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Ruben Kruger

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Ruben Kruger
Birth nameRuben Jacobus Kruger
Date of birth(1970-03-30)March 30, 1970
Place of birthVrede, Free State, South Africa
Date of deathJanuary 27, 2010(2010-01-27) (aged 39)
Place of deathPretoria, Gauteng, South Africa
Height1.88 m (6 ft 2 in)
Weight101 kg (223 lb)
SchoolGrey College, Bloemfontein
Notable relative(s)Henco Venter (nephew)
Rugby union career
Position(s) Flanker
Provincial / State sides
Years Team Apps (Points)
1991–1993 Free State 36 (20)
1993–2000 Northern Transvaal 96 (135)
Super Rugby
Years Team Apps (Points)
1996–2000 Bulls 10 (5)
International career
Years Team Apps (Points)
1993–1999 South Africa 36 (35)
National sevens team
Years Team Comps
1993 South Africa 7s 3

Ruben Jacobus Kruger (30 March 1970 – 27 January 2010)[1] was a South African rugby union player. He played as a flanker.[2] He had two daughters Zoë (b. 2002) and Isabella (b. 2005). Isabella played quarter final on the junior tournament at the 2022 Wimbledon Championships.[3]

Playing career

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Provincial

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A product of Grey College in Bloemfontein, Kruger played for the Free State schools team at the annual Craven Week tournament in 1987 and 1988 and gained selection for the South African Schools team in both years. After representing the Free State under-20 team in 1989 and 1990, he made his senior provincial debut for the Free State in 1991.[4] During 1993, Kruger moved to Northern Transvaal and played for the union until 2000. In 1995 Ruben Kruger was named South African Rugby Football Union's player of the year.[5]

International

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Kruger played for the South Africa national rugby union team between 1993 and 1999. He played his first test match for the Springboks on 6 November 1993 against Argentina at the Ferro Carril Oeste Stadium in Buenos Aires.

In 1995, he played in the Rugby World Cup. During this tournament, he made 5 starts, and scored 1 try, in the controversial semi-final against the France national rugby union team. Kruger also played in the 1999 World Cup and in addition to his 36 test matches, he also played in 20 tour matches and scored 14 tries.[6]

Test history

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  World Cup Final

No. Opposition Result (SA 1st) Position Tries Date Venue
1.  Argentina 29–26 Flank 6 Nov 1993 Ferro Carril Oeste, Buenos Aires
2.  Argentina 52–23 Flank 13 Nov 1993 Ferro Carril Oeste, Buenos Aires
3.  Scotland 34–10 Flank 19 Nov 1994 Murrayfield, Edinburgh
4.  Wales 20–12 Flank 26 Nov 1994 Cardiff Arms Park, Cardiff
5.  Samoa 60–8 Flank 13 Apr 1995 Ellis Park, Johannesburg
6.  Australia 27–18 Flank 25 May 1995 Newlands, Cape Town
7.  Romania 21–8 Flank 30 May 1995 Newlands, Cape Town
8.  Samoa 42–14 Flank 10 Jun 1995 Ellis Park, Johannesburg
9.  France 19–15 Flank 1 17 Jun 1995 Kings Park, Durban
10.  New Zealand 15–12 Flank 24 Jun 1995 Ellis Park, Johannesburg
11.  Wales 40–11 Flank 2 Sep 1995 Ellis Park, Johannesburg
12.  Italy 40–21 Flank 12 Nov 1995 Stadio Olimpico, Rome
13.  England 24–14 Flank 18 Nov 1995 Twickenham, London
14.  Fiji 43–18 Flank 2 Jul 1996 Loftus Versfeld, Pretoria
15.  Australia 16–21 Flank 13 Jul 1996 Sydney Football Stadium (SFG), Sydney
16.  New Zealand 11–15 Flank 20 Jul 1996 AMI Stadium, Christchurch
17.  Australia 25–19 Flank 3 Aug 1996 Free State Stadium, Bloemfontein
18.  New Zealand 18–29 Flank 10 Aug 1996 Newlands, Cape Town
19.  New Zealand 19–23 Flank 17 Aug 1996 Kings Park, Durban
20.  New Zealand 26–33 Flank 1 24 Aug 1996 Loftus Versfeld, Pretoria
21.  New Zealand 32–22 Flank 31 Aug 1996 Ellis Park, Johannesburg
22.  Argentina 46–15 Flank 9 Nov 1996 Ferro Carril Oeste, Buenos Aires
23.  Argentina 44–21 Flank 2 16 Nov 1996 Ferro Carril Oeste, Buenos Aires
24.  France 22–12 Flank 30 Nov 1996 Stade Chaban-Delmas, Bordeaux
25.  France 13–12 Flank 7 Dec 1996 Parc des Princes, Paris
26.  Wales 37–20 Flank 15 Dec 1996 Cardiff Arms Park, Cardiff
27.  Tonga 74–10 Flank 2 10 Jun 1997 Newlands, Cape Town
28.  British Lions 16–25 Flank 21 Jun 1997 Newlands, Cape Town
29. British & Irish Lions British Lions 15–18 Flank 28 Jun 1997 Kings Park, Durban
30.  New Zealand 32–35 Flank 19 Jul 1997 Ellis Park, Johannesburg
31.  Australia 20–32 Flank 2 Aug 1997 Suncorp Stadium, Brisbane
32.  New Zealand 35–55 Flank 1 9 Aug 1997 Eden Park, Auckland
33.  New Zealand 18–34 Flank 7 Aug 1999 Loftus Versfeld, Pretoria
34.  Australia 10–9 Replacement 14 Aug 1999 Newlands, Cape Town
35.  Spain 47–3 Flank 10 Oct 1999 Murrayfield, Edinburgh
36.  New Zealand 22–18 Replacement 4 Nov 1999 Millennium Stadium, Cardiff

World Cups

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Later career

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At the end of his rugby career, he became a camera salesman. He owned a Minolta franchise in Pretoria. He was portrayed in Invictus, a film about Nelson Mandela and the 1995 Springboks, by Grant Roberts.[7]

Death

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Kruger died in Pretoria on 27 January 2010 after battling brain cancer for 10 years. He was two months short of his 40th birthday.[8]

See also

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References

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  1. ^ Ruben Kruger passes away
  2. ^ "Ruben Jacobus Kruger". ESPN scrum. Retrieved 4 July 2020.
  3. ^ Lambley, Garrin (7 July 2022). "BREAKING: Daughter of Springbok legend BEATEN in Junior Wimbledon quarter-finals". www.thesouthafrican.com. Retrieved 19 July 2022.
  4. ^ Van Rooyen, Quintus (199). S.A. Rugby Writers Annual 1993. SA Rugby Writers' Society. p. 87. ISBN 0620172940.
  5. ^ Colquhoun, Andy (2001). South African Rugby Annual 2001. Cape Town: SA Rugby & MWP Media (Pty) Ltd. pp. 41, 202, 208. ISBN 0958423180.
  6. ^ Colquhoun, Andy (2001). South African Rugby Annual 2001. Cape Town: SA Rugby & MWP Media (Pty) Ltd. p. 402. ISBN 0958423180.
  7. ^ Invictus (2009) - IMDb, retrieved 4 July 2020
  8. ^ www.supersport.com.
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