Hannes Marais

Hannes Marais

Birth name	Johannes Frederick Klopper Marais
Date of birth	(1941-09-21) 21 September 1941 (age 83)
Place of birth	Somerset East, South Africa
Height	1.82 m (6 ft 0 in)
Weight	100 kg (220 lb)
School	Gill College, Somerset East
University	Stellenbosch University University of Port Elizabeth
Rugby union career
Position(s) Prop Amateur team(s) Years Team Apps (Points) 1960 Maties () Provincial / State sides Years Team Apps (Points) 1962–1963 Western Province () 1964–1967 1970–1974 Eastern Province () 1968–1969 North Eastern Cape () International career Years Team Apps (Points) 1963–1974 South Africa 35 (3)

Johannes Frederick Klopper "Hannes" Marais (born 21 September 1941) is a former South African rugby captain. He was capped 35 times, scoring one try. ^[1]

Personal history

Marais was born in the town of Somerset East and grew up on a farm near Cookhouse. He attended Gill College in Somerset East, a school that also produced the Springbok brothers Willie and Michael du Plessis. After school he went to study agriculture at the prestigious Stellenbosch University, with the intention of becoming a veterinarian. ^[2] Later on he did his doctorate at the University of Port Elizabeth, the forerunner of the Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University.

Rugby career

In his schooldays he was a loose forward, but was converted into a prop by Danie Craven when he went to Stellenbosch.

At provincial level, he represented Western Province as well as now-defunct North Eastern Cape and Eastern Province.

He won his first cap against Australia in 1963 and his last against France in 1974. He became captain in 1971 after having served as vice-captain in 1970.

After retiring from first-class rugby, he continued to play for his hostel team at university for five seasons and stopped playing altogether just shy of his 40th birthday.

Life after rugby

After his retirement from playing, he coached the University of Port Elizabeth's as well as the Eastern Province under-20 sides and was also the assistant coach to the Eastern Province senior team for a while. He served as a Springbok selector from 1982 through 1986, and then again from 1993 up to the 1995 Rugby World Cup.

See also

• President's Overseas XV
• 1969–70 South Africa rugby union tour
• List of South Africa national rugby union players – Springbok no. 390

References

1. "Johannes Frederick Klopper Marais". ESPN scrum. Retrieved 17 May 2020.
2. Craven, Daniel Hartman, 1910-1993. (1980). Die groot rugbygesin van die Maties. Kaapstad: G. & S. pp. 207–209. ISBN   0620048794. OCLC   86067195.

Bibliography

• Griffiths, Edward (2001). Die Kapteins (The Captains). Jonathan Ball. ISBN   1-86842-116-3.

External links

• Hannes Marais at ESPNscrum
• Hannes Marais at the Springbok Rugby Hall of Fame

Sporting positions
Preceded by Tommy Bedford	Springbok Captain 1971–1974	Succeeded by Piet Greyling