Carel du Plessis

Last updated

Carel du Plessis
Birth nameCarel Johan du Plessis
Date of birth (1960-06-24) 24 June 1960 (age 63)
Place of birth Somerset East, Eastern Cape, South Africa
Height1.84 m (6 ft 0 in)
Weight85 kg (187 lb)
School Paarl Boys High
University Stellenbosch University
Children Jean-Luc du Plessis
Rugby union career
Position(s) Wing, Centre
Provincial / State sides
YearsTeamApps(Points)
1980–1986, 1988–1989 Western Province ()
1987 Transvaal ()
International career
YearsTeamApps(Points)
1982–1989 South Africa 12 (16)
Coaching career
YearsTeam
1997 South Africa

Carel Johan du Plessis (born 24 June 1960) [1] is a former South African rugby union coach and player.

Contents

Playing career

Du Plessis played for Western Province and the Springboks, his skills earning him the nickname the Prince of Wings. [2] Capped 12 times, he scored 4 tries for the Springboks, but his international career was curtailed by the sports boycott against apartheid South Africa. [3]

Test history

No.OppositionResult (SA 1st)PositionTriesDateVenue
1. South American Jaguars 50–18 Wing 127 March 1982 Loftus Versveld, Pretoria
2.South American Jaguars12–21Wing3 April 1982 Free State Stadium, Bloemfontein
3. England 33–15Wing12 June 1984 Boet Erasmus Stadium, Port Elizabeth
4.England35–9Wing9 June 1984 Ellis Park, Johannesburg
5.South American Jaguars32–15Wing20 October 1984Loftus Versfeld, Pretoria
6.South American Jaguars21–13Wing127 October 1984 Newlands, Cape Town
7. New Zealand Cavaliers 21–15Wing110 May 1986Newlands, Cape Town
8.New Zealand Cavaliers18–19Wing17 May 1986 Kings Park, Durban
9.New Zealand Cavaliers33–18Wing24 May 1986Loftus Versfeld, Pretoria
10.New Zealand Cavaliers24–10Wing31 May 1986Ellis Park, Johannesburg
11. World XV 20–19Wing26 Aug 1989Newlands, Cape Town
12.World XV22–16Wing2 Sep 1989Ellis Park, Johannesburg

Coaching career

In late February 1997, du Plessis was appointed coach of the Springboks, succeeding Andre Markgraaff, despite a lack of coaching experience. [4] [5] He led the team to defeat in both the British and Irish Lions' 1997 tour and the 1997 Tri-Nations, before being sacked and replaced by Nick Mallett, his last game as coach being a 61–22 win over Australia. [6] He was subsequently an assistant coach for Western Province and the Stormers, with Gert Smal. [2]

Personal

Du Plessis is the brother of Michael du Plessis and Willie du Plessis, both former Springboks, father of Jean-Luc du Plessis, who plays for the Stormers, and uncle of Daniël du Plessis, a former South Africa U20 player. [2]

He has undergone three major surgeries after a brain tumour was discovered in January 2019. [2] [7]

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Percy Montgomery</span> South Africa international rugby union player

Percival Colin Montgomery OIS is a Namibian-South African former professional rugby union player. When he ended his international career in August 2008, he held the all-time records for both caps and points for South Africa's national team, known as the Springboks.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Blue Bulls</span> South African rugby team

The Blue Bulls is a South African rugby union team that participates in the annual Currie Cup tournament and the United Rugby Championship. They are governed by the Blue Bulls Rugby Union and are based at Loftus Versfeld Stadium in Pretoria, Gauteng province.

Morné du Plessis OIS is a former South African rugby union player often described as one of the Springboks' most successful captains. During the five years from 1975 to 1980 that he served as captain, the Springboks won 13 of 15 matches, giving Du Plessis an 86.66% success rate as captain.

Johan "Rassie" Erasmus is a South African rugby union coach and former player. He was the head coach of the South African national team from 2018 to the end of their 2019 World Cup campaign, doubling up on his duties as the first ever SARU Director of Rugby, to which he was appointed towards the end of 2017. He led South Africa to win the 2019 Rugby World Cup, and he subsequently won the 2019 World Rugby Coach of the Year award.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bismarck du Plessis</span> South African rugby union player

Bismarck Wilhelm du Plessis is a South African former professional rugby union player, who played for the Bulls in the United Rugby Championship and for the Blue Bulls in the Currie Cup. He played for the Free State Cheetahs in 2003, before moving to the Sharks in 2005 where he spent the bulk of his career, and then to Montpellier in the French Top 14. He is widely acknowledged to be one of the best hookers of his time, both in club and country performances.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jannie du Plessis</span> South African rugby union player

Jan Nathaniel du Plessis is a former South African rugby union player, who played as a prop for Montpellier in the French Top 14 and the Lions in Super Rugby. He played for the Free State Cheetahs in the Currie Cup and the Cheetahs in Super Rugby until 2007, when he joined Durban-based side the Sharks, where he played until 2015. He won 70 caps for South Africa between 2007 and 2015.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Duane Vermeulen</span> Rugby player

Daniel Johannes "Duane" Vermeulen is a former South African professional rugby union player who previously played for the South Africa national team. He also previously played for Ulster Rugby in the United Rugby Championship, Vodacom Blue Bulls and the Pumas, Free State Cheetahs and Western Province in South African domestic rugby, the Cheetahs, Stormers and Bulls in Super Rugby and Toulon in the Top 14. He was an instrumental part of South Africa winning the 2019 Rugby World Cup and received the Man of the Match award in the final. Vermeulen played as a Number eight but he was equally adept at playing both blindside and openside flanker.

Jozua Francois Malherbe is a South African professional rugby union player. He plays as a tighthead prop for the Stormers in the United Rugby Championship and South Africa national team.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Steven Kitshoff</span> Rugby player

Steven Kitshoff is a South African professional rugby player who currently plays for Ulster. His playing position is loosehead prop. He represents the South Africa national team and has previously played for Bordeaux in the French Top 14 and Western Province in the Currie Cup. He joined Ulster for the 2023–24 season.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Rob Louw</span> South Africa international rugby union & league player

Robert James Louw is a South African rugby footballer who represented South Africa 19 times in international test rugby union. He also played in the Western Province teams that won the Currie Cup five consecutive times. South African rugby chief Danie Craven rated Louw as "one of the best Springboks ever to represent South Africa", "fast enough to play among the backs", and a "superb ambassador for South Africa" due to "his friendly manner and attractive personality". Louw was nominated as South African Rugby Player of the Year in 1979 and in 1984.

Jean-Luc du Plessis is a South African rugby union player for the Stormers in Super Rugby and for Western Province in the Currie Cup and the Rugby Challenge. His regular position is fly-half.

Pieter Willem Gabriel Rossouw is a South African former professional rugby player and current coach. Rossouw played wing for Western Province in the Currie Cup and the Stormers in the Super Rugby competition. He played a total of 43 times for the Springboks, making him one of the most capped Springbok wingers after South Africa's readmission to international rugby. He was also one of South Africa's most prolific try-scoring wingers, post-isolation, with only Breyton Paulse(26) and Bryan Habana(53) scoring more tries. He is 7th on the all-time try-scoring list for the Springboks. Rossouw is currently the backline coach of the Bulls in Super rugby and the Blue Bulls in the Currie Cup. He was known as "Slaptjips", apparently because the sight of his running legs was like potato chips slapping together. Pieter is the older brother of Chris Rossouw, who played flyhalf for Western Province and the Free State Cheetahs.

Marthinus "Tinus" Linee was a South African rugby player. Linee played predominantly at centre. He played all his provincial rugby for Western Province. He represented Western Province and the Stormers in Super Rugby. He played nine tour games for the Springboks between 1993 and 1994, but never played in a test for South Africa.

Daniël Michael du Plessis is a South African rugby union player for the Stormers in Super Rugby. His regular position is centre.

Willem du Plessis is a former South African rugby union player.

Michael Josias du Plessis is a former South African rugby union player.

Hendrik Johannes Bekker (born 12 September 1952 in Nuwerus, Western Cape, South Africa is a former South African rugby union player.

Justin Stefan Swart is a former South African rugby union player.

Dick John Muir is a South African former rugby union player, and now the interim head coach of Netherlands national rugby union team.

References

  1. ↑ Carel du Plessis, Scrum.com.
  2. 1 2 3 4 "Springbok legend Du Plessis undergoes brain operation", sport24.co.za, 6 February 2019.
  3. ↑ Danny Coyle, "Selecting the Greatest All-Time South Africa XV: 14: Carol du Plessis", Bleacher Report, 29 July 2014.
  4. ↑ "Du Plessis in the deep end as Lions make an early start", Mail & Guardian, 28 February 1997.
  5. ↑ Chris Hewett, "Rugby Union: Du Plessis made bold by his belief", The Independent, 7 June 1997.
  6. ↑ Ashfak Mohamed, "Carel: Don’t expect fireworks on Nov tour", IOL, 30 October 2016.
  7. ↑ "Springbok legend 'spiritually strong' in cancer battle". Sport. 29 November 2019. Retrieved 25 April 2020.
Sporting positions
Preceded by South Africa National Rugby Union Coach
1997–1997		Succeeded by
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.