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, born on May 11, 1977, is a famous former professional rugby union player from South Africa. He played for and was even the captain of the South Africa national team, known as the Springboks. He 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 'locks' to ever play for South Africa. He had a very successful partnership with his teammate Bakkies Botha for both the Springboks and the Blue Bulls. Matfield was especially good at stopping the other team's line-outs. This special skill helped his team win the 2007 Rugby World Cup. He was even named the best player of that World Cup!

In 2008, he led his team to be the first to beat the All Blacks in New Zealand since 2003. Matfield first stopped playing rugby after the 2011 World Cup. At that time, he held the record for the most games played for the Springboks. But after two years, he returned to play for the Bulls again in 2014 and 2015.

Victor Matfield's Early Life

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

An injury affected his cricket playing, so he decided to focus on rugby instead. He was chosen for the Far North's junior Craven Week team. 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. It wasn't long before he was also picked to play for the Blue Bulls under-21 team.

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

Victor Matfield's Senior Rugby Career

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

A big moment in Matfield's career happened in 1999. He decided to leave the Blue Bulls and join the Griquas team. That same year, he was also chosen to play for the Cats in the Super 12 competition. This move helped him show how good he was. In 2000, he got the chance to play for the Bulls Super 12 team.

His hard work paid off. In 2001, he was finally selected for the Springbok squad. He played his first game for them on June 30, 2001, against Italy. Matfield helped the Springboks become a stronger team in 2004 and 2005. In 2005, he was even one of the five players nominated for the IRB World Player of the Year award.

Matfield was an important player for South Africa's team that won the 2007 World Cup. He was named the "Man of the Match" in the final game because of his amazing work in the line-outs.

After the 2007 Rugby World Cup, Matfield signed a six-month contract with French second division club Toulon. He joined Toulon in January 2008. At Toulon, he played with many famous veteran players. These included George Gregan from Australia and Andrew Mehrtens from New Zealand. Their coach was also a former All Blacks captain, Tana Umaga.

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

Matfield played for Toulon in nine important matches between January and February 2008. Then, he returned to South Africa to play in the 2008 Super 14 season with the Bulls. He decided to come back because the South African Rugby Union changed its rules. They decided to allow more overseas players to play for the Springboks.

In 2014, Matfield returned 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 rounds. Matfield came on as a substitute in their semi-final game, which they lost to New Zealand. Matfield's last international game was a 24–13 win against Argentina. This was the third-place playoff game, and he came on as a substitute in the second half.

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

Victor Matfield's Awards and Achievements

During his career, Matfield won many awards. He won the Currie Cup final three times (in 2002, 2004, and 2009) with the Blue Bulls. He also won the Super 14 title three times (in 2007, 2009, and 2010) with the Bulls.

He helped his team win the Tri-Nations in 2004 and 2009. The biggest win was the 2007 Rugby World Cup. In 2009, he also won the British and Irish Lions test series.

In 2008, the University of Pretoria added him to their Hall of Fame. This is a special honor for great athletes.

After Playing: Commentator and Coach

Victor Matfield stopped playing for the Springboks after the 2015 World Cup. He thought about becoming a coach in Australia for the NSW Waratahs.

He later joined SuperSport as a TV presenter. He worked as a commentator for the Super Rugby season. He also helped coach the Blue Bulls provincial rugby team in 2013. He was a special consultant for their line-outs.

Images for kids

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  Matfield in June 2006

See also

In Spanish: Victor Matfield para niños