Daniel Vickerman
Encyclopedia
Daniel Vickerman is a rugby union
footballer for the New South Wales Waratahs
and Australia
who left a successful international career in 2008 to attend the University of Cambridge
, where he read a degree in Land Economy at Hughes Hall
, and returned to Australian Rugby in 2011. The 204 cm, 119 kg lock previously played Super Rugby
with the Brumbies (2001–03) and New South Wales Waratahs
(2004–2008), and appeared in 52 Tests with the Wallabies
, the national team of his adopted country of Australia
. He signed a one-year deal to return to professional rugby with Northampton Saints
in the Guinness Premiership
in May 2009, but arranged to delay his arrival with the team until after the 2009 Varsity Match
in December, in which he captained Cambridge
to a 31–27 victory over eternal rival Oxford
. His first match for the Saints was against Sale Sharks on 7 March 2010.
Vickerman was born in South Africa and played his early rugby in South Africa, where he represented South Africa in the under-21 team in 1999. He soon moved to Australia and was selected in the under-21 Australian side. In 2001 he was contracted by the Brumbies and made his debut that season in a Super 12 match against the Sharks in Durban
. He played a total of seven Super 12 games that season. In 2002, he was selected to play for Australia A in Canada that year. He went on to make his test debut that year in Sydney
in a match against France
.
The following season he played numerous tests for the Wallabies, becoming a regular either as a starter or off the bench. He also signed with the Waratahs for the 2004 season. He was a replacement in all the domestic Wallaby tests in 2004, but became the starting lock on the end of year United Kingdom
and France
tour. In 2006 he started in all but one match for the Waratahs who made it to the finals of the 2006 Super 14 season
. He was subsequently named in John Connolly
's Wallaby squad.
Vickerman had a shoulder
reconstruction in November 2006. He returned to rugby union
in a test match against Wales
coming off the bench. Although missing most of the 2007 Super 14 season
through injury, Vickerman returned to the Test scene and has cemented his place back in the Wallaby starting line up. Vickerman was named in the Wallabies 2007 Rugby World Cup
squad.
Vickerman missed out on making Robbie Deans' 2008 Wallabies squad because of an injury he sustained in the 2008 Super 14
final. In the autumn of 2008 he started at Cambridge University where he will read Land Economy for three years. He played for Cambridge
in the 2008 Varsity Match
, captained Cambridge to victory in the 2009 Match, and will combine his studies with his renewed professional career at Northampton.
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 for the New South Wales Waratahs
New South Wales Waratahs
The New South Wales Waratahs are an Australian rugby union football team, representing the majority of New South Wales in the Super 15 Super Rugby competition...
and Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
who left a successful international career in 2008 to attend the University of Cambridge
University of Cambridge
The University of Cambridge is a public research university located in Cambridge, United Kingdom. It is the second-oldest university in both the United Kingdom and the English-speaking world , and the seventh-oldest globally...
, where he read a degree in Land Economy at Hughes Hall
Hughes Hall, Cambridge
Hughes Hall, is a constituent college of the University of Cambridge in Cambridge, England. It is often informally called Hughes, and is the oldest of the four Cambridge colleges which admit only mature students...
, and returned to Australian Rugby in 2011. The 204 cm, 119 kg lock previously played Super Rugby
Super 14
Super Rugby is the largest and pre-eminent professional Rugby union competition in the Southern Hemisphere...
with the Brumbies (2001–03) and New South Wales Waratahs
New South Wales Waratahs
The New South Wales Waratahs are an Australian rugby union football team, representing the majority of New South Wales in the Super 15 Super Rugby competition...
(2004–2008), and appeared in 52 Tests with the Wallabies
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...
, the national team of his adopted country of Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
. He signed a one-year deal to return to professional rugby with Northampton Saints
Northampton Saints
Northampton Saints are a professional rugby union club from Northampton, England. The Northampton Saints were formed in 1880. They play in green, black and gold colours. They play their home games at Franklin's Gardens, which has a capacity of 13,591....
in the Guinness Premiership
Guinness Premiership
The English Premiership, also currently known as the Aviva Premiership because of the league's sponsorship by Aviva, is a professional league competition for rugby union football clubs in the top division of the English rugby system. There are twelve clubs in the Premiership...
in May 2009, but arranged to delay his arrival with the team until after the 2009 Varsity Match
The Varsity Match
The Varsity Match is an annual rugby union fixture played between the universities of Oxford and Cambridge in England. By tradition, the match is held on the second Tuesday of December. In 2005, however, this changed, and the match was on Tuesday 6 December. In 2007, it was held on a Thursday for...
in December, in which he captained Cambridge
Cambridge University R.U.F.C.
The Cambridge University Rugby Union Football Club, or CURUFC, is the rugby union club of Cambridge University, and plays Oxford University in the annual Varsity Match at Twickenham stadium every December. CURUFC players wear light blue and white hooped jerseys with a red lion crest...
to a 31–27 victory over eternal rival Oxford
Oxford University RFC
The Oxford University Rugby Football Club is the rugby union club of the University of Oxford. The club contests The Varsity Match every year against Cambridge University at Twickenham.-History:...
. His first match for the Saints was against Sale Sharks on 7 March 2010.
Vickerman was born in South Africa and played his early rugby in South Africa, where he represented South Africa in the under-21 team in 1999. He soon moved to Australia and was selected in the under-21 Australian side. In 2001 he was contracted by the Brumbies and made his debut that season in a Super 12 match against the Sharks in Durban
Durban
Durban is the largest city in the South African province of KwaZulu-Natal and the third largest city in South Africa. It forms part of the eThekwini metropolitan municipality. Durban is famous for being the busiest port in South Africa. It is also seen as one of the major centres of tourism...
. He played a total of seven Super 12 games that season. In 2002, he was selected to play for Australia A in Canada that year. He went on to make his test debut that year in Sydney
Sydney
Sydney is the most populous city in Australia and the state capital of New South Wales. Sydney is located on Australia's south-east coast of the Tasman Sea. As of June 2010, the greater metropolitan area had an approximate population of 4.6 million people...
in a match 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...
.
The following season he played numerous tests for the Wallabies, becoming a regular either as a starter or off the bench. He also signed with the Waratahs for the 2004 season. He was a replacement in all the domestic Wallaby tests in 2004, but became the starting lock on the end of year United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
and France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
tour. In 2006 he started in all but one match for the Waratahs who made it to the finals of the 2006 Super 14 season
2006 Super 14 season
The 2006 Super 14 season started on Friday 10 February 2006. The Grand Final was held on Saturday 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, which saw two new teams, the...
. He was subsequently named in John Connolly
John Connolly (rugby)
John "Knuckles" Connolly is a rugby union coach and the former head coach of the Wallabies. Connolly has in the past worked with the Queensland Reds, Stade Français, Swansea RFC as well as Bath Rugby....
's Wallaby squad.
Vickerman had a shoulder
Shoulder
The human shoulder is made up of three bones: the clavicle , the scapula , and the humerus as well as associated muscles, ligaments and tendons. The articulations between the bones of the shoulder make up the shoulder joints. The major joint of the shoulder is the glenohumeral joint, which...
reconstruction in November 2006. He returned to rugby union
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...
in a test match against 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...
coming off the bench. Although missing most of the 2007 Super 14 season
2007 Super 14 season
The 2007 Super 14 season started in February 2007 with preseason matches held from mid-January. It finished on 19 May with the final at ABSA Stadium in Durban, in the first final between two South African teams in the history of Super Rugby...
through injury, Vickerman returned to the Test scene and has cemented his place back in the Wallaby starting line up. Vickerman was named in the Wallabies 2007 Rugby World Cup
2007 Rugby World Cup
The 2007 Rugby World Cup was the sixth Rugby World Cup, a quadrennial international rugby union competition inaugurated in 1987. Twenty nations competed for the Webb Ellis Cup in the tournament, which was hosted by France from 7 September to 20 October. France won the hosting rights in 2003,...
squad.
Vickerman missed out on making Robbie Deans' 2008 Wallabies squad because of an injury he sustained in the 2008 Super 14
Super 14
Super Rugby is the largest and pre-eminent professional Rugby union competition in the Southern Hemisphere...
final. In the autumn of 2008 he started at Cambridge University where he will read Land Economy for three years. He played for Cambridge
Cambridge University R.U.F.C.
The Cambridge University Rugby Union Football Club, or CURUFC, is the rugby union club of Cambridge University, and plays Oxford University in the annual Varsity Match at Twickenham stadium every December. CURUFC players wear light blue and white hooped jerseys with a red lion crest...
in the 2008 Varsity Match
The Varsity Match
The Varsity Match is an annual rugby union fixture played between the universities of Oxford and Cambridge in England. By tradition, the match is held on the second Tuesday of December. In 2005, however, this changed, and the match was on Tuesday 6 December. In 2007, it was held on a Thursday for...
, captained Cambridge to victory in the 2009 Match, and will combine his studies with his renewed professional career at Northampton.