Former South African rugby star Bryan Habana says the current Springbok team is the best South Africa has ever produced.
Under Siya Kolisi‘s leadership, the Boks won back-to-back Rugby World Cups in 2019 and 2023. The 41-year-old former Springbok wing said the 2019 success of Rassie Erasmus and his men was the best moment for South African rugby.
“100%, it is, in my opinion, the best South African collective that we ever had,” Bryan Habana said on the show hosted by Laura Woods and Ally McCoist.
‘I mean back-to-back Worlds Cup, number one in the world and then this year we got three players nominated for World Rugby Player of the Year and what Rassie Erasmus has done has been phenomenal,” he said.
Bryan Habana hypes the current Springbok team
Habana was a key player in Jake White’s 2007 World Cup-winning team. He said the 2007 or 1995 triumph does not compare to what Siya’s team did in 2019.
“I tell everyone, if you don’t come from South Africa, we’ve got a unique history, we are still so divided. Within the rugby context if another nation wins a Rugby World Cup you sort of have a parade like the English in ’03 or with New Zealand but South Africa has so much more that sport gives back.
The Springboks have won four Rugby World Cup titles and are the most successful rugby side having won every final.
In October 2023, Bryan Habana was inducted into the World Rugby Hall of Fame for his contributions to the sport. SA’s greatest-ever try scorer explained why the 2019 triumph was more important than other World Cup wins.
“For me, 1995 was inspirational, 2007 as a player is almost the pinnacle but our best moment without a doubt is 2019, Siya Kolisi being the first African to not only captain his country but then win a World Cup, to have Makazole Mapimpi scoring a try and becoming the first South African to score a try in a Rugby World Cup final – which does not say anything about me because I played in the World Cup final,” he joked.
Bryan Habana is widely regarded as one of the greatest rugby players to play the game. He is in second place among all-time test try scorers, with 67 tries.
Do you agree with Habana?
Let us know by clicking on the comment tab below this article or by emailing info@thesouthafrican.com or sending a WhatsApp to 060 011 021 1. You can also follow @TheSAnews on X and The South African on Facebook for the latest news.
Src: TheSouthAfrican.com - https://rugga.co.za/springboks/current-springbok-team-best-sa-produced-bryan-habana/