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Duane Vermeulen

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Rugby player
Duane Vermeulen
Vermeulen in 2012
Full nameDaniel Johannes Vermeulen
Date of birth (1986-07-03) 3 July 1986 (age 38)
Place of birthNelspruit, South Africa
Height1.93 m (6 ft 4 in)
Weight108 kg (238 lb; 17 st 0 lb)
SchoolHoërskool Nelspruit
Rugby union career
Position(s) Loose forward
Youth career
2004–2005 Pumas
Senior career
Years Team Apps (Points)
2005–2007 Pumas 26 (20)
2007–2008 Free State Cheetahs 28 (10)
2007–2008 Cheetahs 20 (15)
2009–2015 Western Province 38 (35)
2009–2015 Stormers 89 (25)
2015–2018 Toulon 68 (10)
2018–2020 Kubota Spears 13 (15)
2019–2021 Bulls 23 (10)
2020–2021 Blue Bulls 6 (0)
2021–2023 Ulster 34 (15)
International career
Years Team Apps (Points)
2009 Emerging Springboks 1 (0)
2012–2023 South Africa 76 (25)
Medal record
Men's Rugby union
Representing  South Africa
Rugby World Cup
Bronze medal – third place 2015 England Squad
Gold medal – first place 2019 Japan Squad
Gold medal – first place 2023 France Squad

Vermeulen playing for Western Province in 2010

Daniel Johannes "Duane" Vermeulen (born 3 July 1986) is a former South African professional rugby union player who previously played for the South Africa national team. He also previously played for Ulster Rugby in the United Rugby Championship, Vodacom Blue Bulls and the Pumas, Free State Cheetahs and Western Province in South African domestic rugby, the Cheetahs, Stormers and Bulls in Super Rugby and Toulon in the Top 14. He was an instrumental part of South Africa winning the 2019 Rugby World Cup and received the Man of the Match award in the final. Vermeulen played as a Number eight but he was equally adept at playing both blindside and openside flanker. Nicknamed “Thor”, he is known for his physical strength, anticipation under the high ball and leadership abilities. He is widely regarded as one of the best Number Eights in South African Rugby history.

Background

Vermeulen's father died from cancer in c.1997. When Vermeulen was only 10/11 years old.

Club career

Vermeulen began his career in the Free State, playing for the Free State Cheetahs in the Currie Cup and the Cheetahs in the Super 14. He eventually followed his former coach Rassie Erasmus and joined the much larger and more competitive Western Province rugby union in 2009 after three seasons with the Free State. He put in some strong displays for the Stormers in the 2010 Super 14 season, where the Stormers made it all the way to the final.

Injuries plagued Vermeulen's 2011 and early 2012 seasons, however, after playing just nine games of Super Rugby, was selected as part of Heyneke Meyer's squad for the away leg of the Rugby Championship.

Vermeulen has twice won the Currie Cup, in 2007 with the Free State and in 2012 with Western Province. He was named captain of the Stormers for the 2015 Super Rugby season. While out with a neck injury, in June 2015 Vermeulen flew to France to be unveiled as a post-2015 Rugby World Cup signing for Top 14 club Toulon.

After a short spell in Japan with Kubota Spears, Vermeulen travelled back to his home nation of South Africa as a Bulls-player, signing in October 2018.

On 16 September 2021, it was announced that Vermeulen would join Irish province Ulster in the United Rugby Championship for the 2021–22 season. Vermeulen made his Ulster debut on 11 December 2021 in the European Rugby Champions Cup, against Clermont Auvergne. He spent two seasons with the Irish province, leaving at the end of the 2022–23 season.

International career

Before his first full international cap, Vermeulen represented South Africa at the second level of international rugby, appearing for the Emerging Springboks. One highlight of his appearances for the Emerging Boks was being in the squad that performed against the British & Irish Lions, holding them to a 13–13 draw, during their tour to South Africa in 2009.

Vermeulen looked like being a certain selection for the Springboks, Vermeulen was not called into the Springbok squad that faced Wales, Italy and France. He was also omitted from the Springboks 2010 Tri Nations Series squad. After a stand out Currie Cup domestic Rugby Season, Vermeulen was named as part of the 39-man preliminary training squad ahead of the 2010 end of year grand slam tour to the Northern Hemisphere. He was once again overlooked for selection in the final squad.

Vermeulen made his international debut for South Africa on 8 September 2012, where he formed part of the starting lineup going up against Australia. He was selected again to start the following week against New Zealand in Dunedin, where South Africa lost by 10 points. On 29 September 2012, South Africa beat Australia 31–8, a victory which marked Vermeulen's first Springbok win.

He was selected for the Springboks' 2012 Northern Hemisphere tour. Vermeulen received a man of the match award for his performance against England at Twickenham during this tour, based on a number of vital turnovers on the ground, 15 hard tackles, and his role of primary ball carrier on the day. In 2014, he was one of five nominees for the IRB Player of the Year award.

Vermeulen played in the 2019 Rugby World Cup Final against England. He was part of the South African team that won their third World Cup at the Yokohama Stadium in Japan. He was awarded a man of the match award for his performance where he made a number of vital contributions, including 10 carries, making 49 metres (both the most in the match) and 2 turnovers.

Vermeulen was called up by the Springboks at the 2023 Rugby World Cup and the team went on and win the World Cup once again after the 2019.

Vermeulen announced his retirement from rugby on 8 November 2023.

Honours

  • SARU Rugby Player of the Year 2014
  • Super Rugby Player of Year 2014
  • IRB Player of the Year – Nominee – 2014
  • Super Rugby and Unlocked Player of Year 2020
  • SA Rugby Player of the Year for 2020
  • Currie Cup winner 2020–21
  • World Cup Winner 2019, 2023
  • Rugby Championship Winner 2019

Test Match Record

As of 8 October 2021
Against P W D L Tri Pts %Won
 Argentina 6 6 0 0 1 5 100
 Australia 8 4 0 4 0 0 50
 England 7 5 0 2 1 5 71.43
 France 3 3 0 0 0 0 100
 Ireland 4 2 0 2 0 0 50
 Italy 3 3 0 0 0 0 100
 Japan 2 2 0 0 0 0 100
 New Zealand 11 2 1 8 0 0 22.73
 Samoa 1 1 0 0 0 0 100
 Scotland 5 5 0 0 0 0 100
 United States 1 1 0 0 0 0 100
 Wales 7 5 0 2 1 5 71.43
Total 58 39 1 18 3 15 68.1

Pld = Games Played, W = Games Won, D = Games Drawn, L = Games Lost, Tri = Tries Scored, Pts = Points Scored

International Tries

Try Opposing team Location Venue Competition Date Result
1  Argentina Soweto, South Africa FNB Stadium 2013 Rugby Championship 17 August 2013 Won 73–13
2  Wales Durban, South Africa Kings Park Mid-year rugby test series 14 June 2014 Won 38–16
3  England Bloemfontein, South Africa Toyota Stadium Mid-year rugby test series 16 June 2018 Won 23–12

Super Rugby statistics

As of 3 March 2021
Season Team Games Starts Sub Mins Tries Points Yellow card Red card
2007 Cheetahs 7 5 2 437 0 0 1 0
2008 Cheetahs 13 12 1 949 3 15 0 0
2009 Stormers 13 13 0 1040 0 0 0 0
2010 Stormers 15 15 0 1186 2 10 0 0
2011 Stormers 16 15 1 1178 0 0 1 0
2012 Stormers 8 8 0 640 0 0 0 0
2013 Stormers 10 10 0 791 0 0 1 0
2014 Stormers 16 16 0 1221 1 5 0 0
2015 Stormers 11 11 0 862 2 10 0 0
2016–2018 did not participate in Super Rugby
2019 Bulls 19 19 0 1056 2 10 0 0
Total 123 119 4 9360 10 50 3 0

Personal life

Vermeulen married wife Ezel in 2012, and they have two sons.

He has business investments in farming, honey, wine and bubble tea.

References

  1. ^ "Duane Vermeulen player profile". rugbyworldcup.com. Retrieved 22 October 2023.
  2. Duane Vermeulen player profile ESPN Scrum.com
  3. Lewis, Craig (8 November 2023). "CONFIRMED: Springbok legend retires after World Cup win". The South African.
  4. Playing stats at ItsRugby.co.uk
  5. ^ "Duane Vermeulen's story a message to sports stars to plan for their future". 17 November 2022.
  6. "Stormers stunned at Duane's unveiling". Sport. Retrieved 2 June 2021.
  7. "Bulls confirm capture of Duane Vermeulen" (Press release). Sport24 (RSA). 26 October 2018. Retrieved 23 March 2019.
  8. "Vermeulen signs with Ulster through to 2023" (Press release). SARugbyMag(RSA). 16 September 2021. Retrieved 16 September 2021.
  9. "Duane Vermeulen: Ulster sign Springbok World Cup-winning forward". BBC Sport. 16 September 2021. Retrieved 17 December 2021.
  10. Treacy, Neil (10 December 2021). "Five debutants for Munster as Vermeulen gets Ulster nod". {{cite journal}}: Cite journal requires |journal= (help)
  11. "Ulster upset Clermont to seal famous away victory". 11 December 2021. {{cite journal}}: Cite journal requires |journal= (help)
  12. "Ulster Rugby to thank departing players at Quarter-Final". Ulster Rugby. 4 May 2023. Retrieved 4 May 2023.
  13. "World Rugby Player of the Year nominees named" (Press release). IRB. 12 November 2014. Archived from the original on 12 November 2014. Retrieved 12 November 2014.
  14. "England 12-32 South Africa: Springboks win World Cup for record-equalling third time". BBC. 2 November 2019. Retrieved 3 November 2019.
  15. "Springboks first lady? Meet Duane Vermeulen's wife [photos]". 6 July 2023.
  16. "Duane Vermeulen: Ten things you should know about the Springbok No 8". 17 June 2021.

External links

Squads
South Africa squad – 2023 Rugby World Cup (4th title)
Forwards
Backs
Head coach: Jacques Nienaber
South Africa squad – 2019 Rugby World Cup (3rd title)
Forwards
Backs
Head coach: Rassie Erasmus
South Africa squad – 2015 Rugby World Cup third place
Forwards
Backs
Head coach: Heyneke Meyer
Categories: