Tinus Linee facts for kids
| Birth name | Marthinus Linee | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Date of birth | 23 August 1969 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Place of birth | Paarl, Cape Province (now Western Cape), South Africa | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Date of death | 3 November 2014 (aged 45) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Place of death | Paarl, Western Cape, South Africa | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Height | 1.80 m (5 ft 11 in) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Weight | 92 kg (14 st 7 lb) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| School | Paulus Joubert Senior Secondary School | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Rugby union career | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Marthinus "Tinus" Linee (born August 23, 1969 – died November 3, 2014) was a famous South African rugby player. He mostly played as a centre. Tinus played his entire provincial career for Western Province. He also played for the Stormers in Super Rugby. He even played nine games for the Springboks (South Africa's national team) between 1993 and 1994, but these were tour games, not official test matches.
Contents
Early Life and School
Tinus Linee went to Nederburg Primary School. His future wife, Diana, also attended the same school. Interestingly, two other famous rugby players, Chester Williams and Peter de Villiers, also went to Nederburg Primary. Chester Williams later became a Springbok player, and Peter de Villiers became a Springbok coach.
Playing Rugby
Playing for Western Province
Tinus Linee started playing for Western Province in 1992. He played an amazing 112 games for them until he retired in 2001. Tinus was known as a strong and tough centre. He was a regular player in the middle of the field for Western Province. In 2001, Jean de Villiers, who later became a Springbok captain, played his first game for Western Province alongside Tinus Linee.
On October 14, 1995, Tinus played in his first Currie Cup final. This big game was against the Sharks in Durban. Tinus played with many rugby legends like Pieter Rossouw, Chester Williams, and Joel Stransky. Even a famous French player, Laurent Cabannes, was on his team. The Sharks won that game 25–17. Tinus was also part of the Western Province team that won the Currie Cup in 1997, 2000, and 2001.
Playing in Super Rugby
In 1996, Tinus Linee was part of the Western Province team that played in the Super 12 competition. Western Province did not qualify for the 1997 Super 12 season. Tinus was not in the Stormers squad for the 1998 Super 12 season. He returned to the Cape Town-based team in 1999. However, he did not make the Stormers' Super Rugby teams in 2000 and 2001.
Playing for South Africa
In 1993, Tinus Linee was chosen to join the Springboks for their tour to Australia. He played his first game for the Springboks on July 21, 1993. This was a tour match against the Victoria team in Melbourne. At that time, other players were preferred for the main test matches. So, Tinus only played in the tour games and not in the official test matches.
In 1994, Tinus was again part of the Springbok squad. He joined them for a tour by the Argentinean team to South Africa. He also went on the Springbok tour to Wales, Scotland, and Ireland. Again, he did not play in any test matches. On November 22, 1994, he played his last tour game for the Springboks. This game was against Pontypridd in Pontypridd, Wales.
Coaching Rugby
In 2008, Tinus Linee became part of the management team for Western Province's Vodacom Cup team. In 2012, he worked as an assistant coach for RCM Universitatea Timişoara in Romania. He coached alongside his former Springbok teammate, Chester Williams, who was the head coach. In 2012, while Tinus was an assistant coach, RCM Universitatea Timişoara won the SuperLiga CEC Bank. This is Romania's main rugby competition.
Achievements and Awards
Playing Achievements
- Western Province
- Currie Cup: 1997, 2000, 2001
Coaching Achievements
- RCM Universitatea Timişoara
- SuperLiga CEC Bank: 2012
Health and Passing
In April 2013, Tinus Linee was diagnosed with motor neurone disease. This is a serious illness that affects the nerves and muscles.
Because of his health, Tinus faced financial challenges. People helped him by organizing fundraisers. He even auctioned off his Springbok and Western Province blazers to raise money. Many South African fans supported him and his family. In April 2014, he started using a special machine to help him breathe. This helped keep his condition stable. However, his hands remained mostly unable to move. Tinus Linee passed away on November 3, 2014, at the age of 45. He died at his family home in Paarl.
He is remembered by his wife Diana, her two sons, and a daughter from his first marriage.
See also
- List of South Africa national rugby union players – Springbok no. 591
