AJ Venter
Encyclopedia
AJ Venter is a retired South African rugby union
footballer. Who played for the Sharks in the international Super 14
competition, and the Natal Sharks
in the domestic Currie Cup
competition. Venter has also played for the South African national team, the Springboks
.
Venter made his debut for South Africa on November 26, 2000 in a Test against Wales
in Cardiff
. He has over 20 caps for the Springboks. His usual position is as flanker
but he has been known to play lock or 8th man.
in Australia and New Zealand as almost 20 first team players were either rested or injured. But he decided to retire from International rugby and hence withdrew from Springboks
touring squad.
His retirement meant that he also missed out on a possible World Cup place with the Springboks
, but he cited personal and business commitments in Durban and South Africa as his reasons for the retirement. He however, will continued playing for Super 14
side the Sharks until the end of the 2008 Super 14 competition.http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/rugby_union/6238294.stm
He did however later in the year rekindle his passion for the game after a lack of game time including a controversial exclusion from the Sharks semi-final team and with his freshened body he joined the Stormers(Western province) on a short term contract.
Currently AJ is running his own business from Durban.
Rugby union
Rugby union, often simply referred to as rugby, is a full contact team sport which originated in England in the early 19th century. One of the two codes of rugby football, it is based on running with the ball in hand...
footballer. Who played for the Sharks in the international Super 14
Super 14
Super Rugby is the largest and pre-eminent professional Rugby union competition in the Southern Hemisphere...
competition, and the Natal Sharks
Natal Sharks
The Natal Sharks are a South African rugby union team that participate in the annual Currie Cup and Super Rugby tournaments. The Sharks home stadium is Kings Park. They draw most of their players from the KwaZulu-Natal Province. The Sharks are the current representative team of the Natal rugby...
in the domestic Currie Cup
Currie Cup
The Currie Cup tournament is South Africa's premier domestic rugby union competition, played each winter and spring , featuring teams representing either entire provinces or substantial regions within provinces...
competition. Venter has also played for the South African national team, the Springboks
South Africa national rugby union team
The South African national rugby union team are 2009 British and Irish Lions Series winners. They are currently ranked as the fourth best team in the IRB World Rankings and were named 2008 World Team of the Year at the prestigious Laureus World Sports Awards.Although South Africa was instrumental...
.
Venter made his debut for South Africa on November 26, 2000 in a Test against Wales
Wales national rugby union team
The Wales national rugby union team represent Wales in international rugby union tournaments. They compete annually in the Six Nations Championship with England, France, Ireland, Italy and Scotland. Wales have won the Six Nations and its predecessors 24 times outright, second only to England with...
in Cardiff
Cardiff
Cardiff is the capital, largest city and most populous county of Wales and the 10th largest city in the United Kingdom. The city is Wales' chief commercial centre, the base for most national cultural and sporting institutions, the Welsh national media, and the seat of the National Assembly for...
. He has over 20 caps for the Springboks. His usual position is as flanker
Flanker (rugby union)
A flanker is a position in the sport of rugby union. Flankers play in the forwards, and are generally classified as either blindside, or openside flankers; numbers six and seven respectively. The name comes from their position in a scrum in which they flank each set of forwards...
but he has been known to play lock or 8th man.
International Retirement
AJ Venter was selected for the second-string squad for the away legs of the 2007 Tri Nations Series2007 Tri Nations Series
The 2007 Tri Nations Series was an annual rugby union competition between the national teams of Australia, New Zealand and South Africa. The series began in South Africa on 16 June, with a Test between South Africa and Australia at Newlands, Cape Town and ended on 21 July in Eden Park, Auckland...
in Australia and New Zealand as almost 20 first team players were either rested or injured. But he decided to retire from International rugby and hence withdrew from Springboks
South Africa national rugby union team
The South African national rugby union team are 2009 British and Irish Lions Series winners. They are currently ranked as the fourth best team in the IRB World Rankings and were named 2008 World Team of the Year at the prestigious Laureus World Sports Awards.Although South Africa was instrumental...
touring squad.
His retirement meant that he also missed out on a possible World Cup place with the Springboks
South Africa national rugby union team
The South African national rugby union team are 2009 British and Irish Lions Series winners. They are currently ranked as the fourth best team in the IRB World Rankings and were named 2008 World Team of the Year at the prestigious Laureus World Sports Awards.Although South Africa was instrumental...
, but he cited personal and business commitments in Durban and South Africa as his reasons for the retirement. He however, will continued playing for Super 14
Super 14
Super Rugby is the largest and pre-eminent professional Rugby union competition in the Southern Hemisphere...
side the Sharks until the end of the 2008 Super 14 competition.http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/rugby_union/6238294.stm
He did however later in the year rekindle his passion for the game after a lack of game time including a controversial exclusion from the Sharks semi-final team and with his freshened body he joined the Stormers(Western province) on a short term contract.
Currently AJ is running his own business from Durban.
External links
- Sharks profile
- AJ Venter on sporting-heroes.net
- AJ Venter to captain Sharks
- AJ Venter's Personal Web Page