South Africa vs Ireland Rugby Union Head-to-Head & Stats

Ralph Staniforth

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Last updated: 19 Jul 2024

Ralph Staniforth 19 Jul 2024

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South Africa won the first six games against Ireland starting in 1906.
Ireland's first win came in 1965, with both teams having periods of dominance since.
Upcoming fixtures in 2024: Ireland will tour South Africa for a two-match series.

South Africa vs Ireland 2023 Rugby World Cup

Ireland have just one win in South Africa (Getty Images)

Ireland and South Africa first met on 24 November 1906; a match that saw the Springboks win 15-12. Like all Tests in the early part of the century, games were few and far between, but Ireland had to wait until 1965 to get their first victory over South Africa (in the seventh Test between the two).

South Africa vs Ireland Head-to-Head Record
Latest Results
Rugby World Cup Record
2024 South Africa vs Ireland Fixtures

South Africa vs Ireland Head-to-Head Record

Both Ireland and South Africa are considered among the consistently top nations in Rugby Union. While South Africa have a superior head-to-head record, Ireland have certainly come back into it in more recent times.

The Springboks won the first six games against Ireland before the Irish won in 1965. The Test after that ended in a draw before South Africa won the next eight between 1981 and 2004.

Since then both teams have enjoyed short periods of dominance over each other.

Info	Played	Won by Ireland	Won by South Africa	Drawn
Overall	30	10	19	1
In South Africa	12	2	10	0
In Ireland	17	7	9	1
Neutral	1	1	0	0

Latest Results

Date	Result	Score	Venue	Country
28 Nov 2009	Ireland Won	15-10	Croke Park	Ireland
6 Nov 2010	South Africa Won	23-21	Aviva Stadium	Ireland
10 Nov 2012	South Africa Won	16-12	Aviva Stadium	Ireland
8 Nov 2014	Ireland Won	29-15	Aviva Stadium	Ireland
11 Jun 2016	Ireland Won	26-20	Newlands	South Africa
18 Jun 2016	South Africa Won	32-26	Ellis Park	South Africa
25 Jun 2016	South Africa Won	19-13	Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium	South Africa
11 Nov 2017	Ireland Won	38-3	Aviva Stadium	Ireland
5 Nov 2022	Ireland Won	19-16	Aviva Stadium	Ireland
23 Sep 2023	Ireland Won	13-8	Stade de France	France
6 Jul 2024	South Africa	27-20	Loftus Versfeld	South Africa
13 Jul 2024	Ireland Won	25-24	Kings Park	South Africa

Rugby World Cup Record

South Africa and Ireland have only met in one previous Rugby World Cup. That game took place in the group stages of the 2023 tournament, a match Ireland won 13-8 and was considered one of the best games of the tournament.

2024 South Africa vs Ireland Fixtures

Ireland and South Africa played a two-match series in July 2024. The series was drawn 1-1 after Ireland won the second Test in Durban 25-24 with a last minute drop goal.