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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Tiaan Strauss, born Christiaan Petrus Strauss on 28 June 1965, is a famous former rugby player. He played both rugby union and rugby league. Tiaan was special because he played for two different countries: South Africa and Australia. He helped Australia win the Rugby World Cup in 1999. He also won the Currie Cup with his South African team, Western Province.
Contents
Early Life and Rugby Beginnings
Tiaan Strauss was born in Upington, a town in what was then the Cape Province. This area is now known as the Northern Cape in South Africa. He went to the Stellenbosch University and earned a law degree in 1990.
His rugby career started early. In 1986, he played his first senior game for Western Province. He even scored a try in this very first match! That same year, he was part of a strong team that won the Currie Cup. This is a very important rugby competition in South Africa.
Playing for South Africa
Tiaan Strauss became a "Springboks" player in 1992. The Springboks are the South African national rugby union team. His first international game was against France in Lyon. He played as a Number 8.
Between 1992 and 1994, Tiaan played 15 games for the Springboks. He scored 4 tries during these matches. He even got to be the captain for one game. 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
After his time with the Springboks, Tiaan moved to Australia. There, he first played rugby league for two seasons. He was part of the Cronulla-Sutherland Sharks team.
Later, he switched back to rugby union. He then played for the New South Wales team. He was chosen to play for the Australian national team, known as the Wallabies. He played 11 games for Australia. In his first game for Australia, he scored three tries against Ireland.
Tiaan was often a substitute player for Australia. This means he would come off the bench during a game. He played an important role in the 1999 Rugby World Cup. He came on as a replacement in a quarter-final match in Cardiff. This turned out to be his last game for Australia.
After his rugby career, Tiaan Strauss returned to South Africa. He settled there with his family.
Honours and Achievements
Tiaan Strauss achieved many great things in his rugby career:
- Currie Cup Winner: He won the Currie Cup with Western Province in 1986. They also shared the win in 1989. He was also a finalist in 1995.
- Rugby World Cup Winner: He won the 1999 Rugby World Cup with the Wallabies.
See also
- List of South Africa national rugby union players – Springbok no. 579
- List of Australia national rugby union players – no. 752
