South Africa have been labelled the (Image: Getty)
With back-to-back World Cup wins in 2019 and 2023, South Africa’s dominance in world rugby is no accident.
The country breeds the toughest players in the sport, and England’s 2003 Rugby World Cup winner Lawrence Dallaglio believes they are in a league of their own.
Speaking on the , the 52-year-old was asked by Irish footballer-turned-commentator who were the nastiest opponents he faced.
The former England skipper replied: “The South Africans are definitely the hardest. They’re the toughest people you’ve ever seen.
“When I arrived in South Africa at 20 years old to tour with England, I got off the plane and thought, I need to eat more! I’d never seen people so big. They’re Dutch-Africans.”
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Isolated during the apartheid era, South Africa and its rugby has since undergone a transformation. They are now symbolized by figures like Siya Kolisi, who became the country’s first Black captain and led them to 2 World Cup titles.
“If you had told me back then that, in 30 years, a man of colour would captain South Africa – Siya Kolisi – I’d have said no way,” Dallaglio continued.
“But look at what they have now: the physical attributes of South Africans, and then when you hear him speak, he’s so powerful. His journey through the slums of South Africa, everything he’s overcome. It’s incredible.”
Dallaglio explained the difference between representing a country like England, where rugby isn’t essentially the most followed sport, compared to South Africa. The sport is woven into the country’s identity, and the pressure on the national team is high.
“When I said I was representing my country, I meant the 75 million people in England, but only about 3 million watch rugby. Maybe in a big game, that goes up to 8 or 9 million. But if you’re South African and you’re representing your country, the whole country is watching. That’s a different level of pressure.”
Lawrence Dallaglio says South Africans are (Image: Getty)
South Africa’s ruthlessness isn’t just limited to the players—it extends to their head coach Rassie Erasmus. Dallaglio stressed the impact the 52-year-old has had on the Springboks’ success.
He added: “He’s provocative, but also very clever. He unfollowed everyone on social media, and only follows the All Blacks—it’s all part of the mind games. And he’s brutal as a coach.
“In the World Cup, their fly-half missed a kick and was subbed off after five minutes. They brought on Handré Pollard, who ended up staying in the team for the rest of the tournament. You have to make big calls.”
For Dallaglio, rugby was never about financial rewards. A tragic event in his teenage years shaped his path.
“When I was 16, I lost my sister in a riverboat accident,” he continued, speaking about how rugby gave him a purpose beyond financial gains.
“She was sitting with me and my mum one moment, then never came back. My life went off the rails for a couple of years. My parents were in a terrible space.
“I knew I needed to do something. I opened the newspaper, saw Wasps at the top of the league, and thought, I’ll go there. I had no idea where they were! Luckily, it was in London. I just wanted a sense of belonging.”
Over the years, his passion for the game led to financial success, but still, he insists that was never the goal. “At first, it was just a couple of hundred quid, then a bit more,” Dallaglio concluded.
“I was the highest-paid player at one point, earning around £300,000 a year. But that’s what a footballer makes in a week now. We got a £75,000 bonus for winning the World Cup. But I never thought about money—it was never the motivation.”