Branco du Preez

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Branco du Preez
Full nameBranco Bewinn Nazeem du Preez
Date of birth (1990-05-08) 8 May 1990 (age 33)
Place of birth George, South Africa
Height1.66 m (5 ft 5+1⁄2 in)
Weight72 kg (159 lb; 11 st 5 lb)
SchoolPW Botha College, George
UniversityHarmony Academy, Welkom
Rugby union career
Position(s) Utility back
Current team South Africa Sevens
Youth career
2006 SWD Eagles
2007–2008 Griffons
2009–2010 Blue Bulls
Amateur team(s)
YearsTeamApps(Points)
2009 TUT Vikings 3 (0)
Senior career
YearsTeamApps(Points)
2017 Golden Lions 2 (0)
Correct as of 16 December 2022
International career
YearsTeamApps(Points)
2010 South Africa Under-20 4 (5)
2010–2022 South Africa Sevens 431 (1447)
Correct as of 16 December 2022
Medal record
Men's rugby sevens
Representing Flag of South Africa.svg  South Africa
Commonwealth Games
Gold medal icon (G initial).svg 2014 Glasgow Team competition

Branco Bewinn Nazeem du Preez (born 8 May 1990) is a former South African rugby union player, playing with the South Africa national rugby sevens team. [1] He is a utility back, but usually plays as a scrum-half for the Blitzbokke. Du Preez retired as the most capped South African Rugby Sevens player. [2] [3]

Contents

Career

Youth

Du Preez was born in George, South Africa. He played high school rugby for PW Botha College in George, which earned him a call-up to the South Western Districts side that played at the Under-16 Grant Khomo Week tournament in 2006.

He then joined the Harmony Sports Academy in Welkom, which made him eligible to represent the Griffons. He represented them at the premier high school tournament in South Africa, the Under-18 Craven Week, in both 2007 and 2008. He also represented the Griffons U19 side in the 2007 and 2008 Under-19 Provincial Championships.

When he finished schooling, he moved to Pretoria before the 2009 season. He made three appearances for the TUT Vikings in the 2009 Varsity Cup competition and also represented the Blue Bulls U19 in the 2009 Under-19 Provincial Championship.

He was also selected in the South African Under-20 squad that played at the 2010 IRB Junior World Championship in Argentina. He came on as a substitute in their first match against Tonga in a 40–14 win, [4] started their second match against Scotland at outside centre, helping them to a 73–0 win [5] and once again appeared as a substitute in their final pool match, a 35–42 defeat to Australia. [6] The team qualified for the semi-finals of the competition, but were soundly beaten by New Zealand, losing 7–36 despite Du Preez scoring a try for the Baby Boks just before half-time. [7] He was an unused replacement for their third-place play-off match against England, which South Africa won 27–22. [8]

He returned to domestic action for the Blue Bulls during the 2010 Under-21 Provincial Championship, making four appearances.

South African Sevens

At the start of 2010, Du Preez became involved with the South African Sevens team. He made his debut for them at the 2010 Wellington Sevens leg of the 2009–10 IRB Sevens World Series. He also appeared at the events in the USA, Australia and Hong Kong before playing in the 2010 IRB Junior World Championship.

Over the next few years, he became a regular on the Sevens World Series circuit. He took part in eight events in both the 2010–11 and 2011–12 seasons.

His 2012–13 was curtailed through injury, playing in just four events, but he did return to play in the 2013 Rugby World Cup Sevens, where the Blitzbokke lost in the Quarter Finals of the competition to Fiji.

He played in eight legs of the 2013–14 IRB Sevens World Series and was then included in the squad that played at the 2014 Commonwealth Games in Glasgow. He helped his side all the way to the final, where they got a 17–12 victory over a New Zealand that won the previous four tournaments. [9]

Premier Rugby Sevens

In 2023, Du Preez took part in the third season of Premier Rugby Sevens in the United States as a member of the Rhinos x SoCal Loggerheads men's team. He was awarded finals MVP in the Washington, D.C. tournament at Audi Field. [10]

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References

  1. ↑ "SA Rugby Player Profile – Branco du Preez". South African Rugby Union. Retrieved 29 May 2016.
  2. ↑ "Branco du Preez retires from international sevens rugby". SA Rugby. 16 December 2022. Retrieved 7 January 2023.
  3. ↑ "The retired class of 2022". world.rugby. 4 January 2023. Retrieved 7 January 2023.
  4. ↑ "IRB Junior World Championship 2010, Match 1". World Rugby. 5 June 2010. Retrieved 25 February 2015.
  5. ↑ "IRB Junior World Championship 2010, Match 9". World Rugby. 9 June 2010. Retrieved 25 February 2015.
  6. ↑ "IRB Junior World Championship 2010, Match 16". World Rugby. 13 June 2010. Retrieved 25 February 2015.
  7. ↑ "IRB Junior World Championship 2010, Match 24". World Rugby. 17 June 2010. Retrieved 25 February 2015.
  8. ↑ "IRB Junior World Championship 2010, Match 29". World Rugby. 21 June 2010. Retrieved 25 February 2015.
  9. ↑ "Glasgow 2014 – Men's Rugby Sevens Gold Medal Match". Glasgow 2014 – XX Commonwealth Games. 3 August 2014. Archived from the original on 9 August 2014. Retrieved 14 August 2014.
  10. ↑ admin (7 August 2023). "Loonies, Loggerheads Take Premier Rugby 7s Titles – The Rugby Breakdown" . Retrieved 10 August 2023.
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