Full name | Christian Petrus Strauss | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Date of birth | 28 June 1965 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Height | 6 ft 2 in (1.88 m) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Weight | 16 st 5 lb (104 kg; 229 lb) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Rugby league career | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Rugby union career | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Position(s) | Forward | ||
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Senior career | |||
Years | Team | Apps | (Points) |
1996-97 | Cronulla Sharks | 14 | 4 |
Position(s) | No. 8 | ||
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Provincial / State sides | |||
Years | Team | Apps | (Points) |
1986–95 1998-2000 |
Western Province NSW Waratahs |
156 36 |
() |
National team(s) | |||
Years | Team | Apps | (Points) |
1999 1992–94 |
Australia South Africa |
11 15 |
(20) (20) |
Christian Petrus 'Tiaan' Strauss, (born 28 June 1965 in Upington, South Africa) is a former rugby player who represented both South Africa and Australia at international level in rugby union and also played top-level domestic rugby league in Australia. He won the 1999 Rugby World Cup with Australia and the Currie Cup with Western Province.
He won 15 caps for the Springboks between 1992 and 1994, scoring 4 tries and captaining them on one occasion. He also made a record 156 appearances for Western Province during the team's golden period before he moved permanently to Australia.
In Australia he played two seasons of rugby league with the Cronulla-Sutherland Sharks before switching back to rugby union for New South Wales. He was selected for Australia a total of 11 times, scoring a hat trick against Ireland on his debut. All but two of his caps were from the bench. He did make a capable replacement for Toutai Kefu in the 1999 World Cup Quarter Final in Cardiff when the former was banned but it turned out to be his last cap.
Strauss returned to South Africa and settled with his family.