Victor Matfield facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Victor Matfield

Matfield in June 2006
Date of birth	(1977-05-11) 11 May 1977 (age 48)
Place of birth	Pietersburg, South Africa (now Polokwane, South Africa)
Height	2.01 m (6 ft 7 in)
Weight	117 kg (258 lb; 18 st 6 lb)
School	Hoërskool Pietersburg
University	University of Pretoria
Children	4
Rugby union career
Position(s) Lock Youth Career 1994–1995 Far North Senior career Years Team Apps (Points) 1998, 2001–2002, 2004–2005, 2008–2010 Blue Bulls 54 (25) 1999–2000 Griquas 36 (40) 1999–2000 Cats 8 (0) 2001–2007, 2009–2011, 2014–2015 Bulls 140 (40) 2007–2008 Toulon 15 (5) 2015–2016 Northampton Saints 17 (0) 1998–2016 Total 253 (110) Correct as of 13 June 2015 National team(s) Years Team Apps (Points) 1995 S.A. Academy () 1997–1998 South Africa Under-21 8 (5) 2000 S.A. Under-23 5 (5) 2001–2015 South Africa (tests) 127 (35) 2000–2011 South Africa (tour) 4 (0) 2002 S.A. 'A' 1 (0) 2014–2015 Springboks 2 (0) Correct as of 30 October 2015

Victor Matfield is a famous former professional rugby union player from South Africa. He was born on May 11, 1977. He played for and even captained the South Africa national team, known as the Springboks.

Matfield also played for the Blue Bulls in the Currie Cup and the Bulls team in Super Rugby. Many people think he is one of the best lock players ever for South Africa. He had a very successful partnership with his teammate Bakkies Botha.

He was especially good at stopping the other team's line-out plays. This skill was a big reason for South Africa winning the 2007 Rugby World Cup. He was even named the best player of that World Cup! In 2008, he led his team to beat the All Blacks in New Zealand, which was a huge achievement.

Victor Matfield first stopped playing after the 2011 World Cup. At that time, he held the record for the most games played for the Springboks. But he came back to play for the Bulls in 2014 and 2015.

Early Life and Rugby Beginnings

Victor Matfield was born on May 11, 1977, in Pietersburg, South Africa. This city is now called Polokwane. When he was young, he loved both rugby and cricket. He even played cricket for Far North Schools.

An injury affected his cricket skills, so he decided to focus on rugby. He was chosen for the junior Craven Week team for Far North. Later, he played as a lock for Hoërskool Pietersburg. He played in the Craven Week competition for high schools two years in a row.

Junior Rugby Career

After finishing school, Matfield went to study at the University of Pretoria. He quickly joined the university's under-21 rugby team. Soon after, he was also selected for the Blue Bulls under-21 team.

In 1997, Matfield was chosen for the under-21 Springbok team. This team was led by Bobby Skinstad. Victor Matfield was also part of the under-21 Springbok team in 1998.

Playing for Senior Teams

Matfield (right) winning a line-out against the Lions

A big moment in Matfield's career was when he left the Blue Bulls in 1999. He joined the Griquas team. This move helped him show how good he was. In the same year, he also played for the Cats in the Super 12 competition.

In 2000, he got the chance to play for the Bulls Super 12 team. His hard work paid off. In 2001, he was finally chosen for the Springbok squad. His first game was on June 30, 2001, against Italy.

Matfield helped the Springboks become a strong team again in 2004 and 2005. In 2005, he was one of five players nominated for the IRB World Player of the Year award.

He was a definite choice for South Africa's team that won the 2007 Rugby World Cup. In the final game, he was named Man of the Match. This was because of his amazing work in the line-out.

After the 2007 Rugby World Cup, Matfield played for the French club Toulon for six months. He joined other famous players there.

The Bulls playing the Western Force in Perth, Australia in 2006

He returned to South Africa in 2008 to play for the Bulls in the Super 14 season. This was because the South African Rugby Union changed its rules. They decided to allow more overseas players to play for the Springboks.

In 2014, Matfield came back to rugby as a player. He signed a two-year contract with the Bulls. This kept him playing until the end of 2015.

At the 2015 Rugby World Cup, Matfield started in the first two group games for South Africa. The Springboks made it to the knockout stages. Matfield came on as a substitute in their semi-final loss to New Zealand. His last international game was a win against Argentina for third place. He came on as a substitute in the second half of that game.

In 2015, it was announced that Matfield would play for Northampton Saints in England after the 2015 Rugby World Cup. He played for Northampton for one season. He ended his 21-year playing career in a game against Gloucester Rugby.

Career Achievements

Victor Matfield won many awards and titles during his career:

• He won the Currie Cup final three times: in 2002, 2004, and 2009 with the Blue Bulls.
• He won the Super 14 title three times: in 2007, 2009, and 2010 with the Bulls.
• He won the Tri-Nations tournament in 2004 and 2009.
• He was a winner of the 2007 Rugby World Cup.
• He won the British and Irish Lions test series in 2009.

In 2008, he was honored by being added to the University of Pretoria Hall of Fame.

Life After Playing Rugby

After the 2015 World Cup, Victor Matfield retired from playing for the Springboks. He thought about becoming a coach in Australia.

He then joined SuperSport as a TV presenter for the Super Rugby season. He also worked as a coach. In 2013, he was a line-out consultant for the Blue Bulls provincial rugby team.

See also

In Spanish: Victor Matfield para niños