Biography

Duane Vermeulen is a rugby veteran who blazes the trail and is known to charge fearlessly into the opposition to carve a way for his teammates.

Before we all came to know him by his gallant reputation, the Springbok No.8 earned his lot through crushing tackles and leading charges for a number of South African franchises. No surprise that his reputation is well garnered.

Although the former Springbok captain’s rugged appearance can be intimidating, he is a soft-spoken family man. His wife, Ezel Vermeulen, and his two sons are never far from his thoughts.

Daniel Johannes Vermeulen, born on the 3rd of July 1986, started his unofficial rugby career at school level. The then-young Springbok moved homes constantly. He found that he assimilated quicker into his new schools through playing rugby, making friends as quickly as he left them.

He finally settled down and attended Hoerskool Nelspruit. A decision that would lead him down the path of playing for his first regional squad.

Duane Vermeulen’s professional journey started at the Pumas’ youth academy before progressing to the senior squad in the Currie Cup, where he spent the first two years of his career. 

He left them in 2007 to join the Cheetahs, then followed his former coach Rassie Erasmus to join the Stormers in Cape Town. He managed to secure the Currie Cup in the colours of both teams, 2007 for the Cheetahs, and 2012 for Western Province.

The rugged Springbok also carried the Stormers to the final and semi-finals of the Super Rugby competition.

Despite putting in solid performances early on during his stay at the Stormers, the towering figure only cemented his place in the Springbok squad in 2012, at the age of 26.

Since then, however, the loose forward has received numerous accolades, the 2014 IRB Player of the Year award being one of them.

After exploring local franchises for almost 10 years, Duane Vermeulen  set his sights abroad and joined Toulon in France in 2015. He also had a bout at the Kubota Spears in Japan from 2018 - 2020. He made 68 and 13 appearances during his time abroad, respectively.

Perhaps his most notable award is winning the World Cup in 2019, putting in a Man of the Match performance for that auspicious fixture.

Commandeering the Springboks through quiet words, but roaring actions, Duane Vermeulen has made his mark on the world of rugby.