Who is Elton Jantjies: Ten things you should know about the Springbok fly-half

A veteran member of the Johannesburg-based Lions team, Elton Jantjies has played for South Africa since 2012 and scored more than 250 points for the national side.

Ten things you should know about Elton Jantjies

1. Elton Jantjies was born on 1 August 1990 in Graaff Reinet, a town in the Eastern Cape. He is 5ft 9½in, and weighs 88kg (13st 12lb).

2. He attended Hoërskool Florida, in Johannesburg, where fellow professional rugby player Garth April was in the year below.

3. His younger brother, Tony Jantjies, is also a professional rugby player, who has appeared for the Bulls and South Africa U20. Tony currently plays for Alcobendas, who play in the Spanish league.

4. One of his first starring performances came in the 2011 Currie Cup final, when he was only 21. He slotted every kick for the Golden Lions in a 42-16 win over the Sharks, winning the Man of the Match award.

5. However, his career at Super Rugby level struggled to get started after the Lions were relegated from the South African roster.

He temporarily joined the Stormers in 2013, where he struggled, but his form ignited when the Lions returned to Super Rugby in 2014.

6. Domestically, his career highlights came in 2016 and 2017. He led the Lions to the Super Rugby final in each year, although his side ultimately lost both.

The 2016 season saw a sensational 42-25 home victory over the Crusaders in the quarter-finals.

7. Although he had been selected for an uncapped game against the Barbarians in 2010, his Test debut came against Australia in the 2012 Rugby Championship. He also played New Zealand that year.

However, he was not capped again for nearly four years, winning his third cap against Ireland in June 2016. Since then he has been a regular in the squad.

8. In 2021, he joined French team Pau on a short-term deal as a medical joker. It was designed to help him gain fitness for the British & Irish Lions 2021 series.

9. He has dozens of tattoos, which he says are a story of “what it takes to get to the top”.

10. His mentor was his father, Thomas, who tragically died in 2013 after reacting to a bee sting. Thomas was in the South African army and also taught Elton how to kick.

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