Springboks’ tech edge grows

The Springboks did not become the world number one rugby team by accident. The South African squad’s biggest wins have been built on a range of factors, including a long-standing use on technology for careful analysis, video review, and performance tracking. With Samsung joining SA Rugby as an official partner, that tech-led approach is being reinforced.

“Technology is an important component on-field and off-field to make informed decisions,” Mark Alexander, president of South African Rugby Union (SARU), told Gadget at the announcement of the partnership in Johannesburg. “Thumb-sucking is gone. We need to have data to back up what we are doing.”

Alexander’s view echoes the approach outlined by Springboks coach Johan “Rassie” Erasmus in The Hitchhiker’s Guide to AI: The African Edge by Arthur Goldstuck. The book’s opening chapter reveals how technology like artificial intelligence helped the Springboks gain a competitive edge in their narrow 2023 Rugby World Cup victory.

Alexander told Gadget that Erasmus developed a programme, Outfox, that the team uses to review performance and plan future strategies.

“Erasmus wrote a system. When our players get off after every game, they get all their plays they made. And then they go on Outfox and then work on it.”

The Samsung partnership supports that same data-led approach, showing how consumer technology, from smartphones to wearables, can feed into training, recovery, and performance insight for elite athletes and active people alike.

According to Samsung, the partnership brings together cutting-edge Galaxy technology and the passion of South African rugby. The two-year agreement includes the Springboks, Springbok Women, Junior Springboks, Springbok Sevens and Springbok Women Sevens.

Two Junior Springboks, who Alexander said are up-and-coming stars, told Gadget what impact they see Samsung technology having on their careers, even though they have not been given devices.

Esethu Mnebelele, Junior Springbok and Vodacom Bulls player, said: “Samsung watches can do a lot of things. You can check how many kilometres you’ve run, how many steps you’ve had in a day, and track how many hours you actually sleep during the night.”

Mnebelele said smartphones let users take a closer look at matches by watching games directly in their hands.

Building on this, Vusi Moyo, Junior Springbok and Hollywoodbets Sharks player, said: “After practice when you know you’ve made a mistake, you can go back home and watch the video to see where you can be better. I think it’s those small details that matter between you being a good [player] and a great [one].

“For a small kid out there, when they get a phone, they can go on YouTube and go watch someone like Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu play rugby. That’s someone’s role model. It creates a fan base around rugby.”

According to Justin Hume, Samsung VP of Mobile eXperience, the partnership makes sense because it sharpens how fans connect to the game.

Hume said in a press release: “Through the power of Galaxy devices and Samsung Galaxy AI, we’re enabling fans to capture, share and enjoy every moment with clarity and immediacy. No other brand can connect supporters, teams and players quite like Samsung, it’s a natural fit for how rugby is experienced today.”

Samsung says the partnership reflects its commitment to humanising technology – using Samsung Galaxy AI to bring fans closer to the players, the moments and the energy of the game.

“Our technology strengthens connection, performance and progress, values that align naturally with Springbok and Vodacom URC rugby,” said Hume.

The partnership takes effect from September 2025 for the URC and October 2025 for the Springboks.

*Jason Bannier is a data analyst at World Wide Worx and deputy editor of Gadget.co.za. Follow him on Bluesky at @jas2bann.