Johann "Joe" van Niekerk (born 14 May 1980) is a South African former professional

rugby union Rugby union football, commonly known simply as rugby union in English-speaking countries and rugby 15/XV in non-English-speaking world, Anglophone Europe, or often just rugby, is a Contact sport#Terminology, close-contact team sport that orig ...

player who played either as a flanker or number 8.

Career overview

After starring for the South Africa Schools, under-19, and under-21 sides, and captaining at all three levels, van Niekerk received the rare honour of being called up to the

Springboks The South Africa national rugby union team, commonly known as the Springboks (colloquially the Boks, Bokke or Amabhokobhoko) is the country's national team governed by the South African Rugby Union. The Springboks play in green and gold jersey ...

directly from the U21 side in 2001, in spite of never having played a game in either the

Currie Cup The Currie Cup () is South Africa's premier domestic rugby union competition featuring teams representing either entire provinces or substantial regions within provinces. Although it is the premier domestic competition, four South African franc ...

Super 12 Super Rugby is a men's professional rugby union club competition involving teams from Australia, Fiji, New Zealand, and the Pacific Islands. It has previously included teams from Argentina, Japan, and South Africa. Super Rugby started as the S ...

. He made his debut against the

All Blacks The New Zealand national rugby union team, commonly known as the All Blacks, is the representative men's national team in the sport of rugby union for the nation of New Zealand, which is considered the country's national sport. Famed for th ...

Cape Town Cape Town is the legislature, legislative capital city, capital of South Africa. It is the country's oldest city and the seat of the Parliament of South Africa. Cape Town is the country's List of municipalities in South Africa, second-largest ...

. Van Niekerk has experienced injury troubles throughout his senior-level career. When healthy, however, he is considered able to compete with virtually any back-row player in the world. He scored important tries for the Boks in home wins over the

Wallabies A wallaby () is a small or middle-sized macropod native to Australia and New Guinea, with introduced populations in New Zealand, Hawaii, the United Kingdom and other countries. They belong to the same taxonomic family as kangaroos and som ...

in the

2002 Tri Nations Series The 2002 Tri Nations Series was contested from 13 July to 17 August between the Australia, New Zealand and South Africa national rugby union teams. The All Blacks won the tournament. South Africa won their first Mandela Challenge Plate in a o ...

and the

2004 Tri Nations Series The 2004 Tri Nations Series, an annual rugby union competition between the national teams of Australia, New Zealand and South Africa, was the ninth in the series. The competition is organised by SANZAAR, SANZAR, a consortium of the three countri ...

. He has often been used as an "impact player" off the bench, especially in the 2005 Tri Nations Series. In 2002, he was voted the South African "Player of the Year". In the first match of the

2008 Tri Nations Series The 2008 Tri Nations Series was the thirteenth annual Tri Nations Series, Tri Nations competition between the national rugby union teams of New Zealand national rugby union team, New Zealand, Australia national rugby union team, Australia and Sou ...

against the All Blacks in

Wellington Wellington is the capital city of New Zealand. It is located at the south-western tip of the North Island, between Cook Strait and the Remutaka Range. Wellington is the third-largest city in New Zealand (second largest in the North Island ...

, he was a surprise choice to start at No. 8. He was expected to play for the

Northampton Saints Northampton Saints (officially Northampton Rugby Football Club) is a professional rugby union club from Northampton, England. The club plays in Premiership Rugby, England's top division of rugby union. It was formed in 1880 as "Northampton St. ...

however his contract was terminated before he arrived, reportedly because of constant injury problems. In May 2013 he played as a replacement as

Toulon Toulon (, , ; , , ) is a city in the Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur region of southeastern France. Located on the French Riviera and the historical Provence, it is the prefecture of the Var (department), Var department. The Commune of Toulon h ...

won the 2013 Heineken Cup Final by 16–15 against Clermont Auvergne. After 2014 Heineken Cup Final van Niekerk has officially retired from rugby union. Van Niekerk resides in

Costa Rica Costa Rica, officially the Republic of Costa Rica, is a country in Central America. It borders Nicaragua to the north, the Caribbean Sea to the northeast, Panama to the southeast, and the Pacific Ocean to the southwest, as well as Maritime bo ...

and runs Rama Organica

organic farm Organic farming, also known as organic agriculture or ecological farming or biological farming,Labelling, article 30 o''Regulation (EU) 2018/848 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 30 May 2024 on organic production and labelling of ...

.Spiritual journey takes Joe van Niekerk from Springboks to the jungle
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Teams

*South African Schools 1997–1998 *South Africa Under-19 1998 *South Africa Under-21 2000/2001 * South African Sevens 2001 *Gauteng Lions U21 1998–2001 *Gauteng Lions 2001–2003 *

Lions The lion (''Panthera leo'') is a large cat of the genus ''Panthera'', native to Sub-Saharan Africa and India. It has a muscular, broad-chested body; a short, rounded head; round ears; and a dark, hairy tuft at the tip of its tail. It is se ...

Team 2002–2003 *

Stormers The Stormers (known for sponsorship reasons as the DHL Stormers) and the academic team DHL Stormers is a South African professional rugby union team based in Cape Town in the Western Cape that competes in the United Rugby Championship, a tra ...

Super Rugby Super Rugby is a men's professional rugby union club competition involving teams from Australia, Fiji, New Zealand, and the Pacific Islands. It has previously included teams from Argentina, Japan, and South Africa. Super Rugby started as the S ...

Team 2004–2007 *

Western Province Western Province or West Province may refer to: *Western Province, Cameroon *Western Province, Rwanda *Western Province (Kenya) *Western Province (Papua New Guinea) *Western Province (Solomon Islands) *Western Province, Sri Lanka *Western Provinc ...

2004–2007 *

2001–2012 *

(contract was terminated before arrival) *

(France) 2008 – 2014

Honours

Toulon

Heineken Cup The European Rugby Champions Cup (known as the Investec Champions Cup for sponsorship reasons) is an annual rugby union tournament organised by European Professional Club Rugby (EPCR). It is the top-tier competition for clubs who compete in a pre ...

2013 2013 was the first year since 1987 to contain four unique digits (a span of 26 years). 2013 was designated as: *International Year of Water Cooperation *International Year of Quinoa Events January * January 5 – 2013 Craig, Alask ...

2014 The year 2014 was marked by the surge of the Western African Ebola epidemic, West African Ebola epidemic, which began in 2013, becoming the List of Ebola outbreaks, most widespread outbreak of the Ebola, Ebola virus in human history, resul ...

European Challenge Cup The EPCR Challenge Cup is an annual rugby union competition organised by European Professional Club Rugby (EPCR). It is the second-tier competition for clubs based in European leagues behind the European Rugby Champions Cup. From its inception ...

runner-up: 2009–10, 2011–12 *

Top 14 The Top 14 () is a professional rugby union club competition that is played in France. Created in 1892, the Top 14 is at the top of the national league system operated by the National Rugby League (France), France National Rugby League, also ...

runner-up:

2012 2012 was designated as: *International Year of Cooperatives *International Year of Sustainable Energy for All Events January *January 4 – The Cicada 3301 internet hunt begins. * January 12 – Peaceful protests begin in the R ...

South Africa

* Tri Nations:

2004 2004 was designated as an International Year of Rice by the United Nations, and the International Year to Commemorate the Struggle Against Slavery and Its Abolition (by UNESCO). Events January * January 3 – Flash Airlines Flight 60 ...

References

*''

SA Sports Illustrated ''SA Sports Illustrated'' was a South African sports magazine published in print monthly. History and profile Founded by Richard Whittingdale in 1985 as owner, founder and editor. The Swimwear edition also founded in 1985 by Richard. Richard ra ...

''. "Showdown at ... Quiz Creek: AJ Venter vs Stefan Terblanche." October 2008: 32.

Endnotes

External links

* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Van Niekerk, Joe 1980 births Living people Rugby union players from Gqeberha Afrikaner people South African people of Dutch descent South African rugby union players South Africa international rugby union players Golden Lions players Lions (United Rugby Championship) players Stormers players Western Province (rugby union) players Northampton Saints players Rugby union flankers Rugby union number eights Alumni of King Edward VII School (Johannesburg) RC Toulon players South African expatriate rugby union players in France 21st-century South African sportsmen South Africa international rugby sevens players Male rugby sevens players 2003 Rugby World Cup players South African expatriate rugby union players in England