Pieter de Villiers (rugby player)
Encyclopedia
Pieter de Villiers is a retired South African-born French rugby union
footballer who represented France
at international level and played in two Rugby World Cup
s, and ended his club career with Stade Français in the Top 14 competition in France. A prop, he was renowned for his scrummaging ability.
De Villiers made his debut for France in 1999, on 28 August in a test match against Wales
in Cardiff
, just prior to the start of the 1999 Rugby World Cup
in Wales
. Despite only having the one international cap, De Villers was included in France's World Cup squad. He came on as a replacement in the quarterfinal win over Argentina
. He also played in the subsequent famous semi-final victory over the All Blacks
. France made it through to the final, where they met the Wallabies
. Australia won 35–12.
De Villiers was selected in France's 2000 Six Nations Championship
squad, and played in all of France's five matches during the tournament. He also earned another two international caps in November of that year, and was in the starting lineup in the second of two tests against the All Blacks. He cemented his position in the starting lineup, where he played all of the 2001 Six Nations Championship
games as well as the June and November test matches.
He played for France seven times during 2002. The following season, de Villiers won the Top 14 championship with Stade Français, defeating Stade Toulousain
32–18 in the final. In 2003 he was given a short ban for recreational drug use after traces of cocaine
and ecstasy were found in a drugs test – the player denied knowingly taking drugs but was banned for bringing the game into disrepute. De Villiers played two tests against Argentina and one against the All Blacks in June 2003, but did not play at the 2003 Rugby World Cup
in Australia. Stade Français again made it to the final of the French championship, where they defeated USA Perpignan
38–20, to take the championship. He returned to French squad in time for the 2004 Six Nations Championship
, as well as playing another three test matches later in the year. He earned 10 international caps for France in 2005, as well as that, Stade Français were finalists at the 2004-05 Heineken Cup
and French championship, though they lost both. The following season, he won the 2006 Six Nations Championship
with France.
At the club level, he has had a very successful career, playing on teams that won the Bouclier de Brennus
as French champions in 1998, 2000, 2003, 2004, and 2007.
In December 2007, de Villiers suffered a neck injury that sidelined him for a large part of the 2007–08 season. Even after recovering, he had difficulty breaking into the Stade Français squad. On 18 April 2008, he announced his retirement from all rugby, effective at the end of the 2007–08 season
.
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 represented 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...
at international level and played in two Rugby World Cup
Rugby World Cup
The Rugby World Cup is an international rugby union competition organised by the International Rugby Board and held every four years since 1987....
s, and ended his club career with Stade Français in the Top 14 competition in France. A prop, he was renowned for his scrummaging ability.
De Villiers made his debut for France in 1999, on 28 August in a test match 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...
, just prior to the start of the 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...
in 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...
. Despite only having the one international cap, De Villers was included in France's World Cup squad. He came on as a replacement in the quarterfinal win over 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...
. He also played in the subsequent famous semi-final victory over 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....
. France made it through to the final, where they met 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...
. Australia won 35–12.
De Villiers was selected in France's 2000 Six Nations Championship
2000 Six Nations Championship
The 2000 Six Nations Championship was the first series of the Six Nations Championship, following the inclusion of Italy into the Five Nations championship. Including the previous incarnations as the Home Nations and Five Nations, this was the hundred-and-sixth series of the northern hemisphere...
squad, and played in all of France's five matches during the tournament. He also earned another two international caps in November of that year, and was in the starting lineup in the second of two tests against the All Blacks. He cemented his position in the starting lineup, where he played all of the 2001 Six Nations Championship
2001 Six Nations Championship
The 2001 Six Nations Championship was the second series of the Six Nations Championship. Including the previous incarnations as the Home Nations and Five Nations, this was the hundred-and-seventh series of the northern hemisphere rugby union championship. The tournament was marred by an outbreak of...
games as well as the June and November test matches.
He played for France seven times during 2002. The following season, de Villiers won the Top 14 championship with Stade Français, defeating Stade Toulousain
Stade Toulousain
Stade Toulousain, also referred to as Toulouse, is a French rugby union club from Toulouse in Midi-Pyrénées. Toulouse is one of the finest rugby clubs in Europe, having won the Heineken Cup four times – in 1996, 2003, 2005 and 2010. They were also runners-up in 2004 and 2008 against London Wasps...
32–18 in the final. In 2003 he was given a short ban for recreational drug use after traces of cocaine
Cocaine
Cocaine is a crystalline tropane alkaloid that is obtained from the leaves of the coca plant. The name comes from "coca" in addition to the alkaloid suffix -ine, forming cocaine. It is a stimulant of the central nervous system, an appetite suppressant, and a topical anesthetic...
and ecstasy were found in a drugs test – the player denied knowingly taking drugs but was banned for bringing the game into disrepute. De Villiers played two tests against Argentina and one against the All Blacks in June 2003, but did not play at the 2003 Rugby World Cup
2003 Rugby World Cup
The 2003 Rugby World Cup was the fifth Rugby World Cup and was won by England. Originally planned to be co-hosted by Australia and New Zealand, all games were shifted to Australia following a contractual dispute over ground signage rights between the New Zealand Rugby Football Union and Rugby World...
in Australia. Stade Français again made it to the final of the French championship, where they defeated USA Perpignan
USA Perpignan
Union Sportive des Arlequins Perpignanais or Unió eSportiva Arlequins de Perpinyà , generally abbreviated as USAP in both languages, is a French rugby union club that plays in the city of Perpignan in Pyrénées-Orientales. The club currently competes in the Top 14, the top level of the French...
38–20, to take the championship. He returned to French squad in time for the 2004 Six Nations Championship
2004 Six Nations Championship
The 2004 Six Nations Championship was the fifth series of the rugby union Six Nations Championship to be held since the competition expanded in 2000 to include Italy. Including the previous incarnations as the Home Nations and Five Nations, this was the hundred-and-tenth series of the northern...
, as well as playing another three test matches later in the year. He earned 10 international caps for France in 2005, as well as that, Stade Français were finalists at the 2004-05 Heineken Cup
2004-05 Heineken Cup
The 2004-5 Heineken Cup was the tenth edition of the Heineken Cup. Competing teams, from England, France, Ireland, Italy, Scotland and Wales, were divided into six pools of four, in which teams played home and away matches against each other...
and French championship, though they lost both. The following season, he won the 2006 Six Nations Championship
2006 Six Nations Championship
The 2006 RBS 6 Nations Championship was the seventh series of the rugby union Six Nations Championship to be held since the competition expanded in 2000 to include Italy...
with France.
At the club level, he has had a very successful career, playing on teams that won the Bouclier de Brennus
Bouclier de Brennus
The Bouclier de Brennus, or Brennus Shield in English, is a trophy awarded to the winners of the French rugby union domestic league.The shield was not named, as it is often believed, after the famous Gallic warrior Brennus but rather artist Charles Brennus, co-founder of the USFSA, the original...
as French champions in 1998, 2000, 2003, 2004, and 2007.
In December 2007, de Villiers suffered a neck injury that sidelined him for a large part of the 2007–08 season. Even after recovering, he had difficulty breaking into the Stade Français squad. On 18 April 2008, he announced his retirement from all rugby, effective at the end of the 2007–08 season
2007-08 Top 14 season
The 2007-08 Top 14 Competition was a French domestic rugby union club competition, operated by the Ligue Nationale de Rugby . Because France hosted the 2007 Rugby World Cup, the competition did not begin at its normal time of August, but instead started on the last weekend in October 2007, one week...
.
External links
- Pieter De Villiers on sporting-heroes.net
- Pieter De Villiers on statistics.scrum.com
- Pieter De Villiers on lequipe.fr