Albert van den Berg
Encyclopedia
Albert van den Berg is a South African rugby union
rugby player. In 2010, he signed to play in Japan's Top League
for Canon Eagles. His usual position is at lock. He played for the Sharks in the international Super 14
competition. He has also played for the Springboks
.
He made his international debut for South Africa on 12 June 1999 in a test match against Italy
at EPRFU Stadium in Port Elizabeth. The Springboks won the match 74 points to three. He played in the subsequent match against Italy, though he started at lock in the second test. He then played in two matches during the 1999 Tri Nations Series
, against the All Blacks
at Loftus Versfeld in Pretoria
, which South Africa lost, and a match against Australia
at Newlands
in Cape Town
, which South Africa won by one point, 10 to nine.
He was then selected in South Africa's 1999 Rugby World Cup
squad for Wales
. He played in five matches for the Springboks during the tournament, including scoring two tries
in the 39 to three win over Uruguay
during the pool stages. The following season he moved from the Griquas to the Natal Sharks
.
He was selected to play in the 2000 Tri Nations Series
, in which he played in five of South Africa's matches during the tournament. He earned another four caps at the end of the year, playing tests against Argentina
at River Plate Stadium
, Ireland
at Lansdowne Road
, Wales
at Millennium Stadium
and England
at Twickenham
.
In 2001, he played in two mid-year tests against France
in South Africa, and was subsequently a reserve for two matches during the 2001 Tri Nations Series
. He earned one other cap that year, against the United States
in Houston.
He next played for the national team in 2004, as lock against the All Blacks in the 21 to 23 loss at Jade Stadium
during the 2004 Tri Nations Series
. The following year he scored two tries in a match against Uruguay as well as playing another eight test matches for the Sprigboks. After playing in a 2006 mid-year test against Scotland, he was named in the 2006 Tri Nations Series
squad.
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...
rugby player. In 2010, he signed to play in Japan's Top League
Top League
The Top League is a professional rugby union league created by the Japan Rugby Football Union to drive up the overall standard and popularity of the sport in the country and improve the results of the Japan national rugby union team. The first season was 2003-04 and featured 12 teams...
for Canon Eagles. His usual position is at lock. He 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. He has also played for 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...
.
He made his international debut for South Africa on 12 June 1999 in a test match against Italy
Italy national rugby union team
The Italy national rugby union team represent the nation of Italy in the sport of rugby union. The team is also known as the Azzurri . Italy have been playing international rugby since the late 1920s, and since 2000 compete annually in the Six Nations Championship with England, France, Ireland,...
at EPRFU Stadium in Port Elizabeth. The Springboks won the match 74 points to three. He played in the subsequent match against Italy, though he started at lock in the second test. He then played in two matches during the 1999 Tri Nations Series
1999 Tri Nations Series
The 1999 Tri Nations Series was contested from 10 July to 28 August between the Australia, New Zealand and South Africa national rugby union teams. The All Blacks won the tournament.-Table:-Results:...
, against the All Blacks
All Blacks
The New Zealand men's national rugby union team, known as the All Blacks, represent New Zealand in what is regarded as its national sport....
at Loftus Versfeld in Pretoria
Pretoria
Pretoria is a city located in the northern part of Gauteng Province, South Africa. It is one of the country's three capital cities, serving as the executive and de facto national capital; the others are Cape Town, the legislative capital, and Bloemfontein, the judicial capital.Pretoria is...
, which South Africa lost, and a match against Australia
Australia national rugby union team
The Australian national rugby union team is the representative side of Australia in rugby union. The national team is nicknamed the Wallabies and competes annually with New Zealand and South Africa in the Tri-Nations Series, in which they also contest the Bledisloe Cup with New Zealand and the...
at Newlands
Newlands Stadium
Newlands Stadium, currently referred to as DHL Newlands for sponsorship reasons, is located in Cape Town, South Africa.The stadium currently has a capacity of 51,900 people, but is not an all seater venue....
in Cape Town
Cape Town
Cape Town is the second-most populous city in South Africa, and the provincial capital and primate city of the Western Cape. As the seat of the National Parliament, it is also the legislative capital of the country. It forms part of the City of Cape Town metropolitan municipality...
, which South Africa won by one point, 10 to nine.
He was then selected in South Africa's 1999 Rugby World Cup
1999 Rugby World Cup
The 1999 Rugby World Cup was the fourth Rugby World Cup, and the first to be held in rugby union's professional era. The principal host nation was Wales, although the majority of matches were played outside the country, shared between England, France, Scotland and Ireland...
squad for Wales
Wales
Wales is a country that is part of the United Kingdom and the island of Great Britain, bordered by England to its east and the Atlantic Ocean and Irish Sea to its west. It has a population of three million, and a total area of 20,779 km²...
. He played in five matches for the Springboks during the tournament, including scoring two tries
Try
A try is the major way of scoring points in rugby league and rugby union football. A try is scored by grounding the ball in the opposition's in-goal area...
in the 39 to three win over Uruguay
Uruguay national rugby union team
The Uruguay national rugby union team is the representative side of Uruguay, governed by the Unión de Rugby del Uruguay. They have been playing international rugby since 1948. Their jersey is blue and black and they are known as Los Teros. They qualified twice for the Rugby World Cup, in 1999 and...
during the pool stages. The following season he moved from the Griquas to 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...
.
He was selected to play in the 2000 Tri Nations Series
2000 Tri Nations Series
The 2000 Tri Nations Series was contested from 15 July to 26 August between the Australia, New Zealand and South Africa national rugby union teams...
, in which he played in five of South Africa's matches during the tournament. He earned another four caps at the end of the year, playing tests against Argentina
Argentina national rugby union team
The Argentina national rugby team, nicknamed Los Pumas, represents Argentina in international rugby union matches. The team, which plays in sky blue and white jerseys, is organised by the Argentine Rugby Union .Argentina played its first international rugby match in 1910 against a touring British...
at River Plate Stadium
Estadio Monumental Antonio Vespucio Liberti
Estadio Monumental Antonio Vespucio Liberti, is a stadium in the Belgrano district of Buenos Aires, Argentina at the intersection of Figueroa Alcorta and Udaondo. It is the home venue of Club Atlético River Plate and is named after former club president Antonio Vespucio Liberti...
, Ireland
Ireland national rugby union team
The Ireland national rugby union team represents the island of Ireland in rugby union. The team competes annually in the Six Nations Championship and every four years in the Rugby World Cup, where they reached the quarter-final stage in all but two competitions The Ireland national rugby union...
at Lansdowne Road
Lansdowne Road
Lansdowne Road was a stadium in Dublin owned by the Irish Rugby Football Union that has been the location of a number of sports stadiums. It was used primarily for rugby union and for association football matches as well as some music concerts...
, 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...
at Millennium Stadium
Millennium Stadium
The Millennium Stadium is the national stadium of Wales, located in the capital, Cardiff. It is the home of the Wales national rugby union team and also frequently stages games of the Wales national football team, but is also host to many other large scale events, such as the Super Special Stage...
and England
England national rugby union team
The England national rugby union team represents England in rugby union. They compete in the annual Six Nations Championship with France, Ireland, Scotland, Italy, and Wales. They have won this championship on 26 occasions, 12 times winning the Grand Slam, making them the most successful team in...
at Twickenham
Twickenham Stadium
Twickenham Stadium is a stadium located in Twickenham, in the London Borough of Richmond upon Thames. It is the largest rugby union stadium in the United Kingdom and has recently been enlarged to seat 82,000...
.
In 2001, he played in two mid-year tests against France
France national rugby union team
The France national rugby union team represents France in rugby union. They compete annually against England, Ireland, Italy, Scotland and Wales in the Six Nations Championship. They have won the championship outright sixteen times, shared it a further eight times, and have completed nine grand slams...
in South Africa, and was subsequently a reserve for two matches during the 2001 Tri Nations Series
2001 Tri Nations Series
The 2001 Tri Nations Series was contested from 21 July to 1 September between the Australia, New Zealand and South Africa national rugby union teams...
. He earned one other cap that year, against the United States
United States national rugby union team
USA Rugby's men's national rugby union team, nicknamed the Eagles, represents the United States in the sport of rugby union. The Eagles are currently ranked 17th by the IRB World Rankings. Their highest ranking was from November 2, 2006 – September 10, 2007 at the 14th position...
in Houston.
He next played for the national team in 2004, as lock against the All Blacks in the 21 to 23 loss at Jade Stadium
Jade Stadium
Lancaster Park, formerly Jade Stadium and currently known as AMI Stadium through sponsorship rights, is a sports stadium situated in Waltham, a suburb of Christchurch in New Zealand....
during the 2004 Tri Nations Series
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 SANZAR, a consortium of the three countries' rugby union federations...
. The following year he scored two tries in a match against Uruguay as well as playing another eight test matches for the Sprigboks. After playing in a 2006 mid-year test against Scotland, he was named in the 2006 Tri Nations Series
2006 Tri Nations Series
-Week 2:-Week 3:-Week 4:* All Blacks retain Bledisloe Cup-Week 5:-Week 6:-Week 7:-Week 8:-Week 9:-External links:* * *...
squad.