François Philippus Lodewyk Steyn (born 14 May 1987) is a South African professional
rugby union player who currently plays for the
South Africa national team and
Cheetahs (rugby union)
The Cheetahs (known for sponsorship reasons as the Toyota Cheetahs), is a South African professional rugby union team that played Super Rugby between 2006 and 2017, before joining the Pro14 (Now United Rugby Championship) competition prior to the ...
in
Pro 14. He usually plays at inside centre, fullback or wing.
Steyn is one of only two South African rugby players to have won the Rugby World Cup twice, with both achieving them twelve years apart. He was a key member of the South African team that won the
2007 Rugby World Cup
The 2007 Rugby World Cup was the sixth Rugby World Cup, a quadrennial international rugby union competition inaugurated in 1987. Twenty nations competed for the Webb Ellis Cup in the tournament, which was hosted by France from 7 September to 2 ...
and part of the team that won the
2019 Rugby World Cup
The 2019 Rugby World Cup was the ninth edition of the Rugby World Cup, the quadrennial world championship for men's rugby union teams. It was hosted in Japan from 20 September to 2 November in 12 venues all across the country. The opening match ...
, with
Os Du Randt (1995 and 2007) being the first two time Springbok winning player.
Steyn was a key member of the Springboks team that beat the
British and Irish Lions in 2009. He is known for his long distance kicking ability and strong tackling.
Club career
Sharks (2007–2009)
In his debut season of
Super 14
Super Rugby is a men's professional rugby union club competition involving teams from Australia, Fiji, New Zealand, and the Pacific Islands. It previously included teams from Argentina, Japan, and South Africa. Building on various Southern Hem ...
rugby for the
Sharks, Steyn was selected on the right wing, however, was moved to fullback when
Percy Montgomery was injured. He played as the last line of defence until Percy Montgomery returned for the game against the
Blues
Blues is a music genre and musical form which originated in the Deep South of the United States around the 1860s. Blues incorporated spirituals, work songs, field hollers, shouts, chants, and rhymed simple narrative ballads from the Afr ...
in Round 11, and was moved to fly-half for this game.
Racing Metro (2009–2012)
In April 2009, Steyn signed a two-year contract with French
Top 14 club
Racing Métro 92
Racing 92 () is a French rugby union club based in suburban Paris that was formed in 2001 with the collaboration of the Racing Club de France and US Métro. They were called Racing Métro 92 between 2001 and 2015, when they changed the name to ...
for an estimated €750,000 per season.
Sharks (2012–2013)
Steyn rejoined The Sharks by signing a 3-year deal on 29 May 2012. Back with his old team, Steyn played in the Sharks' final two league matches of the 2012 Super Rugby season, helping them to make the finals series. Steyn was not available to them for the knock-outs due to his late entry into the squad. The Sharks went on to lose in the final to
The Chiefs.
The player made his return for the Sharks in the 2013 Super Rugby competition, captaining the side in the first few matches in the absence of regular skipper,
Keegan Daniel. Steyn struggled with form early on in Super Rugby, but as the season progressed, he began to regain the form that first earned him Springbok honours. Once again though, Steyn was injured in the Sharks league match against the Highlanders in Dunedin, which they lost. Steyn would have to wait until the Currie Cup semi-final of 2013 against the
Free State Cheetahs
The Free State Cheetahs (formerly the Orange Free State), currently named the Toyota Free State Cheetahs, for sponsorship reasons, are a South African rugby union team that participates in the annual Currie Cup tournament. They are governed by th ...
to make his next appearance. He was subbed early on in the match, but was again selected for the final against
DHL Western Province. Steyn's contributions on attack were good, but it was his immense defense that really marked his successful comeback, and helped the Sharks to Currie Cup victory in 2013. After only 2 matches back, Steyn was not selected for the Springbok end of year tour in 2013.
Toshiba Brave Lupus (2014–2016)
On 3 June 2014 Steyn signed a two-year deal with Japanese club
Toshiba Brave Lupus.
Montpellier (2016–2020)
In February 2016, Steyn joined French club
Montpellier Hérault Rugby.
International career
After playing only ten matches for the in the
2006 Currie Cup Premier Division
The 2006 ABSA Currie Cup season was contested from June through to October. The Currie Cup is an annual domestic competition for rugby union clubs in South Africa. The tournament was controversial before it even began, with the Southern Spears sag ...
(at
fly-half), Steyn was, at 19 years old, selected to represent South Africa in the Northern Hemisphere touring squad by national coach
Jake White. He debuted at
wing against
Ireland, he scored a try on his debut. In his next international match he was moved to
fullback Fullback or Full back may refer to:
Sports
* A position in various kinds of football, including:
** Full-back (association football), in association football (soccer), a defender playing in a wide position
** Fullback (gridiron football), in Americ ...
against
England, scoring a long range drop-goal, from his own half. Steyn has shown to possess superb goal kicking qualities as well.
Steyn kicked two drop goals in the
2007 Tri Nations
The 2007 Tri Nations Series was an annual rugby union competition between the national teams of Australia, New Zealand and South Africa. The series began in South Africa on 16 June, with a Test between South Africa and Australia at Newlands, Cap ...
opener against
Australia
Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a Sovereign state, sovereign country comprising the mainland of the Australia (continent), Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous List of islands of Australia, sma ...
at
Newlands Stadium in
Cape Town, to win the game for the Springboks. One of these, a 42-metre effort from a fielded clearance kick next to the sideline, and another three minutes from time next to the posts about 30 metres out.
In South Africa's first game at the
2007 Rugby World Cup
The 2007 Rugby World Cup was the sixth Rugby World Cup, a quadrennial international rugby union competition inaugurated in 1987. Twenty nations competed for the Webb Ellis Cup in the tournament, which was hosted by France from 7 September to 2 ...
, their centre
Jean de Villiers got injured. Steyn replaced him, playing only his second game at professional level at
inside centre, but he made a break on first touch of the ball and his inclusion sparked the Springboks to a 37–0 second half demolition of
Samoa.
On 24 September 2007 Steyn was cited to appear before a disciplinary hearing for allegedly biting
Tongan winger
Joseph Vaka during the Springboks v. Tonga
2007 Rugby World Cup
The 2007 Rugby World Cup was the sixth Rugby World Cup, a quadrennial international rugby union competition inaugurated in 1987. Twenty nations competed for the Webb Ellis Cup in the tournament, which was hosted by France from 7 September to 2 ...
game on 22 September.
Match report. Both players were sent to the sinbin in the 60th minute for an off-the-ball incident. He was subsequently cleared of the charge, due to insufficient evidence and Vaka conceding that the apparent "bite mark" could have been received during normal play.
Steyn was the starting inside centre for the Springboks in the
2007 Rugby World Cup Final
The 2007 Rugby World Cup Final was a rugby union match, played on Saturday, 20 October 2007 at the Stade de France, Saint-Denis, Paris, to determine the winner of the 2007 Rugby World Cup. South Africa beat England 15–6. Having also won the 19 ...
, he made a fantastic break that resulted in a penalty for the Boks and also converted one himself later on in the game. He is therefore the youngest player to win a
Rugby World Cup.
In the Springboks' final match of the
2009 Tri Nations against
New Zealand, his last match with the Boks before his departure for
France, he converted three penalties from within his own half of the field; he is believed to be the first player ever to do so in a Test match.
Reaching his 50th test cap against Argentina in Cape Town in 2012, Steyn is the youngest South African to reach the milestone. Steyn was injured during the 2012 Rugby Championship, missing the final 2 matches, along with the Currie Cup, and the end of year tour to the
UK.
Steyn was re-called for South Africa for the 2017 series against France due to the injuries of Pat Lambie and Handre Pollard, after a 3-year absence from international rugby.
In 2019, Steyn was again called up as part of the South African team to play in the
2019 Rugby World Cup
The 2019 Rugby World Cup was the ninth edition of the Rugby World Cup, the quadrennial world championship for men's rugby union teams. It was hosted in Japan from 20 September to 2 November in 12 venues all across the country. The opening match ...
in Japan and became one of the few players to have won two World Cups, the second only for South Africa.
References
External links
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Steyn, Francois
1987 births
Living people
People from Aliwal North
Afrikaner people
South African people of Dutch descent
South African rugby union players
South Africa international rugby union players
Rugby union fullbacks
Alumni of Grey College, Bloemfontein
Expatriate rugby union players in France
Expatriate rugby union players in Japan
Racing 92 players
Toshiba Brave Lupus Tokyo players
Sharks (rugby union) players
Sharks (Currie Cup) players
South African expatriate rugby union players
South African expatriate sportspeople in France
South African expatriate sportspeople in Japan
Montpellier Hérault Rugby players
Free State Cheetahs players
Cheetahs (rugby union) players
Rugby union players from the Eastern Cape