François Steyn

Club career

Steyn began his professional career with the Sharks at age 19, making his Super 14 debut in 2007. In his debut season he played on the right wing, then moved to fullback when Percy Montgomery was injured, and later to fly-half for a match against the Blues. In 2009 he signed a two-year contract with French Top 14 club Racing Métro 92 for an estimated €750,000 per season. He rejoined the Sharks on 29 May 2012 with a three-year deal, but was unavailable for the knock-outs due to his late entry and did not play when the Sharks lost the final to the Chiefs.

Returning for the 2013 Super Rugby competition, he captained the side in early matches in the absence of Keegan Daniel. After struggling with form early on, he regained his previous level but was injured in a match against the Highlanders in Dunedin. He next appeared in the Currie Cup semi-final of 2013 against the Free State Cheetahs, was subbed early, but was selected for the final against DHL Western Province. His defensive contributions helped the Sharks win the Currie Cup in 2013.

On 3 June 2014 he signed a two-year deal with Japanese club Toshiba Brave Lupus. In 2016 he joined French club Montpellier, winning the European Rugby Challenge Cup in 2016 and playing in the 2017–18 Top 14 final as runners-up. After four seasons in France, he returned to South Africa and joined the Cheetahs on 1 July 2020, debuting on 10 October in a Super Rugby Unlocked match against the Pumas. On 24 March 2023 he sustained a knee injury in a Currie Cup fixture against the Blue Bulls and was ruled out for the rest of the competition, which his team won two months later. In July he announced his retirement from professional rugby at age 36.

International career

After playing only ten matches in the 2006 Currie Cup Premier Division at fly-half, Steyn was selected at age 19 for South Africa's Northern Hemisphere touring squad by coach Jake White. He debuted at wing against Ireland, scoring a try, and in his next match was moved to fullback against England, scoring a long-range drop-goal from his own half. In the 2007 Tri Nations opener against Australia at Newlands Stadium, he kicked two drop goals to win the game, including a 42-metre effort from a fielded clearance kick and another three minutes from time.

At the 2007 Rugby World Cup, after centre Jean de Villiers was injured, Steyn replaced him at inside centre—his second professional match at that position—and made a break on his first touch, sparking a 37–0 second-half demolition of Samoa. On 24 September 2007 he was cited for allegedly biting Tongan winger Joseph Vaka during a World Cup match; both players were sent to the sinbin in the 60th minute. Steyn was cleared due to insufficient evidence and Vaka's concession that the bite mark could have occurred in normal play.

He started at inside centre in the 2007 World Cup Final, making a break that led to a penalty and converting one himself, becoming the youngest player to win a Rugby World Cup. In the 2009 Tri Nations final match against New Zealand, his last before departing for France, he converted three penalties from within his own half, believed to be a first in a Test match. He reached his 50th test cap against Argentina in Cape Town in 2012, the youngest South African to do so.

He was injured during the 2012 Rugby Championship, missing the final two matches, the Currie Cup, and the end-of-year tour. After a three-year absence from international rugby, he was recalled for South Africa's 2017 series against France due to injuries to Pat Lambie and Handre Pollard.