South Africa national Australian rules football team
| Nickname(s) | The Lions |
|---|---|
| Governing body | AFL South Africa |
| Rankings | |
| Current | 9th (as of October 2022) |
| First international | |
| New Zealand 163 – 1 South Africa (2002) | |
| International Cup | |
| Appearances | 6 (first in 2002) |
| Best result | 3rd (2008) |
The South African national Australian rules football team, nicknamed the Lions, represent South Africa in the sport of Australian rules football.
The senior side represents the best South African born and developed players as selected from clubs and leagues of AFL South Africa.
South Africa had its international debut at the 2002 Australian Football International Cup but the inexperienced team went through the tournament winless. It registered its first international win in the 2005 Australian Football International Cup against Japan. Between 2007 and 2010, through significant development funding and reciprocal tours, South Africa competed annually against the AFL Academy (Australia's Under 17 team) and against numerous touring amateur teams from Australia. This resulted in a dramatic improvement at senior level, with South Africa achieving its best result, 3rd overall in the 2008 AFIC.