Theodorus Barend Pienaar (23 November 1888 – 14 November 1960) was a South African
rugby union
Rugby union, commonly known simply as rugby, is a close-contact team sport that originated at Rugby School in the first half of the 19th century. One of the two codes of rugby football, it is based on running with the ball in hand. In it ...
player.
Biography
Pienaar received his schooling in
Somerset West
Somerset West ( af, Somerset-Wes) is a town in the Western Cape, South Africa. Organisationally and administratively it is included in the City of Cape Town metropolitan municipality as a suburb of the Helderberg region (formerly called Hottent ...
and then went to
Victoria College in 1907, where he obtained his degree and teacher's diploma.
From 1908 to 1914 he played for Stellenbosch, first as captain of the under–19A and later of the first team. In 1915, as captain, Pienaar helped
Malmesbury
Malmesbury () is a town and civil parish in north Wiltshire, England, which lies approximately west of Swindon, northeast of Bristol, and north of Chippenham. The older part of the town is on a hilltop which is almost surrounded by the upp ...
win the Grand Challenge Cup, the club competition in the Western Province and in 1920 and 1921 he was captain of
Caledon. He played for from 1914 to 1922 and captained them against the combined New Zealand military team of 1919 and then again in the
Currie Cup
The Currie Cup is South Africa's premier domestic rugby union competition, played each winter and spring (June to October), featuring teams representing either entire provinces or substantial regions within provinces. Although it is the premier ...
competition in
1920.
In 1921, Pienaar was selected as captain for the
Springbok
The springbok (''Antidorcas marsupialis'') is a medium-sized antelope found mainly in south and southwest Africa. The sole member of the genus ''Antidorcas'', this bovid was first described by the German zoologist Eberhard August Wilhelm ...
team that undertook a
tour to Australia and New Zealand for the first time. He was already 32 years old at the time and it was also the first time that a player on an overseas tour becomes captain with his first appearance for a Springbok team.
During the tour Pienaar was injured and consequently did not play in any Tests, but he did play 10 tour matches.
Pienaar became South African Selector in 1928 and served on that committee until 1931 when he was elected Manager of
Bennie Osler
Benjamin Louwrens Osler (23 November 1901 – 28 April 1962) was a rugby union footballer who played internationally for South Africa. Osler played mainly at fly-half for both South Africa, and his provincial team of Western Province.
Osler w ...
's Springbok team that toured
Britain and Ireland in 1931–32.
See also
*
List of South Africa national rugby union players
South Africa national rugby union team players hold several international records. Several players from the South Africa national rugby union team have joined the IRB and International Hall of Fame.
Individual records
Career
South Africa's '' ...
– Springbok no. 164
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Pienaar, Theo
1888 births
1960 deaths
South African rugby union players
South Africa international rugby union players
Rugby union players from the Western Cape
Rugby union forwards
Western Province (rugby union) players