Blast from the past: Last-gasp Mbonambi try helps Boks edge France in Paris

1902 — Jimmy Sinclair scores 104 in South Africa’s follow-on innings of 225 in the third and final Test against Australia at Newlands.

1991 — South Africa’s cricketers play their first official ODI, taking on India in a three-match series to mark their return to international competition. The hosts won the toss at Eden Garden in Kolkata and put South Africa in to bat first. Kepler Wessels top-scored with 50 off 95 balls and Adrian Kuiper added 43 from 64 deliveries as South Africa made 177/8 in 47 overs. Allan Donald struck early, reducing India to 3/2 as he dismissed their four top batsmen, including top-scorer Sachin Tendulkar (62). But India romped to victory by three wickets with 38 balls remaining. Donald took 5/29. A total of 11 players made international debuts that day — one Indian and 10 South Africans. Wessels had already been capped for Australia.

1991 — Tidimalo Jerry Modiga wins the inaugural Soweto Marathon, crossing the line in 2hr 25 min 26 sec to pocket the R5,000 first prize. Beauty Mtshali of Golden Reef won the women’s race only to be disqualified for excessive assistance, giving Cheryl Davids the victory. A total of 676 runners completed the race. Initiated by the Sowetan newspaper as part of its nation-building campaign, the race quickly attracted attention and went on to become the biggest one-day road race in the country.

2000 — Hawk Makepula suffers his first professional defeat as he loses on points to Irene Pacheco in Las Vegas for the vacant IBF flyweight title.

2001 — Shaun Bartlett scores in the second half to give Bafana Bafana a 1-0 win over an under-strength Egypt side in a friendly at Johannesburg Stadium. Making his debut that day was defender Mbulelo Oldjohn Mabizela, a future captain of the national team.

2001 — Winger Pieter Rossouw scores South Africa’s only try as they go down 10-20 to France in their opening match of the end-of-year tour at Stade de France.

2002 — Andrew Hall takes 3/1 as the Proteas bowl out Sri Lanka for 130 to win the first Test at the Wanderers by an innings and 64 runs. Jacques Kallis had top-scored with 75 in South Africa’s knock of 386.

2007 — Hashim Amla, resuming on 85, scores an unbeaten 176 and Jacques Kallis, 76 overnight, makes 186 as South Africa declare on 422.3, setting New Zealand a target of 531 runs to win the first Test at the Wanderers.

2009 — JP Duminy scores an unbeaten 111 off 87 balls to lead the Proteas to a 212-run win over Zimbabwe in the second and final ODI at Centurion, taking the series 2-0. South Africa posted 331/5 before bowling out the visitors for 119. Charl Langeveldt, Albie Morkel and Roelof van der Merwe took three wickets each.

2011 — Vernon Philander takes 5/15 as South Africa bowl out Australia for 47, leaving their batsmen a target of 236 to win the first Test at Newlands.

2012 — Scrumhalf Ruan Pienaar scores the only try of the match as the Springboks win their end-of-year tour-opener against Ireland 16-12 at Lansdowne Road. Flyhalf Patrick Lambie added the conversion and three penalties.

2017 — Bafana Bafana’s hopes of qualifying for the 2018 World Cup in Russia go up in smoke after they are beaten 0-2 by Senegal at the Peter Mokaba stadium in Polokwane.

2018 — Replacement hooker Bongi Mbonambi scores a last-gasp try four minutes after the final hooter to give the Springboks a 29-26 win over France at Stade de France. Winger Sbu Nkosi scored South Africa’s other try, with flyhalf Handré Pollard converting both and landing five penalties.

2023 — Rassie van der Dussen makes an unbeaten 76 as South Africa beat Afghanistan by five wickets in their World Cup ODI at Ahmedabad.

2024 — Makazole Mapimpi scores two tries as the Springboks beat Scotland 32-15 in their tour opening at Murrayfield. Thomas du Toit and Jasper Wiese also dotted down.

2024 — Tristan Stubbs scores an unbeaten 47 as the Proteas, needing 125 to win, beat India by three wickets in the second T20 at St George’s Park to draw level at 1-1 in the four-match series.