Juan Grobler

Last updated
Juan Grobler
Date of birth (1973-07-07) July 7, 1973 (age 51)
Place of birth Zimbabwe
Height6 ft 0 in (1.83 m)
Weight103 kg (227 lb)
School Maritzburg College and Kingswood College (South Africa)
University Rhodes and Natal University
Rugby union career
Position(s) Centre
Amateur team(s)
YearsTeamApps(Points)
Denver Barbarians ()
2003–2004 Gentlemen of Aspen RFC ()
International career
YearsTeamApps(Points)
1996–2002 United States 34 (35)

Juan Grobler (born July 7, 1973) is a South African-American former rugby union player who played centre.

Grobler earned 34 caps for the U.S. national team from 1996–2002, scoring 7 tries and 35 points during his career. [1]

Rugby Union Career

Growing up Grobler played for Maritzburg College 1st team in 1990 and 1991 being selected to play for Natal Schools vs Northern Natal Schools and Natal Feader IX. Then he played for Kingswood 1st Team and the Eastern Province in the Craven Week schoolboys tournament and was vice captain, he then played for Natal U/20 and Natal U/21 earning 32 junior caps. [2] Grobler made his Eagles debut September 14, 1996 in a 29–26 loss to Argentina in the Pacific Rim Championship. [3] He scored his first try in a victory over Japan on May 25, 1997 in the Pacific Rim Championship. [4] Grobler managed to score the only try conceded by Australia at the 1999 Rugby World Cup. [5] [6] Grobler also scored a try against England in 19–48 defeat at Boxer Stadium in 2001. Grobler was capped at 12,13 and 14 during his career [7] Grobler played club rugby for Denver Barbarians and Gentlemen of Aspen RFC, both of which he captained.Grobler was also the youngest head coach of a Super League Team at 26 (Denver Barbarians RFC - 2000) [2] [8]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Phil Bennett</span> Welsh rugby union player (1948–2022)

Philip Bennett was a Welsh rugby union player who played as a fly-half for Llanelli RFC and the Wales national team. He began his career in 1966, and a year later he had taken over from Barry John as Llanelli's first-choice fly-half. He made 414 appearances for the Scarlets over the course of a 15-year career he scored 131 tries, 43 drop goals, 293 pens and 523 convs. He made his Wales debut in 1969, but it was not until John's retirement from rugby in 1972 that Bennett became a regular starter for his country. He led Wales to the Five Nations Championship title, including the Grand Slam in 1978, which culminated with his retirement from Wales duty.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">United States men's national rugby union team</span> Mens rugby union team

The United States men's national rugby union team, nicknamed the Eagles, represents the United States of America Rugby Football Union in men's international rugby union. USA Rugby is the national governing body for the sport of rugby union in the United States, and is a member of Rugby Americas North, one of six regional governing bodies under World Rugby. Until rugby returned to Olympic competition, with sevens at the 2016 Rio Games, the United States was the reigning Olympic rugby champion, having won gold at the 1920 and 1924 Summer Olympics.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Canada national rugby union team</span> Mens rugby union team

The Canada men's national rugby union team represents the Canada in men's international rugby union competitions. They are overseen by Rugby Canada the governing body of rugby union in Canada.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Denver Barbarians RFC</span> Rugby union team based in Colorado, US

The Denver Barbarians Rugby Football Club is a rugby union team based in Denver, Colorado. The Denver Barbarians have won 4 national championships dating back to their first DI title in 1990. The club's second title came in 1999, during the height of the Rugby Super League, defeating Belmont Shore RFC 22-18. The Barbarians third title came in the 2018 DII National Championship, defeating the Detroit Tradesmen in an all-time thriller at Infinity Park, 39-38. The Barbarians added a fourth title with a 49-34 victory over a strong Boise United side in the 2023 DII National Championship in St Charles, Missouri.

Tom Billups is an American former rugby union rugby player, who played for the USA Eagles as an international and Blackheath Rugby Club, Harlequin F.C., and Pontypridd RFC as a professional. After retiring as a player in 1999, he joined the staff of the United States national team and was the head coach from 2001 to 2006. In addition to coaching the Eagles, Billups managed the U.S. national sevens team program and coached the 2005 U.S. sevens team. In 2015 Billups was inducted into U.S. Rugby Hall of Fame, and was the first person to be inducted as both a player and coach. In 2018 Billups became the 14th recipient of the Craig Sweeney Award which was first award in 1979 in memory of former United States national team member and captain, Craig Sweeney. The Sweeney Award is presented to a former national team player who has contributed significantly to the game while displaying exemplary character on and off the field.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Alun Wyn Jones</span> Wales and British Lions international rugby union player

Alun Wyn Jones is a Welsh former international rugby union player who played as a lock. He played most of his career for Ospreys and for the Wales national team. He is the world's most-capped rugby union player, with 158 caps for Wales and 13 for the British & Irish Lions, and also holds the records for the most Wales caps and the second most Wales caps as captain. He retired from rugby in 2023.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Boxer Stadium</span> American Sport Stadium

Boxer Stadium is a soccer stadium in San Francisco, California. Located in Balboa Park, the stadium has a capacity of 3,500. It is owned and operated by the San Francisco Recreation & Parks Department and is the only public soccer-specific stadium in San Francisco. Boxer Stadium is the primary home of the century-old San Francisco Soccer Football League.

Stephen Paul Ford was a Welsh international rugby union winger. After being banned from rugby union for an act of professionalism, he was eventually allowed back into the sport and went on to represent the Wales national team. He played club rugby for Cardiff.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Chris Robshaw</span> English international rugby union player

Chris Robshaw is an English former rugby union player. He was the captain of the England national rugby union team from January 2012 until December 2015. Robshaw's position of choice was in the back row of the scrum, usually flanker.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Josh Matavesi</span> Rugby player

Joshua Lewis Matavesi is a rugby union player, who currently plays for National 2 (West) side Camborne RFC, and formerly played for the Fiji national team at international level. Matavesi was born in Cornwall, England, to a Cornish mother and Fijian father.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Christian Wade</span> England international rugby union and American football player

Christian Wade is an English professional rugby union footballer, and former American football player, currently playing as a wing for Gloucester.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Samu Manoa</span> American rugby union player

Samu Manoa is an American rugby union player who plays for the Seattle Seawolves in Major League Rugby (MLR). Manoa was described in 2014 by ESPNscrum.com as "perhaps the finest No. 8 playing the game in the northern hemisphere." He retired from international rugby in 2019 with 22 caps.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">David Humphreys (rugby union)</span> Ireland international rugby union player

David Humphreys MBE is a former Irish rugby union player. He played 72 times for Ireland, scoring 560 points, including 6 tries, and at the time of his international retirement was Ireland's most capped out-half. He played his club rugby for London Irish and Ulster, winning the 1998-99 Heineken Cup, the 2004 Celtic Cup and the 2005–06 Celtic League with the latter. Since retiring as a player he has served as director of rugby for Ulster and Gloucester, as a performance consultant with the Georgian Rugby Union, and is currently Director of Performance Operations with the England and Wales Cricket Board. He will succeed David Nucifora as the IRFU Performance Director in 2024.

Adrian Christopher Garvey is a former Zimbabwean-born South African rugby union player. He played as a tighthead prop, and was known for his mobility and ball skills.

William Barry Holmes was a rugby union player who played for the England national rugby union team and the Argentina national rugby union team. As of 2011 he is the only player to have been capped at senior level by both those two countries.

Ian John Watkins is a former Wales international rugby union player whose senior position was at hooker. Watkins was capped ten times for Wales and played club rugby for Ebbw Vale RFC and Cardiff RFC. He also played invitational rugby for the Barbarians.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Infinity Park</span>

Infinity Park is a stadium in the Denver enclave of Glendale, Colorado, and was formerly the unofficial home venue of the United States national rugby union team. The stadium has a seating capacity of 5,000 people. It opened in 2007, at a cost of $22.5 million. It is the first rugby-specific, municipally-owned stadium in the United States.

Sebastián Salvat is an Argentine retired rugby union player. He played as a fullback and as a centre.

Ed Burlingham is a former American rugby union player who played as a lock. He was president of Back Bay RFC.

Taine Owen Basham is a Welsh professional rugby union player who plays as a flanker for United Rugby Championship club Dragons and the Wales national team.

References

  1. "JUAN GROBLERUnited States Of America". espnscrum. Retrieved 22 April 2021.
  2. 1 2 "Eagles centres are South African". News 24. Retrieved 22 April 2021.
  3. "PAN-AMERICAN CHAMPIONSHIP - Nepean, 14 September 1996". espnscrum. Retrieved 22 April 2021.
  4. "Career Figures". espnscrum. Retrieved 22 April 2021.
  5. "RWC Rewind USA: Grobler try vs Australia in 1999". americas rugby news. 3 September 2019. Retrieved 22 April 2021.
  6. "US give Wallabies a thorough test". Irish Times. Retrieved 22 April 2021.
  7. "THE VAULT: ENGLAND V USA". England Rugby. Retrieved 22 April 2021.
  8. "Gents escape New York". Aspen Times. 25 April 2004. Retrieved 22 April 2021.