World Cup-winning scrumhalf Fourie du Preez has been selected first on a list of the Top 30 Springboks of the past 40 years.

According to Sunday newspaper Rapport readers, Du Preez topped a list that included 13 Boks who lifted the Webb Ellis Cup in 2007, nine in 2019, and seven in 1995.

Former Bok skipper Naas Botha and star centre Danie Gerber are the only representatives of the pre-professionalism era, and legendary workhorse Andre Venter is the only other selection to have never won a World Cup.

Two-time World Cup winners Os du Randt and Frans Steyn also crack the nod, as well as winning captains Francois Pienaar (1995), John Smit (2007) and Siya Kolisi (2019).

Du Preez stood out as one of the most influential players in the Boks’ 2007 World Cup triumph, and again in the successful 2009 British & Irish Lions series. He also captained the Boks to a 2015 World Cup semi-final exit.

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Rapport’s Bok Top 30

1 Fourie du Preez
2 Joost van der Westhuizen
3 Bryan Habana
4 Os du Randt
5 Victor Matfield
6 Bakkies Botha
7 Schalk Burger
8 John Smit
9 Eben Etzebeth
10 Danie Gerber
11 Tendai Mtawarira
12 Pieter-Steph du Toit
13 Andre Venter
14 Andre Joubert
15 Jean de Villiers
16 Frans Steyn
17 Duane Vermeulen
18 Percy Montgomery
19 Naas Botha
20 Juan Smith
21 Mark Andrews
22 Ruben Kruger
23 Siya Kolisi
24 Chester Williams
25 Lukhanyo Am
26 Jaque Fourie
27 Malcolm Marx
28 Francois Pienaar
29 Bismarck du Plessis
30 Cheslin Kolbe

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Photo: Paul Gilham/Getty Images)