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(s)
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

Provincial

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

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

  World Cup Final

No.OppositionResult (SA 1st)PositionTriesDateVenue
1. Argentina29–26Flank6 Nov 1993Ferro Carril Oeste, Buenos Aires
2. Argentina52–23Flank13 Nov 1993Ferro Carril Oeste, Buenos Aires
3. Scotland34–10Flank19 Nov 1994Murrayfield, Edinburgh
4. Wales20–12Flank26 Nov 1994Cardiff Arms Park, Cardiff
5. Samoa60–8Flank13 Apr 1995Ellis Park, Johannesburg
6. Australia27–18Flank25 May 1995Newlands, Cape Town
7. Romania21–8Flank30 May 1995Newlands, Cape Town
8. Samoa42–14Flank10 Jun 1995Ellis Park, Johannesburg
9. France19–15Flank117 Jun 1995Kings Park, Durban
10. New Zealand15–12Flank24 Jun 1995Ellis Park, Johannesburg
11. Wales40–11Flank2 Sep 1995Ellis Park, Johannesburg
12. Italy40–21Flank12 Nov 1995Stadio Olimpico, Rome
13. England24–14Flank18 Nov 1995Twickenham, London
14. Fiji43–18Flank2 Jul 1996Loftus Versfeld, Pretoria
15. Australia16–21Flank13 Jul 1996Sydney Football Stadium (SFG), Sydney
16. New Zealand11–15Flank20 Jul 1996AMI Stadium, Christchurch
17. Australia25–19Flank3 Aug 1996Free State Stadium, Bloemfontein
18. New Zealand18–29Flank10 Aug 1996Newlands, Cape Town
19. New Zealand19–23Flank17 Aug 1996Kings Park, Durban
20. New Zealand26–33Flank124 Aug 1996Loftus Versfeld, Pretoria
21. New Zealand32–22Flank31 Aug 1996Ellis Park, Johannesburg
22. Argentina46–15Flank9 Nov 1996Ferro Carril Oeste, Buenos Aires
23. Argentina44–21Flank216 Nov 1996Ferro Carril Oeste, Buenos Aires
24. France22–12Flank30 Nov 1996Stade Chaban-Delmas, Bordeaux
25. France13–12Flank7 Dec 1996Parc des Princes, Paris
26. Wales37–20Flank15 Dec 1996Cardiff Arms Park, Cardiff
27. Tonga74–10Flank210 Jun 1997Newlands, Cape Town
28. British Lions16–25Flank21 Jun 1997Newlands, Cape Town
29.British & Irish Lions British Lions15–18Flank28 Jun 1997Kings Park, Durban
30. New Zealand32–35Flank19 Jul 1997Ellis Park, Johannesburg
31. Australia20–32Flank2 Aug 1997Suncorp Stadium, Brisbane
32. New Zealand35–55Flank19 Aug 1997Eden Park, Auckland
33. New Zealand18–34Flank7 Aug 1999Loftus Versfeld, Pretoria
34. Australia10–9Replacement14 Aug 1999Newlands, Cape Town
35. Spain47–3Flank10 Oct 1999Murrayfield, Edinburgh
36. New Zealand22–18Replacement4 Nov 1999Millennium Stadium, Cardiff

World Cups

Later career

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

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

References

  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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