By Alex De Jongh
On Saturday 16 July 2022, following the third test series between the Springboks and the Welsh rugby team, Eben Etzebeth became the latest Springbok to reach the milestone of 100 caps. Etzebeth becomes only the seventh player in Springbok history to achieve this feat, and at only 30 years old, the youngest to do so.
The 6 ft 8 Capetonian started his rugby career playing for his high school, Hoërskool Tygerberg, before being selected to represent Western Province in the Under-18 Craven Week Tournament. In 2011 he would go on to win the prestigious Varsity Cup with the UCT Ikey Tigers. All before making his anticipated debut for the Stormers and inevitable debut for the Springboks the following year.
Etzebeth would make his debut for the Stormers on 25 February 2012, shortly after recovering from an injury in time to run out against a formidable kiwi side in the form of the Hurricanes. The lock forward seemed to impress selectors and would go on to make 13 appearances for the Cape Town based side during their 2012 campaign.
Continuing this impressive form, Etzebeth would later receive the call-up from Heyneke Meyer to represent his country at the highest level of rugby. He made his debut for the Springboks against England on 9 June 2012 in the first match of a three-match test series against England. The game was played in Durban at the Kings Park Stadium, where the Springboks would go on to triumph 22-17.
After a stint playing for Japanese franchise side the Red Hurricanes, Etzebeth signed for French side Toulon. He played his first game for them In January 2021, being subbed on to play as a blindside flanker, an uncomfortable situation given he usually plays at lock. More recently, Eben Etzebeth announced he would be returning to South Africa at the end of his season with Toulon where he will join the Durban-based team of the Cell C Sharks on a long-term contract until 2027.
Eben Etzebeth has garnered a reputation for being an enforcer on the pitch, often bullying his way in the scrums, mauls, and lineouts. He is envied for his unwavering strength and never-say-die attitude towards games, and his dark brown eyes strike fear into the hearts of all those who dare to get in the way of him and the try line. When he is on the field, he means business. This commitment does not go unnoticed and in 2017 he was given the honour of leading the Springboks by becoming the 59th Springbok Captain.
The tall number four is also recognisable for his messy hairstyle. Rumoured to be an intimidation strategy by giving off the impression that he has no time for the barber as he is constantly in the gym. A refreshing look compared to the multitude of weird and wacky hairstyles many other sports stars consistently demand on getting.
Time in the gym may soon have to be cut back as the Springbok recently announced his engagement to actress Anila Van Rensburg in a social media post picturing the couple on a beach in the French Riviera – no doubt breaking the hearts of many of his fans. Van Rensburg was shortly thereafter spotted leading the South African National Anthem before kick-off against Wales, where she was lucky enough to watch her fiancé break the Welsh defence in half.
The messy hair is not the only attractive trait of the second rower; he also has a high net worth to go along with it, with his combined salary for representing Toulon and the Springboks reportedly around R18 million. This puts him in the upper echelons of any rugby player. He becomes the third highest-paid rugby player and the highest-paid forward in world rugby.
Above all else, Eben Etzebeth is an inspiration to a whole new generation of rugby players. Not least in his position of Lock, which is a highly demanding and intensely physical position in rugby. Despite being known to start the occasional fight, he has only ever received two yellow cards in his Springbok career, and this remains yet another testament to the legendary giant himself, Eben Etzebeth.