| Date of birth | 15 April 1973 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Place of birth | Bloemfontein, South Africa | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Height | 5 ft 8 in (1.73 m) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Weight | 168 lb (12 st 0 lb) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| School | Grey College | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| University | University of Pretoria | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Children | Megan, Mikah, Kian, and Kai | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Rugby union career | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Werner Swanepoel (born 15 April 1973) is a former South African rugby union player. He played as a scrum half for the Springboks from 1997 to 2000. His appearances for the Springboks were curtailed by virtue of his career coinciding with that of Joost van der Westhuizen. For the toothy grin he often flashed on the rugby field, he was given the nickname, "Smiley".[1]
Career
Swanepoel attended Grey College in Bloemfontein and played for the Free State Craven Week team from 1989 to 1991 and was selected for the South African Schools team in 1991. His senior provincial debut for the Free State was in 1993, whereafter he also played for Northern Transvaal, the Golden Lions and the Cats.[2]
Swanepoel made his debut for the Springboks in 1997 against the British Lions at Ellis Park in Johannesburg. He represented South Africa in the 1999 Rugby World Cup, scoring a try in their pool match against Spain.[3] In 2001, he was a replacement for The Barbarians in their match against Australia in Cardiff.[4] His career was ended unexpectedly when he contracted viral meningitis while he was playing with the English club, Worcester.[5]
Test history
| No. | Opposition | Result (SA 1st) |
Position | Tries | Date | Venue |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. |  British Lions |
35–16 | Replacement | 5 Jul 1997 | Ellis Park, Johannesburg | |
| 2. |  Australia |
62–32 | Replacement | 23 Aug 1997 | Loftus Versfeld, Pretoria | |
| 3. |  France |
36–32 | Replacement | 15 Nov 1997 | Stade de Gerland, Lyon | |
| 4. | France |
52–10 | Scrumhalf | 22 Nov 1997 | Parc des Princes, Paris | |
| 5. |  England |
29–11 | Scrumhalf | 1 | 29 Nov 1997 | Twickenham, London |
| 6. |  Scotland |
68–10 | Scrumhalf | 6 Dec 1997 | Murrayfield, Edinburgh | |
| 7. |  Ireland |
33–0 | Replacement | 20 Jun 1998 | Loftus Versfeld, Pretoria | |
| 8. |  Wales |
96–13 | Replacement | 27 Jun 1998 | Loftus Versfeld, Pretoria | |
| 9. | England |
7–13 | Replacement | 5 Dec 1998 | Twickenham, London | |
| 10. |  Italy |
74–3 | Scrumhalf | 12 Jun 1999 | Boet Erasmus Stadium, Port Elizabeth | |
| 11. | Italy |
101–0 | Replacement | 19 Jun 1999 | Kings Park, Durban | |
| 12. | Wales |
19–29 | Scrumhalf | 1 | 26 Jun 1998 | Millennium Stadium, Cardiff |
| 13. | Australia |
6–32 | Scrumhalf | 17 Jul 1999 | Suncorp Stadium, Brisbane | |
| 14. |  Spain |
47–3 | Scrumhalf | 1 | 10 Oct 1999 | Murrayfield, Edinburgh |
| 15. |  New Zealand |
22–18 | Replacement | 4 Nov 1999 | Millennium Stadium, Cardiff | |
| 16. | Australia |
23–44 | Scrumhalf | 1 | 8 Jul 2000 | Colonial Stadium, Melbourne |
| 17. | New Zealand |
12–25 | Scrumhalf | 22 Jul 2000 | Jade Stadium, Christchurch | |
| 18. | Australia |
6–26 | Scrumhalf | 29 Jul 2000 | Stadium Australia, Sydney | |
| 19. | New Zealand |
46–40 | Scrumhalf | 2 | 19 Aug 2000 | Ellis Park, Johannesburg |
| 20. | Australia |
18–19 | Scrumhalf | 26 Aug 2000 | Kings Park, Durban |
See also
- List of South Africa national rugby union players – Springbok no. 654
References
- ^ "Presenter Profile - Werner Swanepoel". SuperSport. Retrieved 30 January 2020.
- ^ Schoeman, Chris (2001). Who's who of South African rugby 2001 - 2002 (6th ed.). Cape Town: Strobe Communications. p. 151. ISBN 0620261889.
- ^ "South Africa v Spain". Rugby World Cup. Retrieved 30 January 2020.
- ^ "Player Archive - W. Swanepoel". Official Home of The Barbarians. Retrieved 30 January 2020.
- ^ "Abrupt end wiped the grin from Werner's face". Times Live. 3 April 2011. Retrieved 23 September 2012.
External links
This page was last edited on 13 September 2023, at 11:01