1903 — The South African rugby team plays to a draw for the first time, ending 10-10 against Britain in the opening Test at the Wanderers ground in Johannesburg. Halfback Uncle Dobbin and captain Alex Frew scored tries for the home side, with forward Fairy Heatlie converting both.
1933 — The Springboks take an unassailable 3-1 lead in the five-match series against Australia, winning the fourth Test at Crusader’s in Port Elizabeth 11-0. Prop Fanie Louw and winger Jimmy White scored tries.
1978 — Norman “Pangaman” Sekgapane becomes the first black South African to challenge for a world title, but he is stopped in the ninth round by WBA junior-welterweight champion Antonio Cervantes of Colombia in Mmabatho.
1985 — South African-born Zola Budd breaks the women’s 5,000m world record at Crystal Palace stadium in London, winning the race in 14 min 48.07 sec to take more than 10 seconds off the old mark. Ingrid Kristiansen of Norway was second in 14:57.43, also inside the previous mark she had held. Budd was 19 years and 92 days old, making her the youngest record-holder in this event, though she was 17 years and 224 days when she set her unratified 15:01.83 mark in Stellenbosch in 1984. Either way she remains the youngest women’s 5,000m record-holder.
1989 — The Springboks survive a late comeback by a World XV to win the first Test 20-19 at a cold and wet Newlands. Both sides scored three tries. Flyhalf Naas Botha posted 12 points with an intercept try, one conversion and two penalties. Centre Faffa Knoetze and flanker Gert Smal also dotted down. Andre Joubert made his debut, coming on to replace injured fullback Johan Heunis early in the match.
1993 — Allan Donald finishes with five wickets as South Africa bowl out Sri Lanka for 331 in their first innings of the first Test in Moratuwa.
1995 — Gary Murray, a fighter who possessed more heart than skill, outpoints American Buck Smith to win the marginal WBU’s vacant welterweight title in Durban.
2000 — The Springboks suffer heartbreak as Australian winger Stirling Mortlock slots a late penalty for a 19-18 victory in Durban to give the Wallabies their first-ever Tri-Nations crown. Flyhalf Braam van Straaten kicked six penalties for tryless South Africa.
2005 — A tiring Sebastiaan Rothmann, level on the scorecards with IBF cruiserweight champion O’Neil Bell, is knocked out in the 11th round in Hollywood, California. Bell became the undisputed world champion in his next bout.
2006 — The Springboks concede four second-half tries as the All Blacks sweep them aside 45-26 in a Tri-Nations match in Pretoria. Centre Jaque Fourie scored two tries for South Africa and scrumhalf Fourie du Preez one.
2007 — AB de Villiers scores a match-winning 107 from 89 balls as the Proteas total 323/9 in the third and final ODI in Harare to beat Zimbabwe by 28 runs and take the series 3-0. Albie Morkel made 97, but only two other batsmen reached double figures for the visitors. Tatenda Taibu struck an unbeaten 107 as the hosts were restricted to 295/7 in their 50 overs.
2008 — Fast bowler Andre Nel scores 13 to post the highest score for the Proteas who are bowled out for 83 by England in the second ODI in Nottingham. Only two others made double figures as Stuart Broad took 5/23. The hosts, who reached the winning target inside 15 overs, took a 2-0 lead in the five-match series.
2015 — Wayde van Niekerk wins the 400m at the world championships in Beijing as he clocks a 43.48 sec African record to beat reigning champion Lashawn Merritt of the US and Olympic champion Kirani James of Grenada. Exhausted by his effort, Van Niekerk lay down on the track and was stretchered off to hospital for observation before being released later that night.
2015 — AB de Villiers hits 64 off 48 balls as the Proteas beat New Zealand by 62 runs in the third and final ODI in Durban to take the series 2-1. South Africa posted 283/7 before bowling the visitors out in the final over, David Wiese taking 3/58.
2017 — Flank Siya Kolisi scores two tries as the Springboks thump Argentina 41-23 in a Rugby Championship match in Salta. Replacement loose forward Jean-Luc du Preez and flyhalf Elton Jantjies also dotted down, with South Africa being awarded a penalty try.
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