Last year there were some memorable moments from an individual perspective as both Siya Kolisi and Willie le Roux celebrated becoming the latest Springbok centurions.
Le Roux earned his 100th Test cap against Italy in July, while Kolisi reached the milestone against France in a tense encounter at the Stade de France in Paris back in November.
As part of this golden era of Springbok rugby, there are a number of other stalwarts who are now approaching the century mark, and these are the big occasions to look out for.
Other Springboks nearing 100 caps
Veteran centre Damian de Allende has quietly moved up 97 caps, and there is no doubt – barring injury – that he will join the ‘100 club’ this year, quite possibly during the highly-anticipated New Zealand tour to South Africa.
Right behind him, Pieter-Steph du Toit is now on 95 Test caps, and the dynamic loose forward is another player fully deserving of this special milestone. The 33-year-old is currently recovering from shoulder surgery, but he is expected to be fit in time for the start of the international season.
Others approaching a century
Malcolm Marx and Jesse Kriel are currently on 87 caps, while Handre Pollard is on 85. All three should get to 100, but it won’t be this year.
Franco Mostert (84) and Bongi Mbonambi (82) are two other current Springboks not far away from 100 appearances, but it seens less likely they will make it.
You can see the full list of players with the most Test caps below, courtesy of Bokhist.com.
This year the Springboks will kick off their season against the Barbarians, before playing potentially as many as 12 Test matches.
The Barbarians fixture will be followed by three local matches in the Nations Championship, against England in Johannesburg (4 July), Scotland in Pretoria (11 July), and Wales in Durban (18 July).
They will then meet the All Blacks in four Tests in the Rugby’s Greatest Rivalry series in August and September. This will be followed by an away Test against the Wallabies in Australia (27 September).
The second leg of the Nations Championship kicks off in Europe at the end of the year, with matches against Italy (7 November), France (13 November), and Ireland (21 November), before the Finals Weekend in London (27 to 29 November).
Fixtures for 2026:
International:
ADVERTISEMENT
Saturday 20 June: Springboks v Barbarians (Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium, Gqeberha)
Nations Championship:
Saturday 4 July: Boks v England (Ellis Park, Johannesburg)
Saturday 11 July:Boks v Scotland (Loftus Versfeld, Pretoria)
Saturday 18 July: Boks v Wales (Hollywoodbets Kings Park, Durban)
Rugby’s Greatest Rivalry:
Saturday 22 August: Springboks v All Blacks (Ellis Park, Johannesburg)
Saturday 29 August: Springboks v All Blacks (DHL Stadium, Cape Town)
Saturday 5 September: Springboks v All Blacks (FNB Stadium, Johannesburg)
Saturday 12 September: Springboks v All Blacks (M&T Bank Stadium, Baltimore, USA)
Once-off Test:
Sunday 27 September: Wallabies v Springboks (Optus Stadium, Perth)
Nations Championship:
Saturday 7 November: Italy v Springboks (Venue TBC)
Friday 13 November: France v Springboks (Stade de France, Paris)
Saturday 21 November: Ireland v Springboks (Aviva Stadium, Dublin)
Friday 27 to Sunday 29 November: Finals Weekend (Allianz Stadium, Twickenham, London)
Discussion about this post