Tiaan Strauss facts for kids
| Birth name | Christiaan Petrus Strauss | |||||||||||||||||||||
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| Date of birth | 28 June 1965 | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Place of birth | Upington, Cape Province, South Africa | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Height | 6 ft 2 in (1.88 m) | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Weight | 16 st 5 lb (104 kg; 229 lb) | |||||||||||||||||||||
| School | Upington High School, Upington | |||||||||||||||||||||
| University | Stellenbosch University | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Rugby union career | ||||||||||||||||||||||
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Rugby league career
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Playing information
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| Position | Forward | |||||||||||||||||||||
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Christiaan Petrus 'Tiaan' Strauss, born on June 28, 1965, is a famous former rugby player. He played both rugby union and rugby league. What's really cool is that he played for two different countries! He represented both South Africa and Australia in rugby union. He also played professional rugby league in Australia. Tiaan helped Australia win the 1999 Rugby World Cup. He also won the Currie Cup with his South African team, Western Province.
Contents
Tiaan Strauss's Early Life and Rugby Start
Tiaan Strauss was born in a town called Upington in what was then the Cape Province of South Africa. This area is now known as the Northern Cape. He went to the University of Stellenbosch and finished his law degree in 1990.
Playing for Western Province
Tiaan started his senior rugby career in 1986. He played for Western Province against North Eastern Cape. In his very first game, he scored a try! By the end of that year, he was a key player for Western Province. He played alongside Gert Smal and Deon Lotter. Together, they helped Western Province win the Currie Cup that year.
Playing for the Springboks
Tiaan Strauss made his first international appearance for the Springboks (South Africa's national rugby team) in 1992. This was during their tour of Britain and France. He played as a Number 8 against France in Lyon.
Tiaan's Springbok Career
Between 1992 and 1994, Tiaan played 15 games for the Springboks. He scored 4 tries during these matches. He even had the honour of being the captain of the team once. Before moving to Australia, he played a record 156 games for Western Province. This was during a very successful time for the team.
Moving to Australia and Playing for the Wallabies
After his time in South Africa, Tiaan moved to Australia. There, he first played rugby league for two seasons with the Cronulla-Sutherland Sharks. Then, he switched back to rugby union and played for New South Wales.
Tiaan's Wallabies Career
Tiaan was chosen to play for Australia (known as the Wallabies) 11 times. In his very first game for Australia, he scored three tries against Ireland! Most of his games for Australia were as a substitute player. He played an important role in the 1999 Rugby World Cup. He stepped in for another player, Toutai Kefu, during the Quarter Final in Cardiff. This turned out to be his last game for Australia.
Life After Rugby
After his amazing rugby career, Tiaan Strauss returned to South Africa. He settled down there with his family.
Honours
- Currie Cup Winner:
- With Western Province in 1986
- Shared win in 1989
- World Cup Winner:
- With Wallabies in 1999
See also
- List of South Africa national rugby union players – Springbok no. 579
- List of Australia national rugby union players – no. 752
External links
- http://www.africapewines.com/about.htm
- Tiaan Strauss at yesterdaydhero.com.au
- http://www.sporting-heroes.net/rugby-heroes/displayhero.asp?HeroID=2247
- fr:Tiaan Strauss (in French)
- http://www.scrum.com/1200_1205.php?player=10544&includeref=dynamic
- https://web.archive.org/web/20131216155221/http://www.genslin.us/bokke/SARugby.html
| Sporting positions | ||
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| Preceded by Francois Pienaar |
Springbok Captain 1994 |
Succeeded by Adriaan Richter |
