The arch enemy or the nemesis of South African rugby has always been the All Blacks. The All Black/Springbok rugby rivalry is in my mind the fiercest sporting rivalry on the planet. It is a rivalry that started in 1921 and which it still going 90 years later.

Watch the video below for a summary of this 90 years of Springbok / All Black rivalry. 

The Springboks and the All Blacks have played against each other since 1921, when South Africa toured for the first time to New Zealand. There were a total of 13 tours -6 tours to New Zealand and 7 tours to South Africa including 1996.  

It is well known that the Springboks were ahead in terms of number of tests won until their post-apartheid return to the international arena. For 35 years (1921 to 1956) NZ were unable to win a series against South Africa and it took them 75 years to win a series against the Springboks in SA. Obviously, it can leave the impression that the Springboks were in general the better team. Apart from two series, namely 1937 and 1949, during which the boks relatively dominated SA was hardly the undisputed better team. 

Partisan and controversial referee decisions, political interference, fighting, ear biting intimidation and sensational on and off the field incidents, were all part of these tours and make it fascinating reading. Each tour has a “defining moment” and the result of a series was often determined by one moment of individual brilliance. Each tour had players who stood out and players who did not cope. 

Watch this video about the Springbok vs All Black rivalry

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UJtJQekzPKY&feature=player_embedded [/youtube]

To see the rest (parts 2 to 6) of this fascinating BBC series click here: 

http://springbokrugby.webs.com/apps/videos/channels/show/2742963-introduction

The 1956 tour is certainly the one that was the biggest for New Zealand. The whole of New Zealand was incited because at that time SA was the only country against whom they have never won a Test series. The 1949 series white wash of 4-0 was still hurting and totally unprepared for what they would encounter Danie Craven’s 1956 team entered a cauldron of obsessive rugby-mania. Craven was almost worshiped, but enemy number 1; with his no nonsense straight and to the point approach he rose to the occasion and played a massive role in a series which is still fixed and ingrained in the memory of the New Zealand rugby public. 

Here is part 1 of a 9 part series about this fascinating series.

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8fAtdto0Ubk&feature=player_embedded [/youtube]

To see the rest click on this link:

http://springbokrugby.webs.com/apps/videos/channels/show/2743027-the-1956-tour

As a child I devoured Chris Greyvenstein’s book Springbok Saga, but was very frustrated with the concise nature of the information contained therein. This is the reason why I write these rugby history articles.

Soon I will write more about 56 tour, and all the other tours in the mean time enjoy these video’s. Really awesome stuff.