Dan Vickerman facts for kids

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Dan Vickerman

Vickerman during the 2011 Rugby World Cup
Birth name	Daniel Joseph Vickerman
Date of birth	(1979-06-04)4 June 1979
Place of birth	Cape Town, South Africa
Date of death	18 February 2017(2017-02-18) (aged 37)
Place of death	Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
Height	2.04 m (6 ft 8+1⁄2 in)
Weight	119 kg (18 st 10 lb)
School	Diocesan College, Cape Town
University	Hughes Hall, Cambridge
Rugby union career
Position(s) Lock Senior career Years Team Apps (Points) 2009–10 Northampton 12 (0) Super Rugby Years Team Apps (Points) 2001–03 2004–08, 2011 Brumbies Waratahs 20 58 (30) (0) Correct as of 1 June 2012 National team(s) Years Team Apps (Points) 2002–11 2002 2000 Australia Australia A Australia U-21 63 (0)

Daniel Joseph Vickerman (born June 4, 1979 – died February 18, 2017) was a professional rugby union player. He was very tall at 204 cm (about 6 feet 8 inches) and weighed 119 kg (about 262 pounds). Dan played as a lock, which is a key position in the middle of the scrum.

He played 63 Test matches for the Wallabies. This is the national rugby team of Australia, his adopted country. After playing for the Wallabies for seven years, Dan decided to take a break from international rugby in 2008. He went to the University of Cambridge in England to study Land Economy. While studying, he also played rugby for Cambridge University and the Northampton Saints. In 2011, he came back to Australia and played for the Wallabies again. He even played in the 2011 Rugby World Cup before he retired from the sport.

Dan Vickerman's Early Life

Dan Vickerman was born in South Africa. He started playing rugby there when he was young. He went to Bishops College in Cape Town. He played for their top school team, known as the First XV.

When he was 17, Dan spent a year in England. He played for a team called Cheltenham Colts (for players under 19). He played with Peter Buxton, who also became a professional rugby player. Later, Dan and Peter traveled to Australia together. They played rugby for the University of Queensland Rugby Club. This trip helped Dan start his journey to play for Australia. He first played for Australia's Under-21 team.

Dan Vickerman's Rugby Career

In 2001, Dan joined the Brumbies, a professional rugby team in Australia. He played his first game that season in the Super 12 competition. This match was against the Sharks in Durban, South Africa. He played seven Super 12 games in his first season.

In 2002, Dan was chosen to play for the Australia A team in Canada. Later that year, he made his first "Test" debut for the Wallabies. This important match was in Sydney against France.

Dan became a regular player for the Wallabies in 2003. He either started the games or came on as a substitute. In 2004, he joined the Waratahs team. He was a substitute in all the Wallaby home games that year. But he became a starting player during the team's tour to the United Kingdom and France.

In 2006, Dan started almost every game for the Waratahs. His team reached the finals of the 2006 Super 14 season. He was then selected for the Wallaby squad by coach John Connolly. Later that year, he hurt his shoulder and needed surgery. This meant he missed most of the 2007 Super 14 season.

However, Dan returned to play for Australia in a match against Wales. He quickly earned his spot back in the starting lineup for the Wallabies. He was part of the team for the 2007 Rugby World Cup. During this World Cup, Dan played his 50th Test match against Wales. In 2008, he had another shoulder injury during the Super 14 final. This meant he only played three international games that year.

In late 2008, Dan left Australia to study at Cambridge University in England. He studied Land Economy for three years. He also played rugby for Cambridge in the 2008 Varsity Match. This is a famous game between Cambridge and Oxford universities.

The next year, he started playing professional rugby again while studying. He signed a one-year deal with Northampton Saints in May 2009. They played in the Guinness Premiership. He delayed joining the team until after the 2009 Varsity Match. In that game, he was the captain for Cambridge. They won 31–27 against their rivals, Oxford. His first game for the Saints was on March 7, 2010, against Sale Sharks.

Dan came back to Australia in 2011 to play for the Waratahs again. He wanted to be chosen for the national team. He was selected for the Wallabies team that won the 2011 Tri Nations Series. He also helped them get third place at the 2011 Rugby World Cup. Sadly, a leg injury (stress fractures in his right shin bone) forced him to retire from rugby in 2012. After retiring, he worked for the Rugby Union Players' Association.

Dan Vickerman's Death

Dan Vickerman passed away on the night of February 18, 2017. He was 37 years old and died at his home in Sydney. He is remembered by his wife and two young children.

See also

In Spanish: Dan Vickerman para niños