Ruan Pienaar

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Lore & Background

Pienaar is the son of former Springbok fullback Gysie Pienaar. He has been part of u19 (2003), u21 (2005) and senior Rugby World Cup (2007) winning squads. He also won the Currie Cup in 2008, 2019 and 2023. He made his Springbok debut in the 2006 Tri-Nations against New Zealand. He played his final rugby game on 17 May 2024, captaining the Cheetahs against the Griquas.

In Their Own Story

The ball was in his hands, the clock winding down at the Pro12 Final in 2013. Leinster led, but Ruan Pienaar, playing at fly-half, kept his team in the fight. Every kick he took sailed through the posts—penalties, conversions, all 18 of Ulster's points came from his boot. He had done the same in the Heineken Cup Final the year before, scoring 9 points in a 42–14 loss to Leinster. But this time, the final whistle blew with Ulster trailing 24-18. He walked off the pitch, head high, having given everything. Years later, at Shimla Park on 17 May 2024, he led the Cheetahs out for the 85th time as captain. It was his final game, against the Griquas. He had already announced his retirement, and the crowd knew they were watching the end of an era. He had come full circle—from Grey College in Bloemfontein to the World Cup, to Ulster, to Montpellier, and back home to the Cheetahs. As he left the field, he carried with him the memory of every kick, every pass, every moment of a career built on skill and faith.

Reader's Guide

Pienaar played for the Cheetahs in the Currie Cup, the Sharks in Super Rugby, then joined Ulster in 2010. He played for Montpellier in 2017/18, returned to the Cheetahs in 2019, and was loaned to the Sharks for the 2021/22 season. He retired from playing in 2024 and became backline and attack coach for the Cheetahs academy.

Did You Know?

• He scored all of Ulster's 19 points in his Magners League debut against Glasgow Warriors.
• He was named Magners League Player of the Year for the 2010/11 season, voted by his peers.
• He played in the 2012 Heineken Cup Final and the 2013 Pro12 Final, both against Leinster.
• He is the co-founder of a Bible study group for rugby players in South Africa.