Blast from the past: Chavhanga hits Uruguay for a six on Bok debut

1924 — Sid Pegler takes seven wickets as South Africa bowl out England for 337 in the triangular Test tournament at Lord’s.

1947 — Alan Melville scores an unbeaten 104, but South Africa have to settle for a draw in the first Test against England in Nottingham. The visitors were 166/1 at stumps on the final fourth day, 61 runs short of victory. 

1994 — The Springboks avenge their defeat in the first Test as they overwhelm England 27-9 in the second and final Test at Newlands. Flyhalf Hennie le Roux and fullback Andre Joubert scored all of South Africa’s points, including one try each, while English No 10 Rob Andrew could respond with just three penalties. Among the three Boks making his debut that day was lock Mark Andrews.

1994 — Baby Jake Matlala makes the third defence of his WBO flyweight title when he stops Francis Ampofo of England in the 10th round in London.

2000 — Bafana Bafana lose their third and final four-nations tournament match, going down 1-2 to Ireland at the Giants stadium in New Jersey. For the first time in the competition, however, South Africa held the lead for a while after Shaun Barlett’s strike in the 14th minute. Stephen McPhail equalised later in the half, and Nial Quinn sealed the match with 10 minutes remaining.

2005 — Winger Tonderai Chavhanga scores six of the Springboks’ 21 tries on debut in SA’s 134-3 drubbing of Uruguay in a one-off Test in East London, setting the record for most tries by a South African player in an international. Centre Jean de Villiers, left wing Bryan Habana, flanker Solly Tyibilika and lock Albert van den Berg all scored two tries each. That remains the Boks’ biggest margin of victory.

2009 — Jacques Kallis hits 57 off 49 balls to guide the Proteas, needing 112, to a seven-wicket win over England in a T20 World group match in Nottingham. Wayne Parnell took 3/14 and Kallis 2/20. 

2009 — Mignon du Preez top-scores with 38 as the South African women are bowled out for 120 to lose their T20 World Cup match against the West Indies in Taunton by three runs.

2010 — Bafana Bafana and Mexico play to a 1-1 draw in the opening match of the World Cup in front of nearly 85,000 fans at Soccer City. The visitors applied the pressure in the first half of this Group A contest, but Siphiwe Tshabalala scored one of the goals of the tournament to put the hosts ahead in the 55th minute. Rafael Marquez levelled the score with 11 minutes remaining, and Katlego Mphela missed a vital chance to clinch the game for South Africa in the last minute of normal time when his shot hit the post.

2016 — The Proteas collapse chasing the 289 needed to beat Australia in a triangular ODI in Basseterre, losing their last seven wickets for 42 runs to lose the match by 36 runs. Faf du Plessis top-scored for SA with 63.

2016 — The Springboks lose to Ireland on home soil for the first time, going down 20-26 in the first Test in Cape Town. Wing Lwazi Mvovo and replacement lock Pieter-Steph du Toit scored South Africa's two tries.

2017 — The Proteas are obliterated by India in their final ICC Champions Trophy match at the Oval, losing by eight wickets. South Africa were bowled out for 191 with Quinton de Kock making 53. India knocked off the required runs in 38 overs.

2021 — Quinton de Kock, resuming on 4, scores 141 as South Africa make 322 for a first-innings lead of 225 runs in the first Test against the West Indies in Gros Islet.

2022 — Shabnim Ismail and Sune Luus both take 3/16 to help bowl out Ireland for 69 and set up a nine-wicket victory for the South African women in the first ODI in Dublin.

2023 — Gerda Steyn, already holder of the women’s best time for the Comrades Up run, breaks Frith van der Merwe’s 34-year-old best time for the Down run, winning the women’s race in 5hr 44 min 54 sec. Adele Broodryk finished second in 5:56:26, just outside Van der Merwe’s 5:54:43. Tete Dijana won the men’s race in 5:13:58, taking more than four minutes off David Gatebe’s 5:18:19 best time from 2016.