South Africa does enjoy many sports. They are proud to have thousands of fans who all love their national sport, and they also enjoy many other sports that are played in this country and all around the world. And if you’ve ever wondered which sports are the most popular ones in South Africa, it is time to find out.
What’s the National Sport?
Even though football is one of the most popular sports in South Africa, it is not their national sport. The national sport is Rugby union and people are crazy about it. Rugby union is so popular that there are more than 650,000 players participating in it. They also have their national league which is played annually and it is called the Currie Cup.
There are hundreds of fans supporting their favorite teams through cheering, going to games, and even betting. If you, too, love this sport and would love to test your knowledge, you can easily rely on various online sportsbooks to help you out. Additionally, you can research the best bookmakers by reading reviews on third-party websites such as https://onlinegamblingsa.co.za/ where you can find bookmakers offering the best odds for rugby, and many other sports in South Africa.
Other Popular Sports in South Africa
Rugby league is indeed the national sport, but that is not the only sport adored here. There are many other sports that people love, are fans of, and even participate in on a regular basis.
Football
As mentioned, football is not the national sport, but it is indeed the most popular one in South Africa. In 2010 the FIFA World Cup was even held there and they have thousands of fans that support this sport. Additionally, there are various local football clubs, and their national football team has appeared in the World Cup three times. Some of their most popular players are Jomo Sono, Neil Tovey, Shaun Bartlett, and many others.
Cricket
Cricket is so popular that it is in the top three most popular sports in South Africa, right after football and rugby. Their national team is called the Proteas and they are the leaders on a worldwide scale. Additionally, cricket is played in various forms – Test Cricket, One Day International, Twenty20, One Day, and T20. Additionally, cricket is considered the best sport in South Africa.
Athletics
There are a lot of athletes from South Africa that have won medals in the Olympics. They have produced some of the best athletes and they have truly dominated the athletics world, so it is no wonder that this sport has plenty of fans. Additionally, South African athletes have even shown how good they are at the Paralympic Games and their most famous Paralympics athlete is Oscar Pistorius. He and his teammates set the national record in the relay at the 2011 World Championships in athletics.
Cycling
Cycling is popular and its popularity, fan base, and participants are steadily growing. The reason behind this growth is that cycling is healthy and practical and you can cycle on your way to work, school, and on any terrain. This sport also has an amazing competitive scene in South Africa. Their most successful and popular cyclist is Robert “Robbie” Hunter and he has won a stage in the 2007 Tour de France. Some of their other famous cyclists are Ryan Cox, Rudolph Lewis, Daryl Impey, Burry Stander, and Greg Minnaar.
Basketball
The popularity of basketball is steadily growing, too. Young people in South Africa are particularly fond of it, and there is even a governing body for this sport called Basketball South Africa, founded in 1992. Unfortunately, they have yet to have a popular player in the NBA, but their most popular players are Shane Marhanele, Thabo Sithole, Pieter Prinsloo, Neo Mothiba, and others. Also, there are many popular types of this sport played, such as Canadian, Euro, American, and Australian, and they all have their own sets of rules.
What Sport are They Best at?
It is obvious that South Africa holds a lot of sports that are dear to the people. Besides the ones on the list, people in SA also love golf, boxing, and even wrestling. However, no other sport can come close to the national rugby union, and their national team the Springboks is by far the best team and the currency World champions.
Despite rugby being the best sport in SA, people love participating in different sports. This is no surprise since the sport is an integral part of South African culture and a great majority of people play at least one sport on a weekly basis. The reason why people love participating in sports is that sports bring a social aspect as well as a lot of benefits to everyone’s health. Plus, they are now able to bet on their favorite teams and sports which is always a great source of fun.
