Theunis Stofberg

Theunis Stofberg was the captain of the South Africa national rugby union team (Springboks) for four tests between 1980 and 1984. He is remembered for his speed and his size, both remarkable for a flank at that time, and both factors that do not generally go together in rugby where size does truly matter.

He was born Marthinus Theunis Steyn Stofberg (named after the President of the Orange Free State), in Villiers, Free State on the 6 June 1955. He attended school at Grey College in Bloemfontein, one of the strongholds in South African rugby. He started his provincial career playing for Free State while he was still studying at the University of the Free State. When he was called up for his conscription he was moved to Pretoria where he started playing for Northern Transvaal, currently called the Blue Bulls. It was during this time that he went from strength to strength cementing his place in the national side as flanker.

He played his first test on the 14 August 1976 against New Zealand at Free State Stadium, Bloemfontein at the tender age of 21. The Springboks lost the test 9-15.

He played in 21 tests and scored 6 tries during this time. His first test as captain was against Argentina on the 18 October 1980 where the Springboks won 22-13. His biggest test as a captain was leading the Springbok side, after the regular captain Wynand Claasen was injured, in the first test of the infamous 1981 Springbok Tour of New Zealand. The tour was disrupted by protestors during the matches and is now seen as one of the most important tours in rugby history. Stofberg did not play in the last of the three test series, which was stopped momentarily due to a light airplane throwing flour bombs, due to a knee injury that would ultimately end his career.

Stofberg left Northern Transvaal in 1984 and moved to their arch-rivals Western Province Rugby Union where he settled and opened a physiotherapy practice. Stofberg captained his last two international tests against England in 1984, winning both and scoring a try in the second test. After yet another series setback due a knee injury he retired from rugby in 1984 at the age of 29.

He still lives in Cape Town today where he has a physiotherapy practice.

The question still arises every now and then if South African rugby will ever see a flank like Stofberg again, not only big and strong, but with the speed of a wing and the ball-skills of a flyhalf.