in the group stages. This made the final 2 matches nervy affairs to qualify automatically for the World Cup. A draw against Zimbabwe in their penultimate fixture left them 1 point clear of Nigeria where a win against Rwanda would see Bafana Bafana qualify. And qualify they did, with a resounding 3-1 victory to cap their campaign, sparking celebrations all around the country as South Africa booked their tickets to the World Cup.
Hugo Broos, who took charge of the South African outfit 4 years ago, has been instrumental in the rise of the national team, seeing them move up the world rankings by 20 places to sit at 61st, as well as making them one of the favourites to lift the African crown at the AFCON tournament being held in Morocco towards the end of December. Since that match where his side were docked those 3 points, Broos is currently on a 7- game undefeated streak heading into the continental event.
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All eyes are on Bafana Bafana in the weeks to come.
There have been some players who have achieved milestones, including playing abroad due to their sterling performances for the national side. Captain Ronwen Williams and Teboho Mokoena have both reached the milestone of 50 caps for their country. Mohau Nkota and Mbekezeli Mbokazi, both formally of Orlando Pirates, now ply their trade in the Saudi league for Al-Ettifaq and MLS in the United States for Chicago Fire respectively.
Young, up-and-coming star, Relebohile Mofokeng, has also made a name for himself along with Tylon Smith, captain of the U20 national team, winner of this year’s U20 AFCON, who now plays for Queens Park Rangers in the United Kingdom. Both have been promoted to the senior squad and will look to make an impact in Morocco.
Bafana Bafana have been drawn in group B alongside Angola, Mohammed Salah’s Egypt and neighbors, Zimbabwe, and are hoping to go one step further by making the finals and ultimately lifting the trophy which they last accomplished on home soil in 1996.
2025 was truly a great year for our talented and dedicated sportsmen and women. We look now to 2026, with the hope that they carry on their sparkling form, achieve more great results and bring home the glory.
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