Ruan Pienaar facts for kids
Ruan Pienaar in 2014
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| Date of birth | 10 March 1984 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Place of birth | Bloemfontein, South Africa | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Height | 1.87 m (6 ft 1+1⁄2 in) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Weight | 92 kg (203 lb) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| School | Grey College, Bloemfontein | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Rugby union career | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Ruan Pienaar (born March 10, 1984) is a famous South African rugby union player who has now retired. He played as a scrum-half or fly-half. Ruan played for many top teams like the Cheetahs, Sharks, Ulster, and Montpellier. He also proudly represented the South Africa national team, known as the Springboks.
After retiring from playing in 2024, Ruan became a coach. He now works as a backline and attack coach for the Cheetahs academy. His father, Gysie Pienaar, was also a Springbok player. Ruan is known for his amazing skills on the field. He could pass the ball very well and kick with both his left and right feet. His great vision and running style made him a standout player.
Ruan Pienaar has won many important rugby titles. He was part of the winning squads for the Under-19 World Cup in 2003 and the Under-21 World Cup in 2005. He also helped the senior Springbok team win the Rugby World Cup in 2007. Additionally, he won the Currie Cup three times: in 2008, 2019, and 2023.
Contents
Ruan Pienaar's Rugby Journey
Playing for South Africa
Ruan Pienaar first played for the Springboks in 2006. This was during the Tri-Nations tournament against New Zealand. He was a key member of the team that won the 2007 World Cup.
Even though he played for clubs outside South Africa for a while, he was still called up for the national team. This shows how important he was to the Springboks. He played 88 test matches for his country, scoring 135 points.
Club Rugby in South Africa
Ruan Pienaar started his rugby journey in Bloemfontein. He went to Grey College, a famous school for rugby. In 2002, he was chosen to play for the Free State team in the Craven Week tournament.
Before moving overseas, Ruan played for the Sharks in the Super Rugby competition. He also played for the Sharks team in the Currie Cup.
Playing for Ulster in Ireland
In 2010, Ruan Pienaar joined Ulster, a team based in Belfast, Ireland. He signed a two-year contract to play in the Celtic League and Heineken Cup. He quickly became a star player for Ulster.
In his first game for Ulster, he scored all 19 points for his team. He was named the "Magners League Player of the Year" for the 2010/11 season. He also became the captain of the Pro12 Dream Team in 2011/12.
Ruan helped Ulster reach the Heineken Cup Final in 2012 and the Pro12 Final in 2013. He was a very popular player with the fans. He stayed with Ulster until the end of the 2016/17 season.
Later Career and Retirement
After leaving Ulster, Ruan Pienaar played for Montpellier in France from 2017 to 2019. Then, in 2019, he returned to South Africa. He joined the Cheetahs team, where he played in the Pro14 and the Currie Cup.
For a short time in 2021-2022, he was loaned to the Sharks team. This helped make sure the best South African players were playing in the new United Rugby Championship. Ruan Pienaar officially retired from playing rugby in 2024. His last game was on May 17, 2024, when he captained the Cheetahs against the Griquas.
Ruan Pienaar's Life Off the Field
Ruan Pienaar is a very religious person. He has often spoken about how his Christian faith is important to him. He believes there is more to life than just rugby. He even helped start a Bible study group for rugby players in South Africa.
See also
In Spanish: Ruan Pienaar para niños
