Gert Muller Biography

Gert Muller was born in Vryheid where he was schooled before he moved with his parents to Durban where he attended, and represented Port Natal at high school. He also represented Natal School at the 1965 Craven Week. He was spotted by Danie Craven and lured to enrol at the University of Stellenbosch after school, which he did.

Gert Muller made his Western Province debut in 1969 and in 1972 he relocated to Johannesburg and continued playing for Transvaal.

He made headlines when he was called in to replace Jannie Engelbrecht in the third test against the touring Wallabies in 1969, making his debut for the Springboks. At the end of 1969 Gert Muller toured with the Springboks to Britain and Ireland, play in the first test against Scotland as well as the fourth and last test on the tour, against Wales. 

In 1970 he scored two tries in the second test against the All Blacks team of Brian Lahore and when he again got on the scoreboard in the last test at Ellis Park, he reached cult status. 

The Springboks won the first Test in Pretoria and the All Blacks the second at Newlands. The third went down as one of the Springboks' most important triumphs on home soil as they took an unassailable lead in the four-match series.

The Port Elizabeth Test was payback time, not just for the defeat at Newlands but the psychological and physical scars the Springboks suffered in the shadow of Table Mountain. Gert Muller was the star of that Test. He scored two tries playing on the wing. The other wing on the day was Syd Nomis. He also toured with South Africa in 1971 but broke his nose in a tour match and did not play in any tests. Over the next four years he would play in another six tests, amongst others against the British Lions in 1974. 

Gert Muller was not only fast, he had a brilliant step and known for bumping his opponents with his hip or shoulder. His motto was simple: He wanted to scare his opponent as quick as possible through his speed and tackling.

He was big and strong and could run through a wall for his team and often ran over and not around his opponents.

During his career, he played fourteen test matches, scoring four tries, as well as six tour matches, scoring eleven tries, for the Springboks.

Gert Muller also represented Western Province in the Currie Cup between 1968 and 1971 in 23 matches and from 1972-1974 he scored 12 tries in 26 matches for Transvaal.

He lived most of his life in Kempton Park where he worked for Avis. He retired with his with Letitia, a former athlete, in Stilbaai.