Victor Matfield
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| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Born |
11 May 1977 Pietersburg, South Africa |
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| Height | 2.01 m (6 ft 7 in) | ||
| Weight | 110 kg (240 lb; 17 st 5 lb) | ||
| School(s) attended | Pietersburg Hoërskool | ||
| University | University of Pretoria | ||
| Club information | |||
| Playing position | Lock | ||
| Current club | Northampton Saints | ||
| Youth career | |||
| 1994–1995 | Far North | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps† | (Pts)† |
| 1998 & 2001–2002 & 2004–2005 & 2008–2010 |
Blue Bulls | 54 | (25) |
| 1999–2000 | Griquas | 36 | (40) |
| 1999–2000 | Cats | 8 | (0) |
| 2001–2007 & 2009–2011 & 2014–2015 |
Bulls | 140 | (40) |
| 2007–2008 | Toulon | 15 | (5) |
| 2015–present | Northampton Saints | 17 | (0) |
| 1998–present | Total | 253 | (110) |
| Representative team(s)‡ | |||
| 1995 | S.A. Academy | () | |
| 1997–1998 | South Africa Under-21 | 8 | (5) |
| 2000 | S.A. Under-23 | 5 | (5) |
| 2000–2011 & 2014–2015 | South Africa (tests) | 127 | (35) |
| 2000–2011 | South Africa (tour) | 4 | (0) |
| 2002 | S.A. 'A' | 1 | (0) |
| 2005 | Southern Hemisphere XV | 1 | (0) |
| 2009 | Barbarians | 1 | (0) |
| 2014–2015 | Springbok XV | 2 | (0) |
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* Senior club appearances and points correct as of 13 June 2015. |
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* Senior club appearances and points correct as of 13 June 2015.
† Appearances (Points).
Victor Matfield (born 11 May 1977) is a South African rugby union player. He has played for and captained the Springbok rugby team as well as the Blue Bulls in the Currie Cup and the Bulls franchise in Super Rugby. He is generally considered one of the best locks in the world and has had a long successful partnership with Springbok and Blue Bulls teammate Bakkies Botha.
Besides almost always winning his own line-out ball, Matfield is known for his exceptional skill at disrupting opposition line-outs – this skill was a cornerstone of their 2007 World Cup success, where he was crowned IRB (International Rugby Board) player of the Rugby World Cup – and his speed around the field led former Australian coach Eddie Jones to comment that he should be an Olympic sprinter instead. He also possesses good upper body strength, with the ability to bench press 155 kg. In 2008 he became the first international captain to beat the All Blacks in New Zealand since Martin Johnson in 2003. Matfield initially retired after the 2011 World Cup after an impressive career, leaving the game as the record Springbok cap holder, but returned after a two-year hiatus by signing a two-year playing contract with the Bulls for 2014 and 2015.
Born 11 May 1977 in Pietersburg (now in Limpopo Province), South Africa, Matfield grew up with a love for both rugby and cricket, and even represented Far North Schools in the latter. When an injury affected his batting and bowling he decided to pursue rugby instead and was selected for Far Norths junior Craven Week team before playing lock for Pietersburg High School. He made it to the Craven Week competition for high schools in two successive years before being selected for Far North's senior provincial team while still in his final year of high school.
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