François Steyn facts for kids
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Steyn playing for Montpellier in 2016
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| Birth name | François Philippus Lodewyk Steyn | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Date of birth | 14 May 1987 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Place of birth | Aliwal North, South Africa | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Height | 1.91 m (6 ft 3 in) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Weight | 110 kg (240 lb; 17 st 5 lb) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| School | Grey College, Bloemfontein | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Rugby union career | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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François Philippus Lodewyk Steyn, born on May 14, 1987, is a famous South African rugby player. He used to play professionally. He was a "utility back," meaning he could play many different positions. These included centre, fly-half, full-back, and wing.
People called him "Daddy Frans." He started playing professionally for the Sharks team when he was just 19. His first big game in Super 14 was in 2007. Later, he played for teams in France and Japan. He played for Racing Métro 92, Toshiba Brave Lupus, and Montpellier. In 2020, he came back to South Africa to play for the Cheetahs. He stopped playing rugby in 2023.
Steyn played 78 matches for the Springboks, South Africa's national team. He won the Rugby World Cup twice, in 2007 and 2019. He is one of only two South African players to win the World Cup more than once. He was also the youngest World Champion ever. He won The Rugby Championship (which used to be called Tri Nations) two times as well. Steyn was known for his powerful kicks from far away and his strong tackles.
Contents
Playing for Rugby Clubs
Sharks Rugby Team
In his first season of Super 14 in 2007, Steyn played for the Sharks. He started as a right wing. When another player, Percy Montgomery, got injured, Steyn moved to play as a full-back. He played in this position until Montgomery returned. For one game, Steyn even played as a fly-half.
Steyn rejoined the Sharks team on May 29, 2012, signing a three-year deal. He could not play in the knockout games that year because he joined the team late. The Sharks lost in the final to the Chiefs.
In 2013, Steyn returned for the Super Rugby competition. He was the team captain for the first few matches because the usual captain, Keegan Daniel, was not there. Steyn played well and helped the Sharks win the Currie Cup in 2013. His strong defence was especially important.
Racing Métro 92 in France
In 2009, Steyn signed a two-year contract with a French club called Racing Métro 92. This team plays in the Top 14 league in France.
Toshiba Brave Lupus in Japan
On June 3, 2014, Steyn signed a two-year deal to play for a Japanese club. This team was called Toshiba Brave Lupus.
Montpellier Rugby Club
In 2016, Steyn moved back to France to join the Montpellier club. While playing for Montpellier, he won the European Rugby Challenge Cup in 2016. He also played in the 2017–18 Top 14 final, but his team finished as runners-up.
Cheetahs and Retirement
After four seasons in France, Steyn returned to South Africa. He joined the Cheetahs on July 1, 2020. He played his first game for them on October 10 in Bloemfontein.
On March 24, 2023, Steyn got a knee injury during a Currie Cup Premier Division game against the Blue Bulls. He could not play for the rest of the competition. His team won the Currie Cup two months later. In July, Steyn announced that he was stopping his professional rugby career at age 36. He decided not to play in the Rugby Championship or the World Cup in France.
Playing for South Africa
After playing only ten matches for the Sharks in 2006, Steyn was chosen to play for South Africa. He was only 19 years old. He played his first international game as a wing against Ireland and scored a try. In his next game, he played as a fullback against England. He scored a long-range drop-goal from his own half of the field. Steyn was also very good at kicking goals from far away.
In 2007, Steyn kicked two drop goals against Australia in Cape Town. These kicks helped the Springboks win the game. One of his kicks was from 42 metres away.
During South Africa's first game at the 2007 Rugby World Cup, their centre Jean de Villiers got injured. Steyn took his place, playing as an inside centre. He made a great play right away, helping the Springboks win against Samoa.
Steyn was the starting inside centre for the Springboks in the 2007 Rugby World Cup Final. He made an amazing play that led to a penalty for his team. He also kicked a penalty himself. He became the youngest player ever to win a Rugby World Cup.
In 2009, Steyn played his last game for the Springboks before moving to France. In this game against New Zealand, he kicked three penalties from his own half of the field. People believe he was the first player to do this in an international match.
In 2012, Steyn played his 50th test match for South Africa against Argentina. He was the youngest South African to reach this milestone. Steyn was injured during the 2012 Rugby Championship and missed some games.
After not playing for the national team for three years, Steyn was called back in 2017. He played for South Africa in a series against France.
In 2019, Steyn was chosen again for the South African team to play in the 2019 Rugby World Cup in Japan. He became one of only 21 players to win the World Cup twice. He was also only the second South African to achieve this.
Achievements and Awards
Sharks
- Super 14
Runner-up (2): 2007
Sharks
- Currie Cup
Winner (2): 2008, 2013
Montpellier
- European Rugby Challenge Cup
- Winner (1): 2015-16
- Top 14
- Runner-up (1): 2017-18
Free State Cheetahs
- Currie Cup
- Winner (1): 2023
South Africa
- Rugby World Cup
- Winner (2): 2007, 2019
- Tri Nations/The Rugby Championship
- Winner (2): 2009, 2019
- Runner-up (1): 2022
See also
In Spanish: François Steyn para niños
