Jean de Villiers

Jean de Villiers was born in 1981 on the 24th of February in Paarl, South Africa. Jean started as n wing and moved closer to the scrum form there where he now calls the centre position home. He plays for the Stormers Super 14 franchise and the Western Province Currie Cup team.

A product of Paarl Gimnasium, like previous springbok Marius Joubert and current Boks back-row star Schalk Burger, de Villiers made his first impact at international level in the South African Sevens team, playing a major role in teams that finished second in the 2001-02 World Sevens Series and third in the 2002 Commonwealth Games. Also in 2002, he made his first international impact in the 15-man game at the U-21 Rugby World Cup, scoring four tries in the tournament for the victorious Junior Springboks.

He made his first senior-level appearance for the Springboks in November 2002 against France, but suffered a major knee injury early in the game.  After a lengthy recovery  he became a vital player in the Springboks’ 2004 rise, which saw them regain that year’s Tri Nations trophy.

Jean de Villiers is a lethal attacking force for the Springboks and there will be alot of attention paid to him at the World Cup. de Villiers is a master at reading the game and a true asset to any team!

Bob Skinstad

Bob Skinstad was born in Bulawayo Zimbabwe 1976. Bob was schooled at Hilton College and moved on to Stennbeosch University.

When at university Bob excelled at every level and it is where his true talent was recognized.Skinstad regularly played at either flank or number 8, he even played centre on the odd occasion - imagine that. A 194cm, 106kg centre with the force of a forward and the skills of a back. Bob represented South Africa at all levels. In 1995 he played for the national under-19’s and captained the u-21’s in 1996 and 1997. Skinstad made his SA Sevens debut in 1997 and played a key role in the team’s progress to the World Cup final in 1997, he also made his 15 man international debut that same year.

Skinstad was a member of the brilliant WP under-21 teams of 1996 and 1997 and among his teammates were Corne Krige, Louis Koen, Percy Montgomery, Breyton Paulse, Robbie Fleck, Hottie Louw and Selborne Boome. Skinstad, a prolific try-scorer made his Western Province debut in 1996 and captained the side in 1998.

Skinstad comepleted one of the great comebacks of world rugby this year, when he came back to participate in the Super 14 with the end goal of playing in the Rugby World Cup. In 2007 as part of the national squad he has not only played, but proved to be an able back up to John Smit, leading the team on the trip to Australia and New Zealand. Skinstad is positive and upbeat about the South African Squad and their chances in the upcoming tournament in France

Schalk Burger

Schalk was born in Port Elizabeth on the 13th of April 1983. Schalk plays flank for his province and his country. Burger is half man half machine weighing in at a 110kg ans standing 193cm tall.

After playing for the Under 21 Springbok side that won the U21 Rugby World Cup in 2002 and then captaining it in 2003, Schalk was selected for the senior Springbok squad. He made his debut against Georgia in 2003 at the Rugby World Cup and has since been regarded as one of the World’s top flankers along with Richie McCaw.

Schalk Burger was awarded the covoted IRB’s Player of the Year award in the 2004. In addition, he claimed the 2004 Absa South African Rugby Player of the Year award.

Burger’s fitness is remarkable, he is rarely rested throughout the Stormers’ Super 14 campaigns, South African test matches or the Currie Cup. Schalk is always one of the leaders when it comes to getting around the pitch and he is more often than not the player who made the most tackles in a particular match.

In the Springboks’ June 17 Test against Scotland, he suffered a neck injury. The following day, it was confirmed that he would require cervical fusion surgery and would be out of action for at least the remainder of the 2006 season. The injury and the required surgery are serious enough that White told media, “I don’t want to jump to conclusions - but there is a chance he may never play again.”Burger’s father told a Cape Town radio program that the injury was between his sixth and seventh cervical vertebrae, adding, “Although the operation is difficult the fact that the injury is lower down his neck is good for a future prognosis of making a full recovery.” The South African Rugby Union released a statement on 24 June, the date of the surgery, indicating that the surgery was successful and that Burger would undergo six to eight months of rehabilitation with plans to return him to the game.

Following Surgery, Burger returned to the Vodacom Stormers line-up on January 13th 2007, playing 55 minutes as the Stormers lost to the Bulls. Despite the loss, Burger did show flashes of the brilliance. After a shaky start to the 2007 Super 14 season, Burger inspired the Stormers to their first win of the campaign against the Chiefs as the Stormers recorded their first points of the season in a tense 21 - 16 victory at the Newlands Stadium.

Although Burger has been offered substantial amounts to go play in England, most recently he was linked to Harlequins. He has stood firm in his decision to play out the remainder of his contract with the Cape side Western Province and the Stormers.

Bryan Habana

Bryan Gary Habana was born on the 12 June 1983 in Benoni, South Africa. He weighs 90kg and is 1.79m tall. His first test was 20 Nov 2004 against England at Twickenham. Bryan Habana has already won some impressive silverware. Named as South Africa’s player of the year for 2005, Bryan is also one of the 5 nominations for IRB’s World Rugby Player of the Year.

Scoring 13 tries in his debut season for Golden Lions Currie Cup side, Bryan Habana was noticed by the Blue bulls coach Heyneke Meyer. Subsequently Bryan signed for the current Currie Cup and Super 14 champions, the Blue Bulls, and got picked to tour with the Boks for their year-end tour to the Northern Hemisphere.

Habana scored after 5 minutes of coming off the bench against England. He also went on to score 2 long range tries against the Scotland.

Bryan Habana vs a Cheetah

Bryan Habana runs the 100 meters in about 11 seconds. A cheetah can reach a top speed of 70 mph. “In a straight race, the cheetah wins comfortably but in every other way, it’s losing,” Habana said.

The cheetah chosen to run against Habana was a 2 ½-year-old female named Cetane. She was orphaned at birth after poachers killed her mother. She’s been raised in captivity by the De Wildt center, and for the most part is quite tame.

Habana was given a head start - but still lost. To keep the cheetah from attacking Habana on the race course - a leg-of-lamb lure was used to keep Cetane’s focus elsewhere.

Rugby World Cup 2007 Fixtures 

All times GMT unless stated)

Springbok coach Jake White admitted that Bismarck du Plessis’ outstanding performance for the Sharks at the weekend influenced his decision to select him as the replacement for Pierre Spies.

Du Plessis’ omission from the squad elicited some criticism given that he had impressed in his limited game time on the Australian leg of the Tri-Nations. Bismarck scored two tries in last weekends Currie Cup victory for the Sharks.

Well done Bismarck!

After the huge success of the IRB sevens series in 2007 there have been no changes made to the 2008 venues.

The series will once again kick off with the tournament in Dubai then Adelaide, San Diego and Edinburgh.

“The inclusion of these exciting new locations into the series proved popular and also served to foster the growing global appeal of Rugby Sevens. Each Tournament was a resounding success with over 25,500 fans attending in Adelaide while San Diego’s attendance of 25,000 was a record for a USA Sevens event,” said IRB Sevens Manager, Beth Coalter.

“The series climax in Edinburgh was also a huge success with the competitive action on the field backed up by an attendance of almost 30,000 over the two competition days to see New Zealand lift the title.”

New Zealand won the series on the last day in Scotland which indicates just how tight the title race between New Zealand, Fiji and Samoa was throughout the competition.

IRB Sevens Series 2007/08 Schedule:
Dubai - Nov 30/Dec 1
South Africa - Dec 7/8
New Zealand - Feb 1/2
USA - Feb 9/10
Hong Kong - Mar 28/29/30
Australia- Apr 5/6
England - May 24/25
Scotland - May 31/June 1

Pierre Spies (born 8 June 1985 in Pretoria, South Africa). Pierre started his career on the flank, but has since moved the more suitable position of eight man where plays for the South African Springboks and the Vodacom Blue Bulls.

Spies made his Super 12 debut on the against the Brumbies, becoming the youngest player ever to represent the Bulls. After being injured in his first ever Super 12 match, he made his comeback through the the national under-21 league, where he scored nine tries in just six games.

Although he plays as a loose forward, he has incredible pace. His 100m time is believed to be about 11 seconds. This is especially impressive considering his size, 195cm tall and 107kg at present.

After starring for the U21 Springbok side that played in the U21 Rugby World Cup in France last year, Spies made his debut in the Springbok’s 49 - 0 drubbing at the hands of Australia in the 2006 Tri-Nations. Spies was largely anonymous in that game, however, Springbok coach Jake White picked him again for the home-leg of the tournament. There, Spies turned in two Man of the Match performances, most notably in the win over the All Blacks in Rustenburg, and in the victory over Australia in Durban.

Spies will be representing South Africa at the 2007 Rugby World Cup to be played in France in September.

After retaining the Tri Nations and Bledisloe Cup in Auckland, New Zealand coach Graham Henry has named 29 of the players.

One player perhaps unlucky not to make the squad is Piri Weepu, the good performances from Brendon Leonard and Andrew Ellis in the Tri Nations and IRB Pacific Nations Cup respectively seeing them join Byron Kelleher as the three scrum halves in the squad.

Fourteen of the 29 players selected played in Rugby World Cup 2003, a tournament which saw backs Doug Howlett and Mils Muliaina finish as the leading try scorers with seven, one more than their fellow All Black Joe Rokocoko.

New Zealand have been drawn in Pool C with Scotland, Italy, Romania and tournament debutants Portugal.

New Zealand squad:

Forwards (15): Jerry Collins, Carl Hayman, Andrew Hore, Chris Jack, Sione Lauaki, Richie McCaw (Captain), Chris Masoe, Keven Mealamu, Anton Oliver, Keith Robertson, Rodney So’oialo, Reuben Thorne, Neemia Tialata, Ali Williams, Tony Woodcock.

Backs (14): Daniel Carter, Andrew Ellis, Nick Evans, Doug Howlett, Byron Kelleher, Brendon Leonard, Luke McAllister, Leon MacDonald, Aaron Mauger, Malili Muliaina, Josevata Rokocoko, Sitiveni Sivivatu, Conrad Smith, Isaia Toeava.

The 30-man squad announced by South Africa coach Jake White features one survivor of the Springboks’ triumph on home soil at Rugby World Cup 1995 in prop Os du Randt as well as the veteran Bob Skinstad.

Du Randt, who also played in the 1999 tournament and returned to Springbok colours in 2004 after a five-year absence, will turn 35 the day before South Africa open their World Cup campaign against Samoa at the Parc des Princes in Paris on 9 September.

His fellow forward Bob Skinstad and fullback Percy Montgomery also return to the World Cup stage some eight years after their last appearance, while seven others involved in the 2003 tournament are named in White’s squad, including captain John Smit.

Skinstad’s selection completes a dramatic return to international rugby, the back row having not even been playing professional rugby a year ago but has since captained South Africa in the Tri Nations before breaking a rib earlier this month.

South Africa squad:

Forwards (16): Bakkies Botha, BJ Botha, Gary Botha, Schalk Burger, Os du Randt, Victor Matfield, Johann Muller, Danie Rossouw, Bob Skinstad, John Smit (Captain), Pierre Spies, Juan Smith, Gurthro Steenkamp, Albert Van Den Berg, Wikus Van Heerden, CJ Van Der Linde.

Backs (14): Jean de Villiers, Fourie Du Preez, Jaque Fourie, Bryan Habana, Butch James, Ricky Januarie, Percy Montgomery, Akona Ndungane, Wynand Olivier, Ruan Pienaar, JP Pietersen, Andre Pretorius, Francois Steyn, Ashwin Willemse.