Andre Venter Biography

Andre Venter, one of the hardest Springboks ever, was born in Vereeniging on 14 November 1970.

He was one of the world’s leading blindside flanks of his time, and he earned 66 Test caps between 1996 and 2001, many of those in a dream loose trio with Rassie Erasmus at No 6 and captain Gary Teichmann at the back of the scrum.

His provincial career kicked off in 1987 at the Free State. Andre Venter dearly loved the Bloemfontein based team and only ever represented them at provincial level, up until his retirement in 2002. 

Andre Venter was an athletic beast and his teammates were awed by his athleticism and conditioning. He just couldn’t and wouldn’t stop training. Coaches had to instruct him to take a day off from training but he never did.

Some players talk a great game; Andre Venter was of that class who played great games.

His greatness was in the consistent quality of every minute he played in a Bok jersey.

Venter was known to his Bok teammates as the IronMan; an indestructible force. He didn’t say a lot because he didn’t have to.

Andre Venter played in 66 Tests for the Springboks between 1996 and 2001 and was a member of the team that won the bronze medal at the 1999 Rugby World Cup in the United Kingdom. His last test for the men in green was in Houston, in the United States. It was a dire Test with half the Boks in America to play and several left behind in Wales to play for the Barbarians against Australia.

It was a Test few of the players wanted after defeat against France and England, but for Andre Venter there wasn’t a greater privilege than to wear the Springbok jersey.

No one knew then that it would Venter’s last Test, having played 66 Tests between 1996 and 2001. Venter, having made his debut against the All Blacks in 1996, was the most consistent selection among Springbok coaches Andre Markgraaff, Carel du Plessis, Nick Mallett and Harry Viljoen.

His Springbok recored is one to be revered: In 1997, 1998, 1999 and 2000 Andre Venter played 12 Tests a season. In his final year, in 2001, he played 10 Tests.

Here was a player, six foot five in height and over 100 kilograms, who could run 40 metres in 5.29 seconds and do the three kilometres run in 10 and a half minutes. 

Former England captain Martin Johnson was in awe of the South African flank. “Andre Venter epitomised South African forward play, he's just one of those guys who doesn't show any emotion on the field, you could hit him with a sledgehammer and he wouldn't flinch. You know what you have got to deal with".

A few years after his retirement he was diagnosed with a degenerative syndrome of the central nervous system, later revealed to be transverse myelitis, which causes damage to the spine, and forced him into a wheelchair. Andre Venter became a successful businessman and motivational speaker.