Springbok no. 719 · Eighthman

Joe van Niekerk

Johann Christiaan van Niekerk · Lions, WP, Toulon

52Tests

10Tries

4Tours

21Age at debut

Test career

200120052010

First test

21 Jul 2001, age 21 · Reserve v New Zealand, Newlands, Cape Town

Last test

5 Jun 2010, age 30 · Eighthman v Wales, Millennium Stadium (Cardiff Arms Park), Cardiff

Biography

Joe van Niekerk was a gifted, powerful loose forward who played 52 Tests between 2001 and 2010. Born in Port Elizabeth on 14 May 1980 and educated at King Edward VII School, he went straight from the under-21 team to the Springboks. He played for the Lions, Western Province and Toulon, and scored ten Test tries, including at the 2003 World Cup. Injuries interrupted his career.

Test history

52 tests · 50 points

Date	Opponent	Venue	Position	Result	Province
21 Jul 2001	New Zealand	Newlands, Cape Town	Reserve	L 3–12	Lions
28 Jul 2001	Australia	Loftus Versfeld, Pretoria	Reserve	W 20–15	Lions
25 Aug 2001	New Zealand	Eden Park, Auckland	Reserve	L 15–26	Lions
10 Nov 2001	France	Stade de France, Paris	Reserve	L 10–20	Lions
17 Nov 2001	Italy	Luigi Ferraris Stadium, Genoa	Flank	W 54–26	Lions
01 Dec 2001	USA	Robertson Stadium, UH, Houston	Eighthman	W 43–20	Lions
08 Jun 2002	Wales	Free State Stadium, Bloemfontein	Reserve	W 34–19	Lions
15 Jun 2002	Wales	Newlands, Cape Town	Reserve	W 19–8	Lions
29 Jun 2002	Argentina	P.A.M. Brink Stadium, Springs	Reserve	W 49–29	Lions
06 Jul 2002	Samoa	Loftus Versfeld, Pretoria	Flank	W 60–18	Lions
20 Jul 2002	New Zealand	Wellington Regional Stadium, Wellington	Flank	L 20–41	Lions
27 Jul 2002	Australia	Wooloongabba, Brisbane	Flank	L 27–38	Lions
10 Aug 2002	New Zealand	Kings Park, Durban	Flank	L 23–30	Lions
17 Aug 2002	Australia	Ellis Park, Johannesburg	Flank	W 33–31	Lions
09 Nov 2002	France	Stade Velodrome, Marseilles	Eighthman	L 10–30	Lions
16 Nov 2002	Scotland	Murrayfield, Edinburgh	Eighthman	L 6–21	Lions
23 Nov 2002	England	Twickenham, London	Eighthman	L 3–53	Lions
02 Aug 2003	Australia	Brisbane Stadium (Lang Park), Brisbane	Flank	L 9–29	Lions
09 Aug 2003	New Zealand	Carisbrook, Dunedin	Flank	L 11–19	Lions
11 Oct 2003	Uruguay	Subiaco Oval, Perth	Flank	W 72–6	Lions
18 Oct 2003	England	Subiaco Oval, Perth	Flank	L 6–25	Lions
24 Oct 2003	Georgia	Sydney Football Stadium (Aussie stadium), Sydney	Eighthman	W 46–19	Lions
01 Nov 2003	Samoa	Brisbane Stadium (Lang Park), Brisbane	Flank	W 60–10	Lions
24 Jul 2004	New Zealand	Lancaster Park (Jade stadium), Christchurch	Reserve	L 21–23	WP
31 Jul 2004	Australia	Subiaco Oval, Perth	Reserve	L 26–30	WP
14 Aug 2004	New Zealand	Ellis Park, Johannesburg	Eighthman	W 40–26	WP
21 Aug 2004	Australia	Kings Park, Durban	Eighthman	W 23–19	WP
06 Nov 2004	Wales	Millennium Stadium (Cardiff Arms Park), Cardiff	Eighthman	W 38–36	WP
13 Nov 2004	Ireland	Aviva Stadium (Lansdowne Road), Dublin	Eighthman	L 12–17	WP
20 Nov 2004	England	Twickenham, London	Eighthman	L 16–32	WP
27 Nov 2004	Scotland	Murrayfield, Edinburgh	Eighthman	W 45–10	WP
04 Dec 2004	Argentina	Vélez Sarsfield Stadium, Buenos Aires	Reserve	W 39–7	WP
11 Jun 2005	Uruguay	Basil Kenyon Stadium, East London	Reserve	W 134–3	WP
25 Jun 2005	France	Boet Erasmus, Port Elizabeth	Reserve	W 27–13	WP
09 Jul 2005	Australia	Stadium Australia, Sydney	Reserve	L 12–30	WP
23 Jul 2005	Australia	Ellis Park, Johannesburg	Eighthman	W 33–20	WP
30 Jul 2005	Australia	Loftus Versfeld, Pretoria	Flank	W 22–16	WP
06 Aug 2005	New Zealand	Newlands, Cape Town	Eighthman	W 22–16	WP
20 Aug 2005	Australia	Subiaco Oval, Perth	Eighthman	W 22–19	WP
27 Aug 2005	New Zealand	Carisbrook, Dunedin	Eighthman	L 27–31	WP
10 Jun 2006	Scotland	Kings Park, Durban	Eighthman	W 36–16	WP
17 Jun 2006	Scotland	Boet Erasmus, Port Elizabeth	Eighthman	W 29–15	WP
24 Jun 2006	France	Newlands, Cape Town	Flank	L 26–36	WP
15 Jul 2006	Australia	Brisbane Stadium (Lang Park), Brisbane	Flank	L 0–49	WP
22 Jul 2006	New Zealand	Wellington Regional Stadium, Wellington	Reserve	L 17–35	WP
05 Aug 2006	Australia	Stadium Australia, Sydney	Reserve	L 18–20	WP
21 Jun 2008	Italy	Newlands, Cape Town	Reserve	W 26–0	Lions
05 Jul 2008	New Zealand	Wellington Regional Stadium, Wellington	Eighthman	L 8–19	Lions
12 Jul 2008	New Zealand	Carisbrook, Dunedin	Eighthman	W 30–28	Lions
09 Aug 2008	Argentina	Ellis Park, Johannesburg	Reserve	W 63–9	Lions
23 Aug 2008	Australia	Kings Park, Durban	Reserve	L 15–27	Lions
05 Jun 2010	Wales	Millennium Stadium (Cardiff Arms Park), Cardiff	Eighthman	W 34–31	Toulon