Early life
Du Toit was born in Cape Town to Pieter and Annelene du Toit. [2] He grew up in the Riebeek Valley, where his family farmed on the historic Kloovenburg estate in Riebeek Kasteel. He attended Laerskool Riebeek Kasteel before moving to Hoërskool Swartland, where he played mostly as a second-row forward. [3]
Du Toit is the latest in a long line of Pieter Stephanus du Toits, continuing a family naming tradition dating back to the 1820s. His grandfather, Pieter Stephanus du Toit, represented South Africa as a prop, earning 14 Test caps between 1958 and 1962 after debuting against France. [4]
He is one of four brothers – Johan, Anton and Daniel. Johan du Toit became a professional rugby player, while Anton du Toit represented Maties in the Varsity Cup competition. [5]
Club career
Sharks
After finishing school at the end of 2010, Du Toit signed with the Sharks and joined the Sharks Academy, where he represented the franchise at Under-19 and Under-21 levels. He was named Best First Year Rugby Student at the Academy Awards in 2011. [6]
Du Toit made his professional debut for the Sharks during the 2012 season, appearing off the bench in a Super Rugby match against the Chiefs after featuring earlier that year in the Vodacom Cup. [7]
In July 2013, he signed a two-year contract extension with the franchise. [8] He remained with the Sharks until his departure was formally announced in October 2015. [9]
Stormers
Du Toit joined the Stormers ahead of the 2016 season, where he became a central figure in their Super Rugby squad. Du Toit never represented Western Province. He remained at the Cape franchise until 2021. [10]
During this period he overcame two major injuries. In 2019 he suffered a torn ACL and successfully returned to play after undergoing surgery in which his father donated a tendon for the reconstruction. [11]
In February 2020 he sustained a life-threatening leg injury during a Super Rugby match against the Blues at Newlands. A haematoma on his left thigh developed into acute compartment syndrome, requiring multiple surgeries and keeping him sidelined for more than a year. [12]
International career
Du Toit was a member of the South Africa Under-20 side that won the 2012 IRB Junior World Championship. [14]
He made his senior Test debut for South Africa against Wales in Cardiff on 9 November 2013 at the age of 21. [15] Du Toit featured at the 2015 Rugby World Cup, coming off the bench in the quarter-final victory over Wales at Twickenham Stadium.
He became a regular starter under head coach Allister Coetzee from 2016 onwards and captained the Springboks for the first time on 2 June 2018, becoming South Africa’s 60th Test captain in a match against Wales.
From 2019 onwards Du Toit transitioned predominantly to the back row. [3] He was selected for the 2019 Rugby World Cup, where South Africa defeated England in the final to claim their third world title. His performances throughout the year earned him the World Rugby Men's 15s Player of the Year award for 2019. [16] [17]
Du Toit was also part of the South African squad that won the Rugby Championship in 2019, 2024 and 2025.
In 2021 he featured in the Test series win over the British & Irish Lions, playing in the first two Tests before being ruled out of the series decider due to a shoulder injury sustained in the second Test. [18] South Africa ultimately won the series 2–1.
At the 2023 Rugby World Cup, Du Toit produced one of the most celebrated performances of his career in the final against New Zealand, earning the Player of the Match award after making 28 tackles as South Africa secured back-to-back world titles. [19] He was named World Rugby Player of the Year for a second time in 2024, becoming one of the few players to win the award more than once.
Personal life
Du Toit is a Christian and is nicknamed the "Malmesbury Missile". [20]
He is married to Willemien, and the couple have three children. [21] His first-born son is also named Pieter Stephanus du Toit, continuing the family naming tradition that now spans eight generations. [22]
His younger brother, Johan du Toit, was also a professional rugby player, and the two were teammates at the Sharks in 2014–2015 before later reuniting at the Stormers from 2017 until 2021. [23]
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