Fritz van Heerden

Frederick Johannes 'Fritz' van Heerden (born 29 June 1970) is a former South African rugby union player who played international rugby for the Springboks, making his debut on 4 June 1994 in Pretoria against the England touring side.[1] Van Heerden played rugby with Western Province and Leicester Tigers.

Fritz van Heerden
Birth nameFrederick Johannes van Heerden
Date of birth (1970-06-29) 29 June 1970
Place of birthRoodepoort, South Africa
Height6 ft 6 in (1.98 m)
Weight231 lb (105 kg)
Rugby union career
Position(s) Lock, Flank
Senior career
Years Team Apps (Points)
1997–2000 Leicester Tigers 48 (25)
Provincial / State sides
Years Team Apps (Points)
1991–1997 Western Province 74 ()
National team(s)
Years Team Apps (Points)
1994–1999 South Africa 14 (5)

Playing career

Van Heerden matriculated at Roodepoort High School in 1988 and represented Transvaal at the annual Craven Week tournament in 1988. In 1991 he enrolled for a law degree at the University of Stellenbosch and represented Maties on the rugby field. He made his senior provincial debut in July 1991, when he replaced the injured Gert Smal, in the Western Province team. In 1996 he was named the Western Province captain.[2][3]

He joined Leicester Tigers in 1997, following fellow South African Joel Stransky, and joining up with Martin Johnson, and replacing Matt Poole who acquired a knee injury at about the same time with Dean Richards (normally a number eight) playing lock. Also able to play flanker, he complemented Johnson's more powerful play with mobility, but perhaps more importantly he pioneered the contesting of the opposition's line-out throws.

He returned to South Africa in 1999 to try to play for his country in the 1999 World Cup, and was drafted into the side late as a replacement for Selborne Boome, playing against Spain. After the World Cup, he returned to Leicester where he helped in the development of England lock Ben Kay. He retired.

Test history
No.OpponentsResults
(SA 1st)		PositionTriesDatesVenue
1. England15–32Flank4 Jun 1994Loftus Versfeld, Pretoria
2. England27–9Replacement11 Jun 1994Newlands, Cape Town
3. New Zealand18–18Flank6 Aug 1994Eden Park, Auckland
4. Italy40–21Flank12 Nov 1995Stadio Olimpico, Rome
5. England24–14Flank18 Nov 1995Twickenham, London
6. New Zealand32–22Replacement31 Aug 1996Ellis Park, Johannesburg
7. Argentina46–15Replacement9 Nov 1996Ferro Carril Oeste, Buenos Aires
8. Argentina44–21Replacement16 Nov 1996Ferro Carril Oeste, Buenos Aires
9. Tonga74–10 Lock110 Jun 1997Newlands, Cape Town
10. British Lions15–18Replacement28 Jun 1997Kings Park, Durban
11. British Lions35–16Replacement5 Jul 1997Ellis Park, Johannesburg
12. New Zealand32–35Replacement19 Jul 1997Ellis Park, Johannesburg
13. New Zealand35–55Replacement9 Aug 1997Eden Park, Auckland
14. Spain47–3Lock10 Oct 1999Murrayfield, Edinburgh

See also

References
  1. "Fritz van Heerden". ESPN scrum. Retrieved 29 December 2020.
  2. Van der Merwe, Floris (2007). Matieland is rugbyland, 1980-2006. Stellenbosch: SUN Press. pp. 155–156. ISBN 9781920109790. OCLC 190836768.
  3. Van Rooyen, Quintus (1997). Bankfin Annual 1997. Montana Park: SA Rugby Writers' Society. p. 122. ISBN 0620209607.
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