One of the most notable icons of Springbok rugby, Jean de Villiers has had an immense impact on the game. Get to know more about him with Rugby365
Jean de Villiers Biography
A household name in South African rugby, Jean de Villiers, has carved his legacy into the Springbok hall of fame.
Starting from a young age, the former Springbok centre had always wanted to play rugby. The idealistic speedster would insist that he would play rugby when questioned by older family members. This was before rugby received its professional status, showing the unabated passion of the former Springbok.
He, like a number of other Springboks, attended Paarl Gymnasium during his formative years. He joined Western Province in 2001 after a youth career at the same club, snagging a Currie Cup win in his first year. It was the only local franchise he played for during his time on the pitch.
During the different periods, he played for Western Province and the Stormers, Jean de Villiers scored an incredible 58 tries in 155 appearances. He was spotted as a hot talent early on in his career, making his Springbok debut at the age of 21.
He suffered a number of injuries during Test matches that saw him sidelined for some time, but he always returned to the Springboks. A particular special moment was during the 2004 resurgence when they took the Tri-Nations (now The Rugby Championship).
The opportunistic centre was named for the 2007 Rugby World Cup squad that won the William Webb Ellis Cup. He unfortunately missed much of the tournament after tearing a bicep muscle.
His illustrious career saw him feature in the 2003, 2007, 2011, and 2015 Rugby World Cups. Staying consistent throughout is a feat not many rugby players manage to accomplish, but Jean de Villiers made it seem effortless.
After almost 10 years in the Western Province camp, he would venture to Munster for one season, winning his debut game. Later in his career he would play for another Northern side, Leicester Tigers, spending also a single year abroad.
The icon finally retired in 2016, picking up a host of accolades during his tenure.
Jean de Villiers would bag a total of three Currie Cup trophies for Western Province, and make it to the Final of the Super Rugby competition in 2010, where the Stormers lost to the Bulls.
He accumulated 109 caps for South Africa and led the Springboks 37 times as captain, scoring 27 tries in the green and gold.
Ambitious, spirited, idealistic, and high-energy would all be apt descriptions for Jean de Villiers. Perhaps the most accurate, however, would be ‘rugby legend’.