Pieter-Steph du Toit

Pieter-Steph du Toit
Steph du Toit with Springboks
Full namePieter Stephanus du Toit
Date of birth (1992-08-20) 20 August 1992 (age 32)
Place of birthCape Town, South Africa
Height2.00 m (6 ft 6+1⁄2 in)[1]
Weight115 kg (254 lb; 18 st 2 lb)[1]
SchoolHoërskool Swartland, Malmesbury
Notable relative(s)Piet du Toit (grandfather),
Johan du Toit (brother)
Rugby union career
Position(s) Lock / Flanker / Number 8
Current team Toyota Verblitz
Youth career
2010 Boland Cavaliers
2011–2012 Sharks
Senior career
Years Team Apps (Points)
2012–2015 Sharks (Currie Cup) 5 (0)
2012–2015 Sharks 32 (5)
2016–2021 Stormers 59 (20)
2022– Toyota Verblitz 35 (10)
Correct as of 30 October 2024
International career
Years Team Apps (Points)
2012 South Africa Under-20 5 (5)
2013– South Africa 84 (55)
Correct as of 30 October 2024
Medal record
Men's Rugby union
Representing  South Africa
Rugby World Cup
Bronze medal – third place 2015 England Squad
Gold medal – first place 2019 Japan Squad
Gold medal – first place 2023 France Squad

Pieter Stephanus du Toit (born 20 August 1992) is a South African professional rugby union player and two-time winner of World Rugby Player of the Year (in 2019, 2024). Du Toit plays as a lock or a flanker for the South Africa national team and the Toyota Verblitz in Japan Rugby League One. After winning the 2019 Rugby World Cup with South Africa, he was awarded the 2019 World Rugby Player of the Year, an award he won for a second time in 2024. He was awarded man of the match in the 2023 Rugby World Cup final against New Zealand. Known for his stamina, tackling ability and high work rate, he is considered[according to whom?] to be one of the greatest players of his generation.

School and youth career

[edit]

Du Toit went to school at Hoërskool Swartland where he played mostly in the second row.[2]

Du Toit was a member of the South Africa Under 20 team that won the 2012 IRB Junior World Championship.[3]

Senior career

[edit]

In July 2013, Du Toit signed a two-year contract extension with the Sharks.[4] The Sharks announced his departure in October 2015.[5]

He made his South Africa Test debut versus Wales in Cardiff on 9 November 2013 at age 21.[6] Du Toit has since become a regular for the Springboks and was a part of the South African team for the 2015 Rugby World Cup. Du Toit came off the bench in the quarter-final, when South Africa beat Wales 23–19 at Twickenham Stadium. The following season saw Du Toit become a regular starter for South Africa, under new head coach, Allister Coetzee.

On 2 June 2018, Du Toit became the 60th captain of South Africa, as he led the Springboks out against Wales, losing the match 20–22. Du Toit also took part in the mid-year series against England, which South Africa won.

He moved to the back row from 2019 onwards.[2]

Du Toit was named in South Africa's squad for the 2019 Rugby World Cup.[7] South Africa won the tournament, defeating England in the final.[8] He was awarded the World Rugby Men's 15s Player of the Year in 2019. He was also Player of the Match in the 2023 World Cup final against the All Blacks in the Springboks successful defense of their World Cup title, making an astounding 28 tackles.[9]

International statistics

[edit]

Test match record

[edit]
As of 13 August 2021
Against P W D L Tri Pts %Won
 Argentina 9 6 0 3 2 10 66.67
 Australia 7 3 2 2 0 0 57.14
 British and Irish Lions 2 1 0 1 0 0 50
 England 6 3 0 3 0 0 50
 France 5 5 0 0 1 5 100
 Georgia 1 1 0 0 0 0 100
 Ireland 4 2 0 2 2 10 50
 Italy 3 2 0 1 0 0 66.67
 Japan 3 2 0 1 0 0 66.67
 New Zealand 8 1 1 6 0 0 18.75
 Scotland 2 2 0 0 0 0 100
 United States 1 1 0 0 0 0 100
 Wales 7 3 0 4 0 0 42.86
Total 58 32 3 23 5 25 57.76

Pld = Games Played, W = Games Won, D = Games Drawn, L = Games Lost, Tri = Tries Scored, Pts = Points Scored

Test tries

[edit]
Try Opposition Location Venue Competition Date Result Score
1  Ireland Cape Town, South Africa Newlands Test match 11 June 2016 Loss 20–26
2  Ireland Johannesburg, South Africa Ellis Park Stadium Test match 18 June 2016 Win 32–26
3  Argentina Salta, Argentina Estadio Padre Ernesto Martearena 2016 Rugby Championship 27 August 2016 Loss 26–24
4  Argentina Port Elizabeth, South Africa Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium 2017 Rugby Championship 19 August 2017 Win 37–15
5  New Zealand Yokohama, Japan International Stadium Yokohama 2019 Rugby World Cup 21 September 2019 Loss 23–13
6  Australia Pretoria, South Africa Loftus Versfeld Stadium 2023 Rugby Championship 8 July 2023 Win 43–12
7  Wales Cardiff, Wales Millennium Stadium 2023 Rugby World Cup warm-up matches 19 August 2023 Win 52–16
8  Scotland Marseille, France Stade Vélodrome 2023 Rugby World Cup 10 September 2023 Win 18–3
9  Australia Brisbane, Australia Lang Park 2024 Rugby Championship 10 August 2024 Win 33-7
10  Argentina Mbombela, South Africa Mbombela Stadium 2024 Rugby Championship 28 September 2024 Win 48–7
11
12  England London, England Twickenham Stadium 2024 end-of-year rugby union internationals 16 November 2024 Win 20–29

Honours

[edit]

Natal Sharks

  • 2013 Currie Cup winner

South Africa South Africa

South Africa Rugby Union Awards

  • SARU Player of the Year: 2016, 2018 and 2019

World Rugby awards

Personal life

[edit]

Du Toit, a Christian, is the grandson of former Springbok prop, Piet "Spiere" du Toit and is the older brother of Johan, also a professional rugby player. The two brothers were contracted to the Sharks at the same time (in 2014 and 2015) before reuniting at the Stormers from 2017 onwards.[10] He is nicknamed the Malmesbury Missile.[11]

Du Toit is married to Willemien, with whom he has three children.[12]

See also

[edit]

References

[edit]
  1. ^ a b "Pieter-Steph du Toit player profile". rugbyworldcup.com. Retrieved 22 October 2023.
  2. ^ a b "Pieter-Steph du Toit's flank success is no fluke according to school coach". 31 July 2019.
  3. ^ "Goosen, Kitshoff, Du Toit nucleus of powerful SA U20 JWC squad". South African Rugby Union. 25 April 2012. Archived from the original on 6 June 2016. Retrieved 6 June 2016.
  4. ^ "Pieter-Steph du Toit sticks with Sharks". Sport24. 19 July 2013. Archived from the original on 15 August 2013. Retrieved 19 July 2013.
  5. ^ "Pieter-Steph du Toit departs Cell C Sharks" (Press release). Sharks. 7 July 2015. Archived from the original on 24 September 2015. Retrieved 7 July 2015.
  6. ^ "SA Rugby Player Profile – Pieter-Steph du Toit". South African Rugby Union. Retrieved 2 June 2016.
  7. ^ "South Africa World Cup squad: Siya Kolisi wins fitness battle, Eben Etzebeth backed, Aphiwe Dyantyi dropped". The Independent. 26 August 2019. Archived from the original on 26 May 2022. Retrieved 3 November 2019.
  8. ^ "England 12-32 South Africa: Springboks win World Cup for record-equalling third time". BBC. 2 November 2019. Retrieved 3 November 2019.
  9. ^ "WATCH: All 28 of Pieter-Steph du Toit's tackles in the World Cup final". 4 November 2023.
  10. ^ "Five new faces at DHL Newlands this season" (Press release). Stormers. 13 January 2017. Archived from the original on 13 January 2017. Retrieved 13 January 2017.
  11. ^ Tshwaku, Khanyiso. "Bok coach praises 'Malmesbury Missile' Pieter-Steph: 'He'll chase a white plastic bag down as well'". Sport. Retrieved 29 October 2023.
  12. ^ https://www.news24.com/you/celebs/local/exclusive-pics-bok-flanker-pieter-steph-du-toit-and-his-wife-welcome-third-child-20240926
[edit]
Rugby Union Captain
Preceded by Springbok Captain
2017 		Next:
Siya Kolisi
Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Pieter-Steph_du_Toit&oldid=1263922048"