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File | Springboks in action during a match.
Golfer Ernie Els believes South Africa are in a great position to create history and retain the Rugby Championship crown for the first time ever.
The Springboks stormed to the title in 2024, beating New Zealand and Australia home and away en route to be crowned the Southern Hemisphere’s best team for the first time since 2019.
Their success in the four-team tournament, which also includes Argentina, followed on from their 2023 Rugby World Cup triumph over the All Blacks, retaining the Webb Ellis Cup they won in 2019.
It continues a golden period for South African rugby, which sees Rassie Erasmus’ charges currently ranked the number one side in the world.
Els, a four-time major winner, former world number one and World Golf Hall of Famer, makes no secret of his love of the sport having played it at school, and thinks South Africa are primed to continue their success.
“There are some big teams in the Rugby Championship, but we’re in a good spot at the moment,” he said, speaking at the launch of his new golf club, Els Club Vilamoura.
“But we don’t want to get too cocky. New Zealand are going to be strong.”
The 2025 Rugby Championship kicks off on 16 August with South Africa taking on Australia at Ellis Park, Johannesberg while New Zealand travel to Argentina.
The Springboks then host Australia again before travelling to New Zealand for both of their Round 3 and 4 contests.
South Africa round off the competition with home and away clashes with Los Pumas, who beat them 29-28 in Santiago del Estero to deny them a clean sweep of wins last year.
Els is South Africa’s second-most decorated golfer, having triumphed at the US Open in 1994 and 1997 and The Open in 2002 and 2012.
His daughter Samantha played international rugby for USA in 2022 before making her debut for South Africa in 2023.
Els played a nine-hole exhibition to open the Els Club Vilamoura alongside Scottish legend Colin Montgomerie and 2001 Open Champion David Duval.
The Algarve course is a championship-standard 18-hole golf course that features a luxury clubhouse and signature amenities such as the 261 Bar, and was built on the redesigned Victoria course, which hosted the Portugal Masters from 2007 to 2022.
It will host the new PGA Champions Tour event, the Portugal Invitational, after signing a five-year deal.
The first edition of the event is set to be held between 31 July to 2 August 2026.
Els said: “Golf is in the pretty sweet spot at the moment and [creating this course] has been a really nice venture. We want the conditions to be absolutely perfect and for people to have a great experience and good food.”
Montgomerie added: “The golf course is superb, and the clubhouse is fantastic. It’s not just a course for the present; it’s a course for the future as well.”
By Phil Campbell
