Who is Frans Steyn: Ten things you should know about the Springbok

South Africa‘s Frans Steyn, a versatile back who is known for his long-range goalkicking, has achieved a lot in his professional career…

Ten things you should know about Frans Steyn

1. Francois Philippus Lodewyk Steyn was born on 14 May 1987 in Aliwal North, a town on the Orange River in the Eastern Cape.

He was a pupil at Grey College, Bloemfontein, one of the top schools in South Africa and a conveyor belt of Springboks. Past pupils include Morne du Plessis, Ruben Kruger an Heinrich Brussow. Cricketers Hansie Cronje and Kepler Wessels also attended.

2. Steyn kicked off his professional career at the Sharks in 2007 and has also had stints at Racing Metro (now 92), in Paris, Toshiba Brave Lupus in Japan and Montpellier, in France, before heading back to South Africa in 2020 to join the Cheetahs on a two-year contract.

3. Steyn, who has played centre, fly-half, full-back and wing for his country, became the second South African to win the Rugby World Cup twice when the Springboks triumphed in 2019. He had won it in 2007 and only Os du Randt (1995 and 2007) had done that for the country.

4. In 2012, Steyn became the youngest Springbok to reach 50 caps, a record that was subsequently beaten by Eben Etzebeth.

He was 25 and had made his debut on the wing in November 2006 against Ireland, in a 32-15 defeat in Dublin. He is Springbok number 783.

5. Steyn started the first two Tests against the British & Irish Lions in 2009 at full-back and came off the bench in the third, in Johannesburg.

6. Steyn played in the Super Rugby final of 2007 between the Sharks and the Bulls when he failed to kick the ball dead and gifted the Bulls a chance to score the winning try, through Bryan Habana, in a 20-19 win.

He was just 20 – a few months later he became the youngest player to win a Rugby World Cup.

7. At the 2011 World Cup in New Zealand Steyn scored tries against Wales, Fiji and Namibia before his tournament was finished by a shoulder he suffered in the final pool match against Samoa.

8. Steyn put himself in international exile in 2014 in a row over image rights with SA Rugby and did not play a Test until a brief comeback, against France, in 2017.

He was out of Test rugby until that June series then he had a further 756 days away before he played against Australia in 2019.

When playing against Scotland in 2021, he because the first South African to play Test rugby over 15 calendar years.

9. Steyn won the European Challenge Cup, in 2016, during his spell at Montpellier. He started the final against Harlequins, in Lyon, at inside centre as the French side won 26-19.

10. Steyn married Linca Meyer in Durban in 2012.

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