South Africa are preparing to fight it out for the Rugby Championship title they won in 2024 by winning the tournament again.
The world champions won 24 points in their final five games, putting them on an eight-point winning run against New Zealand in the Rugby Championship last year, as a result of their five victories in six more matches.
South Africa will kick off their campaign this year with a home game against Australia before traveling to New Zealand. Then they wrap up the tournament with a game at home against Argentina, followed by a trip to face the same opponent on day two.
The South African coaching staff must make a lot of decisions about which players they will put their plans to.
Bets, below. As South Africans try to justify favoritism in the odds, co. za has assembled five players we think should be watching.
Handre Pollard
Handre Pollard may have ended up playing for the Tigers in the 2023 Rugby World Cup semi-finals, but he has since earned an endearing reputation with Leicester fans.
He has become a staple in Leicester’s 10 shirt thanks to his accurate kicking, top-notch game management, and ability to pick a pass. With his signing ahead of the 2025/26 season, the Bulls can now anticipate all of these advantages.
In a sensational deal, Pollard will make his previous club his home again in the new year. The Springboks’ likely participation in the Rugby Championship will follow this.
He hasn’t always started at fly-half because South Africa have been playing with various 10s recently. He continues to be the preferred choice, despite the presence of some players who are more aggressive or flashy than Pollard.
His ability to read and control a game is a big factor in the Springboks’ double World Cup victories, and it is why he has two World Cup medals. He is also capable of slotting penalties and conversions almost anywhere.
When Pollard’s next World Cup appearance is expected to come around, at the age of 31, he is still most likely at the height of his abilities. The current Leicester fly-half has a chance to demonstrate that he is still the top player in his position at the 2025 Rugby Championship.
David Kriel
The team’s extremely physical and combative nature is present in all players, but it is most evident in the backs in the men wearing the 12 and 13 jerseys.
Decades of excellence have been given to Damian de Allende’s midfield, but the 33-year-old is on the verge of a mediocrity.
This makes the emergence of David Krieleven more important. Comfortable taking the 12 or 13 channel, Kriel is a player that has been knocking at the door for a little while now.
Kriel can play the battering ram in midfield with just 16 stone, and he also has soft hands in the middle, making it simple to play off him.
The 26-year-old is proving that he could fill the springboks’ midfield for years to come when he adds the ability to kick.
Cheslin Kolbe
Cheslin Kolbe’s participation in the South African team for the 2025 Rugby Championship is intriguing because he wants to show that he is still playing the best.
Kolbe is unstoppable on the wing when he’s at work. Kolbe frequently proves to be too powerful to stop out wide despite being only six feet tall and only weighing 12 stone. The opposition player may be taken aback when he runs straight at a defender because they are always waiting for his infamous step.
He could step someone in a phone box, which seems like it was a phrase that was intended for him because he consistently proves to be a threat from all angles. He is among the best attackers in his field at the time, scoring 18 tries in 39 appearances.
However, the time arose when he made the switch from Toulon to Tokyo Sungoliath. Kolbe hasn’t been consistently playing against top-notch opposition since switching in 2023.
This may yet play a major role in his own performance, especially when playing against a top-notch team like New Zealand.
Kolbe may still be competing for a spot in the side, which would make the winger’s 2025 Rugby Championship so crucial.
Eben Etzebeth
Eben Etzebeth’s name is still one of the first to appear on the team sheet whenever South Africa plays, even at the age of 33.
A side that won bronze at the 2015 Rugby World Cup before securing back-to-back titles at the 2019 and 2023 World Cups has featured the man mountain of a forward having appeared in 131 matches for South Africa.
Few need to be reminded of Etzebeth’s dangerous potential on both his and the opposition’s lineouts, and despite the nearly 19 stone of South African power being used against the biggest and best players the world has to offer for years.
Etzebeth is about to retire from her position as the best player, but she still has a lot to offer. This South African side wants to build a legacy team that will endure for a long time.
South Africa’s chances of winning the competition this year depend on his leadership on the field, whether he plays with the ball in hand or he makes big tackles. As the green men begin to look for potential replacements for one of their greatest sons, it will also prove crucial.
Augustus Juarno
Augustus Juarnois a name that many people inside and outside of South Africa have been mentioning in recent months.
With his explosive tackling and powerful ball-carrying abilities, the abrasive Northampton backrow has been able to lighten the Premiership in England for years.
He will return to Ireland next season after signing for Ulster and making 61 appearances and scoring 75 points while doing so with the Saints.
Augustus only had five appearances with the South Africa Under-20s, which was his first taste of international rugby. He scored 35 points in this period, which was a good return. However, his 2017 outings went wrong, with the forward having never pulled a South African shirt.
A man of Augustus’ skill has been overlooked, but he may not be playing too well right now to be completely discounted due to South Africa’s high levels of backrow players.
