Full name | Robert James du Preez | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Date of birth | 19 July 1963 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Place of birth | Potchefstroom, South Africa | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Height | 1.82 m (5 ft 11+1⁄2 in) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Weight | 85 kg (13 st 5 lb; 187 lb) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
School | Technical High, Potchefstroom | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
University | University of Pretoria | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Notable relative(s) | Robert du Preez (son), Dan du Preez (son), Jean-Luc du Preez (son) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Rugby union career | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Robert James du Preez (born 19 July 1963 in Potchefstroom) is a former South African international rugby union player and former head coach of the Sharks Super Rugby team. [1] His regular position was scrum-half.
Du Preez started his provincial career with Western Transvaal in 1982. He then moved to Northern Transvaal, where his regular halfback partner was Naas Botha. He ended his playing career with Natal.
Du Preez played seven test matches for the Springboks in 1992 and 1993. He also played in eight tour matches, scoring nine tries for the Springboks. [2]
No. | Opposition | Result (SA 1st) | Position | Tries | Date | Venue |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1. | New Zealand | 24–27 | Scrumhalf | 15 August 1992 | Ellis Park, Johannesburg | |
2. | Australia | 3–26 | Scrumhalf | 22 August 1992 | Newlands, Cape Town | |
3. | France | 20–20 | Scrumhalf | 26 June 1993 | Kings Park Stadium, Durban | |
4. | France | 17–18 | Scrumhalf | 3 July 1993 | Ellis Park, Johannesburg | |
5. | Australia | 19–12 | Scrumhalf | 31 July 1993 | Sydney Football Stadium (SFG), Sydney | |
6. | Australia | 20–28 | Scrumhalf | 14 August 1993 | Ballymore Stadium, Brisbane | |
7. | Australia | 12–19 | Scrumhalf | 21 August 1993 | Sydney Football Stadium (SFG), Sydney |
He coached KwaZulu-Natal sides Crusaders (in 2010) and College Rovers (between 2011 and 2013) before returning to his home town of Potchefstroom to coach both provincial side the Leopards and university side NWU Pukke.
Du Preez's eldest son – also called Robert – is a professional rugby player that played provincial rugby for Western Province and for the South Africa Under-20 side at the 2013 IRB Junior World Championship. [3]
He also has two younger twin sons – Dan and Jean-Luc – that were both included in the South Africa Under-20 squad for the 2014 IRB Junior World Championship. [4] All three sons were selected for the Sharks squad for the 2019 Super Rugby competition.
Du Preez was also a South African Rugby Young Player of the Year nominee in 1987 and a South African Rugby Player of the Year nominee in 1989 and 1990.
The Sharks is a South African professional rugby union team based in Durban in KwaZulu-Natal. They compete internationally in the United Rugby Championship and EPCR Challenge Cup, having competed in the Super Rugby competition until 2020. They are centred on the Sharks union, also based in Durban and drawing players from all of KwaZulu-Natal and the Eastern Cape. The team plays its home matches at the Hollywoodbets Kings Park Stadium in Durban.
Jake White is a professional rugby union coach and former coach of the South African national team – the Springboks – whom he coached to victory in 2007 Rugby World Cup and the 2004 Tri Nations. White also coached the Under-21 Springbok side to victory in the Under-21 World Cup in 2002. He was coach of the Brumbies in the Super Rugby from 2012, but resigned with two years remaining on his contract in 2013 to return to South Africa. On returning to South Africa, he coached the Sharks for a single season, explaining he wanted to seek international opportunities. This arose in a technical role with the Tongan national team. After assisting Tonga in their 3 Test European Tour in 2014, White was announced as Montpellier's new boss, overseeing all coaching aspects for the club.
The Golden Lions is a South African professional rugby union team based in Johannesburg who compete in the annual Currie Cup and Rugby Challenge.
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Petrus Fourie du Preez is a South African former professional rugby union player. He played as a scrum half for the Blue Bulls in the Currie Cup competition and the Bulls in Super Rugby between 2002 and 2011, and for Japanese Top League side Suntory Sungoliath between 2011 and 2016. He represented South Africa between 2004 and 2015, winning 76 caps, playing in three Rugby World Cup tournaments, and winning the 2007 competition.
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The Sharks are a South Africa rugby union team that participates in the annual Currie Cup tournament. The Sharks are the current representative team of the KwaZulu-Natal Rugby Union and they draw some of their players from the KwaZulu-Natal Province. For most of their history, the team was known simply as 'Natal', with a nickname of 'The Banana Boys' or Piesangboere in Afrikaans, until the mid-1990s when they were re-branded as the Sharks.
Ian McIntosh was a Southern Rhodesian-born Zimbabwean rugby union coach. He served as head coach for the Springboks during 1993 and 1994.
Cornell du Preez is a South African-born rugby union player. His regular playing positions are Flanker, No 8 and currently loose forward, he plays for Toulon in the Top 14 and represents Scotland internationally.
Pieter Stephanus du Toit is a South African professional rugby union player. Du Toit plays as a lock or a flanker for the South Africa national team and the Toyota Verblitz in Japan Rugby League One. After winning the 2019 Rugby World Cup with South Africa, he was awarded the 2019 World Rugby Player of the Year. He was awarded player of the match in the 2023 Rugby World Cup final against New Zealand.
Louis Schreuder is a South African rugby union player who plays as a scrum-half for Bath in Premiership Rugby.
Handré Pollard is a South African professional rugby union player who currently plays for the South Africa national team and Leicester Tigers in England's Premiership Rugby. His regular playing positions are fly-half, where he started for South Africa in their 2019 Rugby World Cup Final win, and inside-centre. He has previously played for the Bulls and Blue Bulls in his native South Africa, Osaka Red Hurricanes in Japan and Montpellier in France. He is one of 43 players who have won the Rugby World Cup on multiple occasions, only 24 of whom are South Africans.
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Malcolm Justin Marx is a South African professional rugby union player who currently plays for the South Africa national rugby team and Kubota Spears in the Japan Rugby League One. His regular position is hooker, but he did play as a flanker at youth level for the Golden Lions.
Jean-Luc du Plessis is a South African rugby union player for the Stormers in Super Rugby and for Western Province in the Currie Cup and the Rugby Challenge. His regular position is fly-half.
Robert James du Preez is a South African professional rugby union player for English Premiership side Sale Sharks. His regular position is fly-half.
Juan Michael Language is a South African rugby union player who last played for the Leopards. He can play as a flanker or a number eight.
Branco Bewinn Nazeem du Preez is a former South African rugby union player, playing with the South Africa national rugby sevens team. He is a utility back, but usually plays as a scrum-half for the Blitzbokke. Du Preez retired as the most capped South African Rugby Sevens player.
Daniel du Preez is a South African rugby union player for the Sale Sharks in the English Premiership. His usual position is number eight, but he can also play as a lock or flanker.
Jean-Luc du Preez (born 5 August 1995 is a South African rugby union player for Sale Sharks in the English Premiership. He made his debut for South Africa in 2016 and his regular position is flanker, although he also plays at lock and number eight.