Francois Pienaar facts for kids
Pienaar in 2017
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| Birth name | Jacobus Francois Pienaar | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Date of birth | 2 January 1967 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Place of birth | Vereeniging, Transvaal, South Africa | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Height | 1.91 m (6 ft 3 in) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Weight | 108 kg (17 st 0 lb) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| University | Rand Afrikaans University | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Rugby union career | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Jacobus Francois Pienaar, born on January 2, 1967, is a famous retired rugby player from South Africa. He played as a flanker for the South African national team, known as the Springboks, from 1993 to 1996. He played in 29 international matches, leading his team as captain in every single one. He is most famous for leading South Africa to win the 1995 Rugby World Cup at home. After leaving the Springboks in 1996, Pienaar continued his career with the English club Saracens.
Contents
Early Life and Education
Francois Pienaar was born in Vereeniging, South Africa. He grew up in a working-class Afrikaner family and is the oldest of four brothers. After finishing high school at Hoërskool Patriot in Witbank, he earned a sports scholarship. This allowed him to study law at the Rand Afrikaans University.
Playing Career Highlights
Pienaar started his professional rugby journey in 1989 with the Transvaal Province team. In 1993, he was chosen to play for the South African national team, the Springboks. He became the Springbok captain right from his very first match. He remained captain until his last game, making him one of South Africa's most successful rugby captains ever.
Under Pienaar's leadership, his provincial team, Transvaal, had a fantastic year in 1993. They won three major competitions: the Super 10, the Currie Cup, and the Lion Cup. In 1994, Transvaal won the Currie Cup again with him as captain. That same year, Rugby World magazine named him the international player of the year.
The 1995 Rugby World Cup
Pienaar is best known for being the captain of the first South African team to win the Rugby World Cup. Before the 1995 World Cup, the Springboks were not expected to win. They were ranked ninth, and the defending champions, Australia, had not lost a game in a year.
During the tournament, South Africa played incredibly well. They beat strong teams like Australia, Romania, Canada, Western Samoa, and France. Their final match was against New Zealand at Ellis Park Stadium in Johannesburg. Pienaar led the Springboks to a thrilling victory, winning by just three points. The winning points came from a drop goal by Joel Stransky.
After the match, something truly special happened. Nelson Mandela, who was then the President of South Africa, wore a Springbok jersey with Pienaar's number on it. He presented Pienaar with the Webb Ellis Cup, the World Cup trophy. In his acceptance speech, Pienaar said that the team had won the trophy not just for the fans in the stadium, but for all 43 million South Africans. This moment became a powerful symbol of unity for the country.
The story of the 1995 World Cup and Pienaar's role was later made into a film called Invictus. The movie was released in 2009, and actor Matt Damon played the role of Francois Pienaar.
Professional Rugby and Later Career
Soon after the World Cup, rugby began to change. Players started to become professionals, meaning they would be paid for playing. Pienaar played an important part in these discussions. He helped negotiate a deal that turned rugby into a fully professional sport. Some older rugby officials were not happy about this change.
In 1996, Pienaar was removed from the Springbok team after playing 29 matches. The coach at the time, Andre Markgraaff, made this decision.
After leaving the Springboks, Pienaar moved to Britain. He joined the Watford-based club Saracens as a player and coach. Under his leadership, Saracens won the Pilkington Cup by defeating the London Wasps. They also finished second in the Zurich Premiership. In the next two seasons, they continued to do well, finishing third and fourth in the league. This allowed them to qualify for the European Cup in both years.
Pienaar also had one appearance for the Barbarians club. He captained them in a match against Leicester at Twickenham in 1999.
International Match History
World Cup Final
| No. | Opposition | Result (SA 1st) | Position | Tries | Date | Venue |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. |  France |
20–20 | Flank (c) | 26 Jun 1993 | Kings Park, Durban | |
| 2. | France |
17–18 | Flank (c) | 3 Jul 1993 | Ellis Park, Johannesburg | |
| 3. |  Australia |
19–12 | Flank (c) | 31 Jul 1993 | Sydney Football Stadium (SFG), Sydney | |
| 4. | Australia |
20–28 | Flank (c) | 14 Aug 1993 | Ballymore Stadium, Brisbane | |
| 5. | Australia |
12–19 | Flank (c) | 1 | 21 Aug 1993 | Sydney Football Stadium (SFG), Sydney |
| 6. |  Argentina |
29–26 | Flank (c) | 6 Nov 1993 | Ferro Carril Oeste Stadium, Buenos Aires | |
| 7. | Argentina |
52–23 | Flank (c) | 13 Nov 1993 | Ferro Carril Oeste Stadium, Buenos Aires | |
| 8. |  England |
15–32 | Flank (c) | 4 Jun 1994 | Loftus Versfeld, Pretoria | |
| 9. | England |
27–9 | Flank (c) | 11 Jun 1994 | Newlands, Cape Town | |
| 10. |  New Zealand |
9–13 | Flank (c) | 23 Jul 1994 | Athletic Park, Wellington | |
| 11. | New Zealand |
18–18 | Flank (c) | 6 Aug 1994 | Eden Park, Auckland | |
| 12. | Argentina |
42–22 | Flank (c) | 8 Oct 1994 | Boet Erasmus Stadium, Port Elizabeth | |
| 13. | Argentina |
46–26 | Flank (c) | 15 Oct 1994 | Ellis Park, Johannesburg | |
| 14. |  Scotland |
34–10 | Flank (c) | 19 Nov 1994 | Murrayfield, Edinburgh | |
| 15. |  Wales |
20–12 | Flank (c) | 26 Nov 1994 | Cardiff Arms Park, Cardiff | |
| 16. |  Samoa |
60–8 | Flank (c) | 13 Apr 1995 | Ellis Park, Johannesburg | |
| 17. | Australia |
27–18 | Flank (c) | 25 May 1995 | Newlands, Cape Town | |
| 18. |  Canada |
20–0 | Flank (c) | 3 Jun 1995 | Boet Erasmus Stadium, Port Elizabeth | |
| 19. | Samoa |
42–14 | Flank (c) | 10 Jun 1995 | Ellis Park, Johannesburg | |
| 20. | France |
19–15 | Flank (c) | 17 Jun 1995 | Kings Park, Durban | |
| 21. | New Zealand |
15–12 | Flank (c) | 24 Jun 1995 | Ellis Park, Johannesburg | |
| 22. | Wales |
40–11 | Flank (c) | 1 | 2 Sep 1995 | Ellis Park, Johannesburg |
| 23. |  Italy |
40–21 | Number 8 (c) | 1 | 12 Nov 1995 | Stadio Olimpico, Rome |
| 24. | England |
24–14 | Number 8 (c) | 18 Nov 1995 | Twickenham, London | |
| 25. |  Fiji |
43–18 | Flank (c) | 2 Jul 1996 | Loftus Versfeld, Pretoria | |
| 26. | Australia |
16–21 | Flank (c) | 13 Jul 1996 | Aussie Stadium (SFG), Sydney | |
| 27. | New Zealand |
11–15 | Flank (c) | 20 Jul 1996 | AMI Stadium, Christchurch | |
| 28. | Australia |
25–19 | Flank (c) | 3 Aug 1996 | Free State Stadium, Bloemfontein | |
| 29. | New Zealand |
18–29 | Flank (c) | 10 Aug 1996 | Newlands, Cape Town |
Retirement and Later Life
In 2000, Francois Pienaar stopped playing rugby professionally. He then became the CEO (Chief Executive Officer) of Saracens, the club he played for. However, the club didn't have much success in the next two years. Because of this, Pienaar decided to step down as coach and CEO in 2002. As of November 2023, Pienaar is one of five directors at Saracens.
In 2002, he moved back to Cape Town, South Africa. He lives there with his wife, Nerine Winter, and their two sons. Both of his sons have Nelson Mandela as their godfather, which is a special honor.
Pienaar wrote a book about his life called Rainbow Warrior in 1999, with Edward Griffiths. In November 2000, the University of Hertfordshire gave him an honorary doctorate. This is a special degree given to people who have achieved great things.
Pienaar was also part of South Africa's attempt to host the 2011 Rugby World Cup in 2005, though their bid was not successful. He has also worked as a sports commentator for ITV Sport. He provided expert opinions during the Rugby World Cups in 2007, 2011, and 2015.
Awards and Special Recognition
- In 1995, he was named Rugby Personality of the Year by Britain's Rugby Union Writers' Club. He was also named Newsmaker of the Year in South Africa.
- In 2004, he was voted 50th in the list of the Top 100 Great South Africans.
- In 2005, he was welcomed into the International Rugby Hall of Fame.
- On October 24, 2011, he was also inducted into the IRB Hall of Fame.
See Also
In Spanish: Francois Pienaar para niños
- List of South Africa national rugby union players – Springbok no. 584
