Franco van der Merwe

Last updated

Franco van der Merwe
Franco van der Merwe LQ 2016.jpg
Date of birth (1983-03-15) 15 March 1983 (age 40)
Place of birth Paarl, South Africa
Height1.98 m (6 ft 6 in)
Weight116 kg (18 st 4 lb; 256 lb)
SchoolHartswater High School
University North-West University
Rugby union career
Position(s) Lock
Youth career
2002–2004 Leopards
Senior career
YearsTeamApps(Points)
2004–2006 Leopards 58 (40)
2006–2014 Golden Lions 104 (50)
2007–2014 Lions 85 (35)
2013 → Sharks 16 (0)
2014–2017 Ulster 73 (30)
2017–2020 London Irish 42 (5)
Correct as of 1 July 2020
International career
YearsTeamApps(Points)
2004 South Africa Under-21 3 (0)
2009 Emerging Springboks 1 (0)
2013 South Africa 1 (0)
Correct as of 24 April 2014

Franco van der Merwe (born 15 March 1983 in Paarl) is a South African rugby union footballer. His regular playing position is lock, although he can also operate as a flanker. Previous clubs include Irish side Ulster in the Pro12, London Irish in Premiership Rugby, the Lions in Super Rugby and the Leopards and the Golden Lions in the Currie Cup.

He also joined the Sharks on loan for the 2013 Super Rugby season. [1]

Van der Merwe has been included in several Springbok squads since June 2012 and finally made his debut in the 2013 Rugby Championship match against New Zealand. [2]

He left the Lions to join Irish side Ulster prior to the 2014–15 Pro12 season. [3] He signed a two-year deal starting on 1 August 2014.

Van der Merwe was signed by Pro14 side Cardiff Blues for the 2017 season, however on August 1, 2017 he was released by the club due to club based “financial challenges”.

On 25 August 2017, he was named amongst the starting XV for a pre-season friendly game for London Irish against Richmond on a club trial. [4] On 31 August it was announced he had been signed by the club. [5] He was released ahead of the 2020–21 season. [6]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">United Rugby Championship</span> Annual rugby union competition in Europe and South Africa

The United Rugby Championship (URC) is an annual rugby union competition involving professional teams from Ireland, Italy, Scotland, South Africa, and Wales. For sponsorship reasons the league is known as the Vodacom United Rugby Championship in South Africa, and the BKT United Rugby Championship in the competition's other territories, the split branding mirroring the format previously adopted in Super Rugby. The Championship represents the highest level of domestic club or franchise rugby in each of its constituent countries.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Scarlets</span> Rugby team based in Llanelli, Wales

The Scarlets are one of the four professional Welsh rugby union teams and are based in Llanelli, Wales. Their home ground is the Parc y Scarlets stadium. They play in the United Rugby Championship and in European Professional Club Rugby competitions. The club was originally named the Llanelli Scarlets but was renamed at the start of the 2008–09 rugby season.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ulster Rugby</span> Rugby union team in island of Ireland

Ulster Rugby is one of the four professional provincial rugby union teams from the island of Ireland. They compete in the Irish regional pool of the United Rugby Championship and in the European Rugby Champions Cup, each of which they have won once. Ulster were the first Irish team and the first team outside England and France to win the European Cup in 1999.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Pedrie Wannenburg</span> South African rugby union player (1981–2022)

Pedrie Johannes Wannenburg was a South African rugby union player. He last coached for Austin Elite Rugby in North American Major League Rugby. He played for Austin in 2018, Denver Stampede in the now defunct PRO Rugby League of North America and Castres Olympique for two seasons, after two years with Irish club Ulster.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">D. T. H. van der Merwe</span> South African/Canadian rugby union player

Daniel Tailliferre Hauman van der Merwe is a South African-Canadian professional rugby union player who currently plays for the LA Giltinis of Major League Rugby (MLR).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Heinke van der Merwe</span> Rugby player

Heinke van der Merwe is a professional South African rugby union player. His first tour with the Springboks was to France, Italy, Ireland & England in late 2009 where he played in one test and two touring matches.

Teofilo Aloisio Mikaele Paulo is a New Zealand-born Samoan rugby union player. He specialises as a lock forward. He plays for Manawatu Turbos in the NPC.

Jacob Johannes Taute is a South African retired rugby union player. He played as a fullback or centre, he won three caps for South Africa. Taute played for the Stormers and the Lions in Super Rugby, the Golden Lions and Western Province in the Currie Cup, Munster in the Pro14 and Leicester Tigers in Premiership Rugby.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Schalk van der Merwe (rugby union)</span> Rugby player

Schalk Willem 'Hond' van der Merwe is a former South African rugby union player who last played for the Free State Cheetahs in the Currie Cup. He previously played for the Golden Lions, the Free State Cheetahs and the Griffons in domestic South African rugby, for the Lions and the Southern Kings in Super Rugby, for Montpellier in the French Top 14 and for Irish Pro14 side Ulster. His usual position is prop.

Armand H P "Akker" van der Merwe is a South African professional rugby union player for South African United Rugby Championship side Bulls. His regular position is hooker.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Alan O'Connor (rugby union)</span> Rugby player

Alan O'Connor is an Irish professional rugby union player who plays lock for Ulster. He was Ulster's player of the year in 2020–21, and won the United Rugby Championship's Tackle Machine award for 2021–22.

The 2017–18 PRO14 was the seventeenth season of the professional rugby union competition originally known as the Celtic League. It is the first season to be referred to as the Guinness PRO14 Championship, with the addition of two South African teams.

The 2017–18 season was Ulster's 24th season since the advent of professionalism in rugby union, and Jono Gibbes' only season as head coach. Rory Best was captain. They competed in the inaugural Pro14 and the European Rugby Champions Cup.

The 2016–17 season was Ulster's 23rd season since the advent of professionalism in rugby union, and the third under Director of Rugby Les Kiss and head coach Neil Doak. They completed in the European Rugby Champions Cup and the final season of the Pro12 before it became the Pro14 with the addition of two teams from South Africa.

The 2015–16 season was Ulster's 22nd season since the advent of professionalism in rugby union, and the second under Director of Rugby Les Kiss and head coach Neil Doak. They competed in the European Rugby Champions Cup and the Pro12.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2014–15 Ulster Rugby season</span> Rugby team

The 2014–15 season was Ulster's 21st season since the advent of professionalism in rugby union, and their first under Director of Rugby Les Kiss and head coach Neil Doak. They completed in the European Rugby Champions Cup and the Pro12.

References

  1. ↑ "Lions to confirm mass exodus". Sport24. 3 October 2012. Retrieved 3 October 2012.
  2. ↑ "All Blacks break Springboks' hearts in epic". ESPN. 5 October 2013. Retrieved 24 April 2014.
  3. ↑ "Franco replaces Johann at Ulster". Rugby365. 24 April 2014. Retrieved 24 April 2014.
  4. ↑ "MATCH REPORT: London Irish finish pre-season in style at Richmond | 27th August 2017 | News". London Irish. 27 August 2017. Retrieved 2 May 2020.
  5. ↑ "Franco van der Merwe: London Irish sign South Africa lock after Cardiff Blues release". BBC Sport. 31 August 2017. Retrieved 2 May 2020.
  6. ↑ "Thank you to the leavers | 4th July 2020 | News". London Irish. 4 July 2020. Retrieved 4 July 2020.


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.