Uli Schmidt Biography

The original forward bully, Uli Schmidt was a menace to play against, but a valuable asset to have. The front-rower was known for his hard-hitting tackles, and excessive aggression up front.

Definitely a player that may have seen more than a few bookings if he played in today’s climate, but it was generally agreed that his back breaking tackles were simply “good hits”. Opposition may have felt otherwise, however.

Ulrich Louis Schmidt was born in Pretoria on the of 10th July 1961 and attended the University of Pretoria, following a medical path. Unlike many of his counterparts, he started playing at a professional level much later, at 24 years old.

He made his local Currie Cup debut for the Blue Bulls in 1986 which was the same year he found his way into the Springbok side.

In the local scene, he stayed at the Bulls for six years making 136 appearances in the Currie Cup. His dominating style of play assisted in bringing home the gold for the Bulls four times in the six years he was there. One of those times, would be a 16 - 16 grand final draw with Western Province at Newlands stadium.

Uli Schmidt also helped his team lift the Lion Cup in 1990 and 1991. He left for the Lions in 1992, and secured the Lion Cup during his first season there. He would go on to win the trophy throughout his time at the Lions until the competition ceased.

The powerful hooker would also lift two Currie Cup trophies with the Lions during his three-season stay at the Gauteng club.

Trophies and accolades were not unusual for the strong forward, and we can only imagine how he would have fared in international competitions had South Africa competed in any at the time.

Test matches, however, were provisionally permitted and Uli Schmidt played in 17 of them. His first international win, coming against the unofficial New Zealand side, the New Zealand Cavaliers.

He suffered some close defeats against Australia and the All Blacks, but exited the Springboks with a 20 -12 win against Wales in 1994.

After his rugby career, Uli Schmidt remained active on the Springbok side as a team doctor, helping players on the mend. A stark contrast to the condition in which he was leaving them while on the field.