Jaco Reinach Biography

Jaco Reinach was born in Ceres on New Years' day in 1962 and tragically passed away in a car accident, aged 35, on 21 January 1997.

Jaco Reinach was first and foremost a fantastic athlete. For years he held the South African 400m record. But he was also Springbok number 542 who played four unofficial Tests against the New Zealand Cavaliers, scoring two tries, one of which holds a special place in Springbok rugby folklore having outpaced them with blistering pace from 60 meters out. 

Jaco Reinhach held the 400m record for 16 years. He was the fastest 400m athlete in the world in his day, but obviously could not compete internationally due to sanctions. He was probably the fastest raw-speed rugby player of his time. There was no exaggeration of the pace Jaco Reinach possessed. 

Ahead of the series the South African national selectors had reason to smile. They were looking for a replacement for rugby league defector, Ray Mordt, and they had glimpsed such a man, on the Junior Boks’ right wing. That man was Jaco Reinach, at that stage also the Free State sprint champion, who was beginning to show signs of international class.

At the time of his death, Jaco Reinach was still the SA record holder in the 400m with a time of 45.01 seconds, which he set on 15 April 1983 at the South African senior championships in front of his home crowd in Bloemfontein.

The Free State winger made his Springbok debut during the controversial Cavalier tour in 1986.  In that series against the Cavaliers, Jaco Reinach was brilliant, scoring two tries and also scoring a try for the Junior Springboks during the same tour. 

There was one particular try of that series that Reinach scored that will be remembered fondly by those who saw it, particularly the Afrikaans commentary description of it – “Hier kom spoed, hier kom spoed, hier kom spoed...” (Here comes speed, here comes speed...)

Unfortunately his life was cut short in 1997, but Jaco Reinach will be remembered for his blistering speed and also the legacy that his son Cobus has kept going with his brilliant performances for the Sharks, Northampton and the Springboks. 

At the time of his death, Cobus was only 6 years old. For most South African rugby fans, Cobus’ debut was a poignant moment as they witnessed a young man achieve the same national honours his father did.

It was at Newlands that Jaco Reinarch made his Bok debut against the New Zealand Cavaliers in the first test of that controversial sanction-breaking series, the same field where Cobus made his debut in the Green and Gold.