Two African teams have made it through to the 20 countries playing across four pools in the final stages of the 2023 men’s Rugby World Cup: three-time champions South Africa (ranked 2nd in the world) and underdogs Namibia (ranked 21st). What shape is South Africa in – can they win? Key members of the coaching and support team, who helped South Africa win in the last World Cup, in 2019, are still there. If these things are kept in mind then South Africa has a good chance of winning. While there are numerous factors that contribute to the success of championship rugby teams, I believe that five key elements stand out as vital.
