SA Rugby hails ‘fun, hard-working’ Wannenburg

Published on

SA Rugby president Mark Alexander has hailed Pedrie Wannenburg, who died aged 41 on Saturday, as a versatile Springbok “who gave all he had on the pitch, but always had a smile on his face”.

Wannenburg made his Bok debut against France in Paris in 2002 at the age of 21, and was a stalwart of the Vodacom Bulls team that won numerous Currie Cup and Vodacom Super Rugby titles in the 2000s.

Earmarked for higher honours since his school days at Hoër Landbouskool Oakdale in South Western Districts, the loose forward was a member of the SA U21 team that won the Junior World Championship in 2002 and, a few months later, he made his Test debut.

“Pedrie will be remembered as one of the first real versatile loose forwards who could play in any position in the back row and even though he played in only 20 Tests, his record in the colours of the Bulls, during a period where they dominated on all levels, is nearly unmatched,” said Alexander.

Heyneke: Everybody loved Pedrie

“After he finished his career in South Africa, he went on to make a big impact playing club rugby in Ireland, France and later the USA, and he started giving back to the game in a coaching capacity after he retired a few years ago.

“Pedrie was a fun-loving and hard-working man and someone who gave all he had on the pitch, but afterwards always had a smile on his face. He represented his country with aplomb – who will ever forget the try he scored in the narrow victory over the All Blacks in Rustenburg in 2006?

“To lose someone at the cusp of the rest of his life with a young family, after a long and storied rugby career is extremely sad and our thoughts are with his wife, Evette, their two children, Isabelle and Francois, as well as his parents and other family members, loved ones and friends during this very difficult time.”

Post by

Devin Hermanus