World Rugby’s Hall of Fame isn’t as prominent as it should be with rugby fans, but nonetheless is an important part of rugby’s building history.
In 2023 modern-day greats Dan Carter, Bryan Habana, Thierry Dusautoir, George Smith and Juan Martin Hernandez were inducted into the Hall.
With the Springboks achieving back-to-back Rugby World Cups and building a successful 2024 season with a Rugby Championship, how many of the current-day Boks realistically will make it into the Hall of Fame?
There are 15 South Africans who have been inducted, two coaches in Kitch Christie and Jake White, and 13 players including Bryan Habana (inducted 2023), Os du Randt (2019), Danie Gerber (2015), Hennie Muller (2015), Francois Pienaar (2011).
The bar is very high with players like Victor Matfield, Percy Montgomery, and Jean de Villiers, 100 Test cap veterans, not currently inducted. Of the current-day players, who has the best chance of making it in?
Pieter-Steph du Toit
Of the two Rugby World Cup campaigns, the most important player on the field in both finals was Pieter-Steph du Toit. In 2019 he terrorised England flyhalf George Ford as England were suffocated out of the game. Duane Vermeulen was awarded man-of-the-match after winning three turnovers, but Du Toit had a case also as best on ground. Later, Du Toit won World Player of the Year for 2019. Against New Zealand in 2023 he produced a man-of-the-match performance with 28 tackles against the All Blacks.
After nearly losing a leg due to a rare injury, du Toit’s career is defined by overcoming the injuries that have threatened to end it, to rise to the top and perform at his best on the biggest stage. With two incredible World Cup final performances, one being a man of the match, if anyone is a “lock” for the Hall of Fame from the current roster it has to be Du Toit.
Hall of Fame case: Lock
Siya Kolisi
The Springbok captain is going to be a Hall of Famer. As a personality in the game, Kolisi is an iconic figure after leading South Africa in both Rugby World Cup titles. Icons simply get inducted. Off the pitch he has dedicated himself to others and notable causes, becoming bigger than a rugby player.
On the field, Kolisi has produced individual greatness but without recognition. In 2021 he was one of the best in the world influencing every game he played in, but failed to garner a World Player of the Year nomination. That was a discredit to his ability, where he was erasing opposition points with 2-3 turnovers in scoring positions per game. He was deserving based on performance but that was overlooked.
Kolisi is a lock for the Hall of Fame joining the other two World Cup-winning captains from South Africa, Francois Pienaar and John Smit.
Hall of Fame case: Lock
Eben Etzebeth
He’s become the most capped Springbok of all-time and is highly regarded within South Africa and abroad. While Etzebeth has a good case for the Hall of Fame, he’s not a “lock” by any stretch of the imagination.
As a player, he is a world-class lineout operator, but his attacking game is built on one thing, big carries. He can be a monster, but he can also be too big to be effective.
There are many sides that have shut down Etzebeth and limited his effectiveness. Ireland wing James Lowe famously put him on the chairlift. Wales sent the wood choppers to South Africa in 2022 and axed him down with grass cutters. On his day, he is obviously a force to be dealt with. But it’s not every day he’s that guy. Out of the South African locks, RG Snyman has proven to be more skilful and produced more with an offloading game.
The other consideration for Etzebeth is the locks that aren’t in the Hall of Fame that he has to compete with.
All Black Sam Whitelock, a two-time World Cup winner with 153 Tests, is in the queue. Brodie Retallick, 2014 World Player of the Year, is also waiting. Not to mention Victor Matfield, a former captain who did more for South Africa. Although it might not count for much at international level, Matfield led the Bulls to three Super Rugby titles. You can feel Wales lock Alun Wyn Jones, the most capped Test player in history, getting in already.
After those players are inducted, then Etzebeth will be looked at and considered you would think. If those players aren’t yet in the Hall, neither will Etzebeth.
Hall of Fame case: Good
Cheslin Kolbe
The hot-stepping wing has become a fan favourite globally since debuting in 2018. An electric game-breaker, Kolbe has the career “moments”.
His try at the end of the 2019 World Cup final, although with the result already sealed, became legendary. Against the British & Irish Lions, he scored a similar one in the third deciding Test that helped win that series. Against France in the 2023 quarter-final, he scored one of the key first-half tries on the end of a Jesse Kriel grubber kick.
Kolbe is certainly a Springbok great based on the “moments”, but the bar for the Hall of Fame is high. Injuries have prevented Kolbe from playing more Test rugby so far, he has played just 39 Tests since his debut six years ago.
He’s scored 16 tries in his international career, a number that seems incredibly low for a player of his talent. Kurt-Lee Arendse already has more (17), while ex-pat Scotland wing Duhan van der Merwe has powered on to 29 Test tries, breaking the Scotland record.
While tries aren’t everything and the World Cup wins clearly mean more to a player, when it comes down to an individual case of Hall of Fame, Kolbe’s case isn’t as strong as others. All Black wing and 2015 Rugby World Cup winner Julian Savea (46 tries in 54 Tests) has a stronger case.
Hall of Fame case: Weak
Handre Pollard
The 77-Test flyhalf has become South Africa’s second-highest point scorer in Test rugby with 755 points.
As a goal kicker, Pollard has become one of the best and certainly warrants credit on an all-time goal kickers list.
He was parachuted into the 2023 Rugby World Cup squad midway through the tournament and produced clutch goals to propel South Africa to the title.
In 2019 he kicked well off the tee enough despite error-ridden performances with ball-in-hand in a limited role behind a strong pack.
In between World Cup years, he hasn’t done much. Injuries plagued his early Test years, and he had a limited role in South Africa’s game plan through the middle years.
The Springboks had very little, if any, team success outside of World Cups during that time, failing to capture SANZAAR titles until 2024 when Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu assumed the role.
Pollard’s never been a top-five flyhalf in Test rugby at any stage of his Test career, with a complete game where the attack is structured around his playmaking ability.
He has not produced a meaningful number of try assists, or line breaks, or run an attack with a high usage rate. He’s been limited to a basic distributing role and dead ball kicker, that is from penalties during stoppages, either for the touchline or for goals.
Pollard will go down as a Bok great but not as a great No 10 in the history of the game. If he makes it into the Hall of Fame, it is purely down to his goal-kicking prowess.
Hall of Fame case: Average
Rassie Erasmus
Erasmus has been regarded as the “head coach” of the Springboks since 2018, yet the 2020-23 era technically belonged to Jacques Nienaber. Officially, Erasmus has one Rugby World Cup win as head coach and one as a Director of Rugby.
By extension, Erasmus’ win rate with the Springboks in Test rugby as “head coach” is a touch lower than Ian Foster’s (69.44 versus 69.57).
Ian Foster isn’t being touted as a Hall of Fame coach. However, Rugby World Cups can change the entire narrative of a player or coaches career and Erasmus is no different.
The 2019 run of Canada, Namibia, Italy, Japan, Wales and England has been immortalised with possession of the William Webb Ellis trophy.
He can ride Sam Cane’s red card and Jordie Barrett’s missed penalty into the Hall of Fame and go down as the genius mastermind of the result, a point victory over a 14-man All Black side.
Those titles put Erasmus up there in rare company. He might become the first “head coach” to win two Rugby World Cups in 2027.
Erasmus isn’t done yet either, winning a first full-sized Rugby Championship in 2024. More of those will add weight to what is already a good case for induction.
Hall of Fame case: Good
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