| Birth name | Matthys Johannes Lourens | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Date of birth | 15 May 1943 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Place of birth | Vryheid, KwaZulu-Natal | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Height | 1.83 m (6 ft 0 in) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Weight | 90 kg (198 lb) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| School | Vryheid High School | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Rugby union career | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Matthys Johannes 'Thys' Lourens (born 15 May 1943) is a former South African rugby union Rugby player. [1]
Lourens played 168 first class provincial matches for Northern Transvaal, 91 of which were in the Currie Cup competition. He captained the team on 84 occasions and scored 63 tries. [2]
Only Louis Moolman (171), Naas Botha (179) and Burger Geldenhuys (184) have played in more matches than Lourens. His usual position was as a flanker, where he also played for the national team, the Springboks. [3]
He represented South Africa thrice, the first on 22 June 1968, when he played at flanker in a match against the British & Irish Lions at the Boet Erasmus Stadium in Port Elizabeth, which resulted in a six-all draw. He played in the subsequent test at Newlands in which he scored a try in the 11–6 win. He earned a third cap in the third match of the test series, at Ellis Park, which the Springboks won 19–6.
| No. | Opposition | Result (RSA 1st) | Position | Tries | Date | Venue |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. |  British Lions | 6–6 | Flank | 22 June 1968 | Boet Erasmus, Port Elizabeth | |
| 2. | British Lions | 11–6 | Flank | 1 | 13 July 1968 | Newlands, Cape Town |
| 3. | British Lions | 19–6 | Flank | 27 July 1968 | Ellis Park, Johannesburg |
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