What are the Most Popular Sports in South Africa?

What are the most popular sports in South Africa? Though they have a deep connection with many, three stand out in particular. 

South Africa loves its sports. No matter where you go, it is not difficult to find people enjoying the greatest sports out there. What are the most popular sports in South Africa? Let’s take a closer look at just which ones are loved the most.

Football

Football is the most-watched sport in the world, so it is little wonder that this game is popular here too. Whether you want to check out the latest betting odds for the national team or you want to keep up with what is happening in the Bundesliga or La Liga, you will be able to find plenty of sources to look at.

Of course, South Africa also hosted the World Cup in 2010. This made them the first African nation to host a World Cup. Though the team did not advance past the group stage, the tournament itself was a fantastic success.

South Africa has also made 10 appearances in the Africa Cup of Nations. With this, they have also claimed a title, since they won the final of the 1996 tournament. If you are a fan of football in South Africa, you will be able to find lots of opportunities for domestic and international cups. At times, it seems like there is always a game on!

Rugby

The national sport of South Africa is rugby. The national team is nicknamed the Springboks, or the Bokke, and they are always celebrated in whatever they do. They are currently ranked as being no.1 in the world and have managed to compete successfully in several world cups.

The domestic league in South Africa is the Currie Cup. It showcases some of the best of the best when it comes to rugby talent here. Until the 2021 league, the national team also took part in the Super Rugby tournament.

South Africa is tied with New Zealand for Rugby World Cup wins. Their first came in 1995, with repeat performances in 2007 and 2019. With the tournament returning in 2023, this time to be hosted by France, it will be interesting to see if either team can push for a fourth title and a lead over the other.

Cricket

Believe it or not, but the game of cricket is the second most popular team sport in the country of South Africa. The team is nicknamed the Proteas, in line with the nicknames given to many of the other sporting teams here.

South Africa is one of the twelve teams that plays Test cricket – the longest and most competitive type of cricket. They have a reputation for creating fast and strong bowlers and fields, but also impressive batsmen. In particular, Herschelle Gibbs is still considered to be one of the most dominating batsmen to grace the game as a whole.

If you want to see the South African team show why they are the best in the world, keep an eye out for their plays during a tour with a rival like India. This is when you see them come into their own and prove why they are such amazing sportsmen.

These are just three of the sports played in South Africa, but they are a great indicator as to how much South Africans love sport. If you want to take a deeper look into the world of sport here, you will find countless games and sporting communities. There is no denying that this is a country that loves sport. It does not matter whether you are looking at a domestic league or a national team’s efforts on the world stage.