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Following successful surgery and rehabilitation, Burger returned to the Vodacom Stormers line-up on 13 January 2007, playing 55 minutes as the Stormers lost to the Bulls. Despite the loss, Burger did show flashes of the brilliance that took him to the peak of world rugby in 2004–05. After a shaky start to the 2007 Super 14 season, Burger inspired the Stormers to their first win of the campaign against the Chiefs as the Stormers recorded their first points of the season in a tense 21–16 victory at the Newlands Stadium.
In mid-2007 he was picked in the Springboks squad for the 2007 Rugby World Cup. He was linked with a move to Harlequins of the
Burger was selected for the Springboks' to play the
Burger was selected for the 2010 Tri Nations series as part of the South African squad to play six matches. The first game was against New Zealand on 10 July 2010 in Auckland. He started that match at blindside Flanker. South Africa lost that match 32–12. But in the second game against New Zealand which South Africa lost 31–17 Burger scored a try. He scored his second and final try of the tournament against New Zealand.
During the 2010 Currie Cup final, which lost to the Sharks 30–10, Burger suffered a broken rib. However, he was not substituted during the match, and also scored Western Province's only try. Scans after the game revealed the injury, which would force Burger to miss the
During preparations for the
However, severe complications followed. During the initial operation, Burger contracted a hospital bug, which resulted in bacterial meningitis. At one stage during the isolation period, Burger's condition became so serious that there were genuine fears for his life. After his situation had improved, he then had to endure a series of operations to remove the cyst completely. In total, Burger would spend six weeks in hospital and a further eight weeks recovering indoors. Burger resumed training at the end of July, but was reluctant to set a definite return date:
After dating for six years, Burger was engaged to Michele de Munck, an interior designer from Cape Town. They married at the Welbedacht Estate on 3 December 2011. The couple had their first child, Schalk Jr, in August 2012, and their second son Nicol was born in March 2014.
ESPN Scrum Profile
WP rugby Profile
*
Barbarians Profile
Laureus Profile
{{DEFAULTSORT:Burger, Schalk Rugby union flankers South African rugby union players South Africa international rugby union players Stormers players Western Province (rugby union) players Tokyo Sungoliath players World Rugby Players of the Year Rugby union players from Port Elizabeth 1983 births Living people Alumni of Paarl Gimnasium Afrikaner people Barbarian F.C. players South African expatriate rugby union players South African expatriate sportspeople in Japan Expatriate rugby union players in Japan Laureus World Sports Awards winners
Schalk Willem Petrus Burger Jr. (born 13 April 1983) is a South African former professional
After an indifferent
''Planet-Rugby.com'', 19 June 2006. The injury and the required surgery were serious enough for White to tell the media, "I don't want to jump to conclusions – but there is a chance he may never play again.""Fears for injured Burger's career"
''
'', 19 June 2006. Burger's father told a rugby union
Rugby union, commonly known simply as rugby, is a close-contact team sport that originated at Rugby School in the first half of the 19th century. One of the two codes of rugby football, it is based on running with the ball in hand. In it ...
player. He played as a flanker for Saracens in the English Premiership
The Premier League (legal name: The Football Association Premier League Limited) is the highest level of the men's English football league system. Contested by 20 clubs, it operates on a system of promotion and relegation with the English Foo ...
and has won 86 caps for South Africa
South Africa, officially the Republic of South Africa (RSA), is the Southern Africa, southernmost country in Africa. It is bounded to the south by of coastline that stretch along the Atlantic Ocean, South Atlantic and Indian Oceans; to the ...
.
He was a member of the 2007 Rugby World Cup-winning team, has twice been named South African Rugby Player of the Year (in 2004 and 2011), and was named IRB Player of the Year in 2004, among other accolades. He also holds the record for the most appearances (84) and most tries scored (13) by a Springbok flanker. However, Burger's physical approach has also resulted in him being shown a yellow card six times in international rugby, second only to Italy's Marco Bortolami
Marco Bortolami (; born 12 June 1980) is a rugby union coach and retired Italian international player, whose career includes experience playing in the national top-level Italian ( Petrarca Padova), French (RC Narbonne), and English (Gloucester Ru ...
(7 times) as of June 2014. Burger has also suffered injuries, especially to his neck and knee, which have sidelined him for considerable periods at a time. He has also played four times for the Barbarians
A barbarian (or savage) is someone who is perceived to be either uncivilized or primitive. The designation is usually applied as a generalization based on a popular stereotype; barbarians can be members of any nation judged by some to be les ...
.
Early life
Burger is one of a handful of second-generation Springboks. His father, also called Schalk Burger, was an internationallock
Lock(s) may refer to:
Common meanings
*Lock and key, a mechanical device used to secure items of importance
*Lock (water navigation), a device for boats to transit between different levels of water, as in a canal
Arts and entertainment
* ''Lock ...
, being capped for South Africa during the "isolation years" of the 1980s. Burger attended high school at Paarl Gimnasium, along with future teammate and Springbok captain Jean de Villiers
Jean de Villiers (born 24 February 1981) is a South African former professional rugby union player. He started his career at wing, but played most of his career as an inside centre. De Villiers previously played for Western Province in the ...
, and enjoyed success in many sports. Burger attended Stellenbosch University
Stellenbosch University ( af, Universiteit Stellenbosch) is a public research university situated in Stellenbosch, a town in the Western Cape province of South Africa. Stellenbosch is the oldest university in South Africa and the oldest extant ...
and stayed in Eendrag Men's Residence before leaving in order to pursue a full-time rugby career.
Rugby career
After playing for the Under 21 Springbok side that won the U21 Rugby World Cup in 2002 and then captaining it in 2003, Burger was selected for the senior Springbok squad. He made his debut againstGeorgia
Georgia most commonly refers to:
* Georgia (country), a country in the Caucasus region of Eurasia
* Georgia (U.S. state), a state in the Southeast United States
Georgia may also refer to:
Places
Historical states and entities
* Related to the ...
in 2003 at the Rugby World Cup
The Rugby World Cup is a men's rugby union tournament contested every four years between the top international teams. The tournament is administered by World Rugby, the sport's international governing body. The winners are awarded the Webb E ...
and has since carved out a name as one of the best flankers in the world with solid performances in the Super 12, Tri-Nations and Currie Cup
The Currie Cup is South Africa's premier domestic rugby union competition, played each winter and spring (June to October), featuring teams representing either entire provinces or substantial regions within provinces. Although it is the premier ...
.
2004
In 2004, Burger was selected as part of a rejuvenated Springbok squad which, under the guiding hand of new coachJake White
Jake White (born 13 December 1963 as ''Jacob Westerduin'') is a professional rugby union coach and former coach of the South African national team – the ''Springboks'' – whom he coached to victory in 2007 Rugby World Cup and the 2004 Tr ...
, went on to win the Tri-Nations trophy for the first time since Nick Mallett's team managed the feat in 1998.
To cap off a magnificent year, Burger was also awarded the most prestigious rugby player's award, the IRB International Player of the Year
The World Rugby Men's 15s Player of the Year is an accolade awarded annually by World Rugby at the World Rugby Awards. The award is presented to honour "the achievements of those involved at the highest level of the world game on the field". Th ...
award in the 2004 season. In addition, he claimed the 2004 ABSA SA Rugby Player of the Year award.
2006
After an indifferent 2006 Super 14 season
The 2006 Super 14 season started on 10 February 2006. The Grand Final was held on 27 May 2006. Super 14 is a provincial rugby union competition with 14 teams from New Zealand, Australia and South Africa. This season was the first of the expansion, ...
, during which Burger showed only flashes of the brilliance that took him to the peak of world rugby, he was to once again start in his favoured number 6 shirt ( openside flanker in South African rugby) in the national team for the upcoming expanded Tri-Nations test series against Australia and New Zealand. However, in the Springboks' Test match Test match in some sports refers to a sporting contest between national representative teams and may refer to:
* Test cricket
* Test match (indoor cricket)
* Test match (rugby union)
* Test match (rugby league)
* Test match (association football)
...
against Scotland
Scotland (, ) is a Countries of the United Kingdom, country that is part of the United Kingdom. Covering the northern third of the island of Great Britain, mainland Scotland has a Anglo-Scottish border, border with England to the southeast ...
on 17 June, Burger suffered a serious neck injury. The following day, it was confirmed that he would require cervical fusion surgery and would be out of action for at least the remainder of 2006."Burger blow for the Springboks"''Planet-Rugby.com'', 19 June 2006. The injury and the required surgery were serious enough for White to tell the media, "I don't want to jump to conclusions – but there is a chance he may never play again.""Fears for injured Burger's career"
''
BBC #REDIRECT BBC #REDIRECT BBC
Here i going to introduce about the best teacher of my life b BALAJI sir. He is the precious gift that I got befor 2yrs . How has helped and thought all the concept and made my success in the 10th board exam. ...
...Cape Town
Cape Town ( af, Kaapstad; , xh, iKapa) is one of South Africa's three capital cities, serving as the seat of the Parliament of South Africa. It is the legislative capital of the country, the oldest city in the country, and the second largest ...
radio program that the injury was between his sixth and seventh cervical vertebrae, adding, "Although the operation is difficult the fact that the injury is lower down his neck is good for a future prognosis of making a full recovery." The South African Rugby Union
The South African Rugby Union (SARU) is the governing body for rugby union in South Africa and is affiliated to World Rugby. It was established in 1992 as the South African Rugby Football Union, from the merger of the South African Rugby Board ...
released a statement on 24 June, the date of the surgery, indicating that the surgery was successful and that Burger would undergo six to eight months of rehabilitation, with plans to return him to the game."Schalk Burger jnr operation successful"''
South African Rugby Union
The South African Rugby Union (SARU) is the governing body for rugby union in South Africa and is affiliated to World Rugby. It was established in 1992 as the South African Rugby Football Union, from the merger of the South African Rugby Board ...
'', 24 June 2006.
2007 – Rugby World Cup Champion
Following successful surgery and rehabilitation, Burger returned to the Vodacom Stormers line-up on 13 January 2007, playing 55 minutes as the Stormers lost to the Bulls. Despite the loss, Burger did show flashes of the brilliance that took him to the peak of world rugby in 2004–05. After a shaky start to the 2007 Super 14 season, Burger inspired the Stormers to their first win of the campaign against the Chiefs as the Stormers recorded their first points of the season in a tense 21–16 victory at the Newlands Stadium.
In mid-2007 he was picked in the Springboks squad for the 2007 Rugby World Cup. He was linked with a move to Harlequins of the English Premiership
The Premier League (legal name: The Football Association Premier League Limited) is the highest level of the men's English football league system. Contested by 20 clubs, it operates on a system of promotion and relegation with the English Foo ...
after the cup.
During the Springboks' first match of the Rugby World Cup against Samoa
Samoa, officially the Independent State of Samoa; sm, Sāmoa, and until 1997 known as Western Samoa, is a Polynesian island country consisting of two main islands ( Savai'i and Upolu); two smaller, inhabited islands ( Manono and Apolima); ...
, Burger was cited for a high tackle on Junior Polu, and on 11 September was given a four-match suspension which would have in theory kept him out of the team until the semi-final. However, this was reduced to a two-match suspension on appeal.
Burger would return to play a key role in South Africa's World Cup triumph as the Springboks defeated England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Wales to its west and Scotland to its north. The Irish Sea lies northwest and the Celtic Sea to the southwest. It is separated from continental Europe b ...
15–6 to lift the Webb Ellis trophy for the second time in four attempts.
2008
In March 2008, Burger was banned for openly abusing a touch judge in a Super 14 game for the Stormers against the Sharks in Durban. The touch judge in question had suggested the referee send Burger to the sin-bin for an offense that the referee hadn't seen. Upon leaving the field, Burger was seen to be gesticulating and shouting at the touch judge. The citing commissioner decided that Burger be banned for two weeks for his actions. After another great season which saw the Stormers finish just short of making the play-offs, Burger was selected by new coach Peter de Villiers for the Springboks' 2008 Tri Nations campaign.2009
Burger was selected for the Springboks' to play the British & Irish Lions
The British & Irish Lions is a rugby union team selected from players eligible for the national teams of England, Ireland, Scotland, and Wales. The Lions are a test side and most often select players who have already played for their national ...
, not having played since injuring his calf muscle in April while playing for the Stormers.
During the opening minute of the second British & Irish Lions test at Loftus Versfeld, Pretoria, Burger made contact with the eyes of Lions winger Luke Fitzgerald
Luke Matthew Fitzgerald (born 13 September 1987) is a former rugby union player. He played at winger or fullback for Leinster. He retired in June 2016. Having previously studied at Blackrock College he won two Leinster Schools Senior Cups, in ...
. The incident was seen by touch judge Bryce Lawrence who reported it to match referee Christophe Berdos
Christophe Berdos (born 17 April 1970) is a full-time international rugby union referee with the French Rugby Federation and is one of the two French representatives on the IRB's International Referees Panel.
Berdos made his debut as a referee i ...
, who awarded a yellow card. Burger was subsequently cited by the commissioning officer for "making contact with the eye area" and then handed an eight-week ban. A later investigation by judicial officer Alan Hudson concluded that contact with the face was made but there was no intention to gouge Fitzgerald's eyes, but that Burger acted "contrary to good sportsmanship by making contact with the face in the eye area." Burger responded by saying "...I only have the utmost respect for the traditions of the wonderful game of rugby. Through my life and career I have always approached the game with the intention only of playing it hard and fair. I am not a rugby thug and will never intentionally engage in eye gouging or similar illegal actions."
2010
Burger was selected for the 2010 Tri Nations series as part of the South African squad to play six matches. The first game was against New Zealand on 10 July 2010 in Auckland. He started that match at blindside Flanker. South Africa lost that match 32–12. But in the second game against New Zealand which South Africa lost 31–17 Burger scored a try. He scored his second and final try of the tournament against New Zealand.During the 2010 Currie Cup final, which lost to the Sharks 30–10, Burger suffered a broken rib. However, he was not substituted during the match, and also scored Western Province's only try. Scans after the game revealed the injury, which would force Burger to miss the
2010 end-of-year rugby union tests The 2010 end of season rugby exams, also known as the Autumn internationals in the northern hemisphere, saw Argentina, Australia, New Zealand and South Africa in a competitive tour of the northern hemisphere. Test matches were also arranged with th ...
against the Home Unions.
2011 – Rugby World Cup
Burger was selected for the 2011 Rugby World Cup. He played the first game against Wales which South Africa won 17–16. He played all the matches in group D. South Africa were knocked out however in the Quarter Finals against Australia. He was ruled out of South Africa's Summer tour of England with injury. In November at the end-of-year awards ceremony in Johannesburg, Burger was named the SARU's Player of the Year for the second time, becoming the fifth Springbok to win the award more than once.2012–13
Over the following two seasons, Burger struggled with injury and illness.During preparations for the
2013 Super Rugby season
The 2013 Super Rugby season was the third season of the new 15-team format for the Super Rugby competition involving teams from Australia, New Zealand and South Africa. The tournament was won by the Chiefs, who defeated the Canberra-based Brum ...
, Burger pulled up during a running exercise after experiencing spasms in his left calf. A back scan revealed a cyst
A cyst is a closed sac, having a distinct envelope and division compared with the nearby tissue. Hence, it is a cluster of cells that have grouped together to form a sac (like the manner in which water molecules group together to form a bubble) ...
next to his spinal cord impacting the nerve which influenced the calf muscle's performance, and he underwent an operation to drain the cyst and relieve pressure on the nerve. It was thought at the time that Burger would miss at least the first three weeks of the season.However, severe complications followed. During the initial operation, Burger contracted a hospital bug, which resulted in bacterial meningitis. At one stage during the isolation period, Burger's condition became so serious that there were genuine fears for his life. After his situation had improved, he then had to endure a series of operations to remove the cyst completely. In total, Burger would spend six weeks in hospital and a further eight weeks recovering indoors. Burger resumed training at the end of July, but was reluctant to set a definite return date:
To give a timeline is quite difficult... I certainly don't want to over-commit. The good news is that I can start to train properly and get the heart-rate up. That, in itself, is exciting news and I look forward to increasing my training schedule over the next few weeks with the help of the strength and conditioning team at WP Rugby. We will then reassess things again in a month's time.Burger finally returned to action in late September, coming off the bench for the final 20 minutes of the
Currie Cup
The Currie Cup is South Africa's premier domestic rugby union competition, played each winter and spring (June to October), featuring teams representing either entire provinces or substantial regions within provinces. Although it is the premier ...
match between Western Province and Free State Cheetahs in Bloemfontein. Although it was not a spectacular comeback, he emerged unscathed as Western Province came from behind to win 29–27. It was Burger's first competitive appearance since injuring his knee 18 months earlier.
2014
On 24 May, during the Stormers' 33–0 win over the Cheetahs, Burger suffered a neck injury. The injury was not serious, but he failed to recover in time for the following match against the Sharks in Durban. On 2 June, it was announced that Burger had signed a two-year contract with JapaneseTop League
Japan Rugby League One (formerly the Top League) is a rugby union competition in Japan. It is the highest level of professional rugby competition in the country. The Japan Rugby Football Union created the competition in 2003, by absorbing the ...
side Suntory Sungoliath. As part of his contract, he would still be available to play for the and the national side, but would not feature during the 2014 Currie Cup.
For the 2014 June test series against Wales and Scotland, Springbok coach Heyneke Meyer named Burger and Victor Matfield in the squad of 36 players. Both had not played for South Africa since the 2011 World Cup.
2015 – Rugby World Cup Bronze Medalist
Due to his success in returning to the Springboks after recovering from spinal meningitis, he was awarded the Comeback of the Year Award at theLaureus World Sports Awards
The Laureus World Sports Awards is an annual award ceremony honouring individuals and teams from the world of sports along with sporting achievements throughout the year. It was established in 1999 by Laureus Sport for Good Foundation foundin ...
. He joined the list of Super Rugby centurions during their Round 7 match against the in Dunedin
Dunedin ( ; mi, Ōtepoti) is the second-largest city in the South Island of New Zealand (after Christchurch), and the principal city of the Otago region. Its name comes from , the Scottish Gaelic name for Edinburgh, the capital of Scotland. Th ...
, starting the match which ended in a 21–39 defeat for the Stormers. Selected as part of the Springbok squad at the 2015 Rugby World Cup, Schalk started in all seven matches, the majority as openside flanker, with a sole appearance as number eight in their Pool B match against Japan. The Springboks reached the semi-finals
A single-elimination, knockout, or sudden death tournament is a type of elimination tournament where the loser of each match-up is immediately eliminated from the tournament. Each winner will play another in the next round, until the final matc ...
, bowing out to eventual champions
A champion (from the late Latin ''campio'') is the victor in a challenge, contest or competition. There can be a territorial pyramid of championships, e.g. local, regional / provincial, state, national, continental and world championships, a ...
New Zealand
New Zealand ( mi, Aotearoa ) is an island country in the southwestern Pacific Ocean. It consists of two main landmasses—the North Island () and the South Island ()—and over 700 smaller islands. It is the sixth-largest island count ...
(18–20), before clinching the Bronze Final against Argentina (24–13). Burger scored tries against Samoa and Scotland in the pool stages, and assisted Fourie du Preez's try in their victory against Wales
Wales ( cy, Cymru ) is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It is bordered by England to the east, the Irish Sea to the north and west, the Celtic Sea to the south west and the Bristol Channel to the south. It had a population in ...
Richie McCaw
Richard Hugh McCaw (born 31 December 1980) is a retired New Zealand professional rugby union player. He captained the national team, the All Blacks, in 110 out of his 148 test matches, and won two Rugby World Cups. He has won the World Rugb ...
(22). Burger was also drawn into 2015 RWC sponsors Société Générale
Société Générale S.A. (), colloquially known in English as SocGen (), is a French-based multinational financial services company founded in 1864, registered in downtown Paris and headquartered nearby in La Défense.
Société Générale ...
's dream team, taking the position of openside flanker. Dismissing any notion of continuing to play for the Springboks in 2016 and beyond, Burger had suggested the commencement of his international retirement after the 2015 RWC Bronze Final.
2016 – Saracens
Burger signed a two-year deal to joinEnglish Premiership
The Premier League (legal name: The Football Association Premier League Limited) is the highest level of the men's English football league system. Contested by 20 clubs, it operates on a system of promotion and relegation with the English Foo ...
side Saracens prior to the 2016–2017 season. He helped Saracens win the European Champions Cup in 2017 and 2019, featuring in both finals. In December 2018 Burger announced that he would be leaving Saracens at the end of the 2018-2019 season to return to Cape Town.
International statistics
Test Match record
Pld = Games Played, W = Games Won, D = Games Drawn, L = Games Lost, Tri = Tries Scored, Pts = Points ScoredTest tries (16)
Personal life
Burger is the eldest child of Schalk Burger Snr and his wife Myra. He has two younger siblings – brother Tiaan and sister René, who in 2008 gained international attention for speaking out after she was gang-raped. When not playing rugby, Burger lives and works with his family on the Welbedacht Wine Estate nearWellington, Western Cape
Wellington is a town in the Western Cape Winelands, a 45-minute drive from Cape Town, in South Africa with a population of approximately 62,000. Wellington's economy is centered on agriculture such as wine, table grapes, deciduous fruit, and a bra ...
.After dating for six years, Burger was engaged to Michele de Munck, an interior designer from Cape Town. They married at the Welbedacht Estate on 3 December 2011. The couple had their first child, Schalk Jr, in August 2012, and their second son Nicol was born in March 2014.
References
External links
ESPN Scrum Profile
WP rugby Profile
*
Barbarians Profile
Laureus Profile
{{DEFAULTSORT:Burger, Schalk Rugby union flankers South African rugby union players South Africa international rugby union players Stormers players Western Province (rugby union) players Tokyo Sungoliath players World Rugby Players of the Year Rugby union players from Port Elizabeth 1983 births Living people Alumni of Paarl Gimnasium Afrikaner people Barbarian F.C. players South African expatriate rugby union players South African expatriate sportspeople in Japan Expatriate rugby union players in Japan Laureus World Sports Awards winners