Gysie Pienaar

Gysie Pienaar

Birth name	Zacharias Matheus Johannes Pienaar
Date of birth	(1954-12-21) 21 December 1954 (age 70)
Place of birth	Bloemfontein, Free State, South Africa
Height	1.78 m (5 ft 10 in)
Weight	80 kg (180 lb)
School	Dr Viljoen High School, Bloemfontein
Rugby union career
Position(s) Full-back Provincial / State sides Years Team Apps (Points) 1975–1987 Free State 165 (906) International career Years Team Apps (Points) 1980–1981 South Africa 13 (14)

Zacharias Matheus Johannes 'Gysie' Pienaar (born 21 December 1954 in Bloemfontein, South Africa) is a former South African rugby union player. ^[1]

Playing career

Pienaar played for the Free State and the Springboks. ^[2] He made his test debut against the visiting South American Jaguars team on 3 May 1980 as a replacement in the second half for Pierre Edwards. His first starting cap for the Springboks was on 31 May 1980 at Newlands in Cape Town against the touring British and Irish Lions team captained by Bill Beaumont. ^[3]

Pienaar was capped 13 times for the Springboks, scored 2 tries and converted two penalty goals for a total of 14 test points.

Test history

No.	Opposition	Result (SA 1st)	Position	Points	Date	Venue
1.	South American Jaguars	18–9	Replacement		3 May 1980	Kings Park Stadium, Durban
2.	British Lions	26–22	Full-back		31 May 1980	Newlands, Cape Town
3.	British Lions	26–19	Full-back	4 (1 try)	14 June 1980	Free State Stadium, Bloemfontein
4.	British Lions	12–10	Full-back		28 June 1980	Boet Erasmus Stadium, Port Elizabeth
5.	British Lions	13–17	Full-back	6 (2 penalties)	12 July 1980	Loftus Versfeld, Pretoria
6.	South American Jaguars	22–13	Full-back		18 October 1980	Wanderers Club, Montevideo
7.	South American Jaguars	30–16	Full-back		25 October 1980	Prince of Wales Country Club, Santiago
8.	France	37–15	Full-back	4 (1 try)	8 November 1980	Loftus Versfeld, Pretoria
9.	Ireland	23–15	Full-back		30 May 1981	Newlands, Cape Town
10.	Ireland	12–10	Full-back		6 June 1981	Kings Park Stadium, Durban
11.	New Zealand	9–14	Full Back		15 August 1981	Lancaster Park, Christchurch
12.	New Zealand	24–12	Full-back		29 August 1981	Athletic Park, Wellington
13.	New Zealand	22–25	Full Back		12 September 1981	Eden Park, Auckland

Accolades

Pienaar was named the SA Rugby Player of the Year for 1980. ^[4]

Personal

Pienaar is the father of Ruan Pienaar, a professional rugby player and former Springbok.

See also

• List of South Africa national rugby union players – Springbok no. 506

References

1. "Zacharias Matheus Johannes Pienaar". ESPN scrum. Retrieved 1 October 2019.
2. Van Rooyen, Quintus (1988). S.A. Rugby Writers Annual 1988. S.A. Rugby Writers' Society. p. 157. ISBN   0620117222.
3. Jooste, Graham K. (1995). South African rugby test players 1949-1995. Johannesburg: Penguin. ISBN   0140250174. OCLC   36916860.
4. SA Rugby Year Book-Jaarboek 1981. South African Rugby Board. 1980.