Willie le Roux
le Roux playing for the Springboks in 2015
Full nameWillem Jacobus le Roux
Date of birth (1989-08-18) 18 August 1989
Place of birthStellenbosch, South Africa
Height1.86 m (6 ft 1 in)
Weight90 kg (198 lb; 14 st 2 lb)
SchoolPaul Roos Gymnasium
Rugby union career
Position(s) Fullback / Wing / Fly-Half
Current team Bulls
Youth career
2007 Western Province
2009 Boland Cavaliers
Senior career
Years Team Apps (Points)
2010–2011 Boland Cavaliers 39 (2341)
202–2015 Cheetahs 58 (90)
2012–2013 Griquas 11 (5)
2015–2017 Canon Eagles 18 (35)
2016 Sharks 13 (15)
2017–2019 Wasps 57 (65)
2019–2023 Toyota Verblitz 61 (67)
2023– Bulls 1 (5)
Correct as of 24 November 2023
International career
Years Team Apps (Points)
2013– South Africa 93 (75)
2014–2015 Springbok XV[lower-alpha 1] 2 (20)
Correct as of 24 November 2023

Willem Jacobus le Roux (born 18 August 1989) is a South African professional rugby union player. He is a versatile back-line player who generally plays as a fullback or wing, though earlier in his career he played mostly as a fly-half. He plays for the South Africa national team and for the Blue Bulls in the United Rugby Championship. He was born in Stellenbosch.

Club career

Le Roux was born and raised in the Western Cape and he started his professional career with Boland Cavaliers. He spent 2 years with the Cavaliers, helping them to lift the 2011 Currie Cup First Division title in his final appearance.[4][5] He moved north to join the Griquas along with several of his Boland team-mates in 2012 and started 9 of the Peacock Blues 10 games during his debut season in Kimberley. After a rocky start in which he was sin-binned for a dangerous tackle on Blue Bulls full-back Jurgen Visser and subsequently suspended for Griquas second match of the season[6] Le Roux established himself as one of the top players in South African domestic rugby.[7]

Upon moving to the Griquas in 2012, Le Roux was instantly called up to the Cheetahs Super Rugby squad.[8] He made his debut in Week 1 of the 2012 Super Rugby season as a half-time substitute for Dusty Noble as the Cheetahs lost 25–27 to the Lions in Johannesburg.[9] Despite this early setback Le Roux went on to have an excellent first season in Super Rugby, playing mostly on the wing he scored 7 tries in 16 appearances.[10] His second season proved even more successful as he helped the Cheetahs reach the play-offs with a further 6 tries in 17 matches.[10]

In July 2013, it was announced that Le Roux had signed a new contract with the Cheetahs until the end of 2015, which also meant that he would play for the Free State Cheetahs domestically from 2014 onwards.[11]

He left the Cheetahs after the 2015 Super Rugby season to spend some time playing in Japan with Canon Eagles[12] before joining the Sharks for 2016.[13]

In August 2016, English Premiership side Wasps announced Le Roux would join them in January 2017 after finishing his commitments with the Canon Eagles.[14] He left Wasps in 2019 having played 46 games and scoring 50 points.[15]

On 5 May 2019 Le Roux returned to Japan to sign for Toyota Verblitz in the Top League from the 2019–20 season.[16]

On July 4 2023, Le Roux returned to South Africa to join the Blue Bulls, where he began playing after the Springboks world cup campaign. He made his debut on the 25 November 2023 against Connacht in the United Rugby Championship where he scored one try in there 53-27 win.

International career

Le Roux was selected to represent the Springboks for the first time during the South African Quadrangular tournament of 2013 against Italy, Scotland and Samoa.[17] He played the full 80 minutes of all three test matches against these teams with distinction, hardly faltering any time at full-back, and contributed to the try-making by joining the Springbok backline in sprints for the opponents' tryline.[18][1][19][20][21]

He also played an integral part in South Africa's 2013 Rugby Championship campaign, featuring in all six matches. He scored tries in both home and away tests against Australia and in the deciding game at home to New Zealand.[22][23][24]

Le Roux started the 2013 end-of-year tests on the bench for the match against Wales, however an injury to starting fly-half Morne Steyn saw him enter to the fray as an early substitute in the full-back position.[25] It was a position he was to retain for the remaining two tour matches. He turned in a particularly impressive display in the 28-0 destruction of Scotland scoring one intercept try and setting up another immediately from the restart for team-mate JP Pietersen.[26]

On 14 June 2014, Le Roux produced a man-of-the-match performance to help South Africa beat Wales during the 2014 incoming tours, scoring a try and providing three assists.[27]

In 2014, he was one of five nominees for the IRB Player of the Year award.[28]

Le Roux was named in South Africa's squad for the 2019 Rugby World Cup.[29] South Africa went on to win the tournament, defeating England in the final.[30]

Le Roux was named in South Africa’s 33 man squad for the 2023 Rugby World Cup. South Africa went on to win the tournament, defeating New Zealand in the final. He is one of 43 players who have won the Rugby World Cup on multiple occasions, only 24 of whom are South Africans.

Springbok statistics

Test Match record

As of 27 November 2022
Against P W D L Tri Pts %Won
 Argentina1210021583.33
 Australia1480642057.14
 British and Irish Lions32010066.67
 England640221066.67
 France220000100
 Georgia110000100
 Ireland42020050
 Italy54010080
 Japan220000100
 New Zealand17411242023.53
 Samoa330000100
 Scotland6600210100
 United States110000100
 Wales750221071.43
Total8354128147065.06

Pld = Games Played, W = Games Won, D = Games Drawn, L = Games Lost, Tri = Tries Scored, Con = Conversions, Pen = Penalties, DG = Drop Goals, Pts = Points Scored

International Tries

TryOpposing teamLocationVenueCompetitionDateResult Score
1 AustraliaBrisbane, AustraliaSuncorp StadiumRugby Championship7 September 2013Won 12 – 38
2 AustraliaCape Town, South AfricaNewlandsRugby Championship28 September 2013Won 28 – 8
3 New ZealandJohannesburg, South AfricaEllis ParkRugby Championship5 October 2013Lost 27 – 38
4 ScotlandEdinburgh, ScotlandMurrayfieldEnd-of-year rugby test series17 November 2013Won 0 – 28
5 WalesDurban, South AfricaKings ParkMid-year rugby test series14 June 2014Won 38 – 16
6 WalesNelspruit, South AfricaMbombela StadiumMid-year rugby test series21 June 2014Won 31 – 30
7 ScotlandPort Elizabeth, South AfricaNelson Mandela Bay StadiumMid-year rugby test series28 June 2014Won 55 – 6
8 New ZealandJohannesburg, South AfricaEllis ParkRugby Championship25 July 2015Lost 20 – 27
9 ArgentinaDurban, South AfricaKings ParkRugby Championship8 August 2015Lost 25 – 37
10 EnglandLondon, EnglandTwickenhamEnd-of-year rugby test series12 November 2016Lost 37 – 21
11 EnglandJohannesburg, South AfricaEllis ParkTest match9 June 2018Won 42 – 39
12 New ZealandWellington, New ZealandWestpac StadiumRugby Championship15 September 2018Won 34 – 36
13 New ZealandMbombela, South AfricaMbombela StadiumRugby Championship7 August 2022Won 26 – 10

Super Rugby statistics

As of Dec 2016
SeasonTeamGamesStartsSubMinsTriesPointsYellow cardRed card
2012Cheetahs16151122673520
2013Cheetahs17170133363000
2014Cheetahs16160123852510
2015Cheetahs9816300010
2016Sharks1313099631500
Total7169254282110540

Notes

  1. ↑ In 2014 and 2015, the South African national team played non-test internationals against a World XV in Cape Town.[1][2][3]

References

  1. 1 2 "SA Rugby Player Profile – Willie le Roux". South African Rugby Union. Retrieved 4 June 2016.
  2. ↑ South African Rugby Annual 2015. South African Rugby Union. 2015. p. 104. ISBN 978-0-620-62087-1.
  3. ↑ South African Rugby Annual 2016. South African Rugby Union. 2016. pp. 124–125. ISBN 978-0-620-69290-8.
  4. ↑ "Boland beat Kings to win Currie Cup first division". Super XV.com. 14 October 2011. Retrieved 31 July 2013.
  5. ↑ "SA Rugby Match Centre – Regent Boland Cavaliers 43–12 Eastern Province Kings". South African Rugby Union. 14 October 2011. Retrieved 3 June 2016.
  6. ↑ "Griquas without suspended Le Roux". Yahoo SA. 15 August 2013. Retrieved 31 July 2013.
  7. ↑ "Talented Le Roux has Province very worried". IOL. 21 September 2012. Retrieved 31 July 2013.
  8. ↑ "Cheetahs name 2012 Super Rugby squad". Rugby Week. 14 February 2012. Retrieved 31 July 2013.
  9. ↑ "SA Rugby Match Centre – MTN Lions 27–25 Toyota Cheetahs". South African Rugby Union. 25 February 2012. Retrieved 3 June 2016.
  10. 1 2 "Willie le Roux itsrugby.co.uk Player Statistics". itsrugby.co.uk. Retrieved 31 July 2013.
  11. ↑ "Willie bly 'n Cheetah". Beeld (in Afrikaans). Media24. 7 July 2013. Retrieved 7 July 2013.
  12. ↑ "キヤノンイーグルス2015-2016入団選手（追加）のお知らせ" (Press release) (in Japanese). Canon Eagles. 3 June 2015. Retrieved 3 June 2015.
  13. ↑ "Willie le Roux Joins the Cell C Sharks" (Press release). Sharks. 2 June 2015. Retrieved 2 June 2015.
  14. ↑ "Wasps sign Springbok Willie Le Roux" (Press release). Wasps. 4 August 2016. Archived from the original on 4 August 2016. Retrieved 4 August 2016.
  15. ↑ "Willem Jacobus le Roux". ESPN scrum. Retrieved 12 November 2019.
  16. ↑ "Springbok Willie le Roux signs with Japanese club sealing Wasps exit". Rugby Pass. 5 May 2019. Retrieved 30 August 2019.
  17. ↑ "New faces in Springbok squad". Sport 24. 1 June 2013. Retrieved 22 July 2013.
  18. ↑ "South Africa rout Samoa for glory". ESPN Scrum. 22 June 2013. Retrieved 31 July 2013.
  19. ↑ "SA Rugby Match Centre – South Africa 44–10 Italy". South African Rugby Union. 8 June 2013. Retrieved 3 June 2016.
  20. ↑ "SA Rugby Match Centre – South Africa 30–17 Scotland". South African Rugby Union. 15 June 2013. Retrieved 3 June 2016.
  21. ↑ "SA Rugby Match Centre – South Africa 56–23 Samoa". South African Rugby Union. 22 June 2013. Retrieved 3 June 2016.
  22. ↑ "SA Rugby Match Centre – Australia 12–38 South Africa". South African Rugby Union. 7 September 2013. Retrieved 3 June 2016.
  23. ↑ "SA Rugby Match Centre – South Africa 28–8 Australia". South African Rugby Union. 28 September 2013. Retrieved 3 June 2016.
  24. ↑ "SA Rugby Match Centre – South Africa 27–38 New Zealand". South African Rugby Union. 5 October 2013. Retrieved 3 June 2016.
  25. ↑ "SA Rugby Match Centre – Wales 15–24 South Africa". South African Rugby Union. 9 November 2013. Retrieved 3 June 2016.
  26. ↑ "Outclassed Scotland come up well short". ESPN Scrum. 17 November 2013. Retrieved 25 November 2013.
  27. ↑ "SA Rugby Match Centre – South Africa 38–16 Wales". South African Rugby Union. 14 June 2014. Retrieved 3 June 2016.
  28. ↑ "World Rugby Player of the Year nominees named" (Press release). IRB. 12 November 2014. Retrieved 12 November 2014.
  29. ↑ "South Africa World Cup squad: Siya Kolisi wins fitness battle, Eben Etzebeth backed, Aphiwe Dyantyi dropped". The Independent. 26 August 2019. Retrieved 3 November 2019.
  30. ↑ "England 12-32 South Africa: Springboks win World Cup for record-equalling third time". BBC. 2 November 2019. Retrieved 3 November 2019.
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