Rugby union in South Africa series. The Freedom Cup (against New Zealand) and the Mandela Challenge Plate (against Australia) are competed for as part of The Rugby Championship. The Africa Cup is an annual competition involving ten African nations. South Africa sent its top amateurs to this competition up until 2007. Since the readmission of South Africa to international rugby, its rugby talent has migrated across the world. There are many high-profile South Africans who, through residence or ancestry, are representing or have previously represented other countries. Players of note are: Rugby union in South Africa Rugby union in South Africa is a very popular
History of the South Africa national rugby union team Olympics in protest, and the next year, in 1977, the Commonwealth signed the Gleneagles Agreement, which discouraged any sporting contact with South Africa. In response to the growing pressure the segregated South African rugby unions merged in 1977. Four years later Errol Tobias would become the first non-white South African to represent his country when he took the field against Ireland. A planned 1979 Springbok tour of France was stopped by the French government, who announced that it was inappropriate for South African teams to tour France. The Lions toured South Africa in 1980. The team completed a flawless non-Test