Victor Matfield

Victor Matfield (born 11 May 1977) is a former South African rugby union player. He represented and captained the Springboks, the Blue Bulls in the Currie Cup, and the Bulls in Super Rugby. Widely regarded as one of the finest locks in South African history, he formed a long and successful partnership with Bakkies Botha at both club and international level. Matfield’s ability to disrupt opposition line-outs was a key factor in South Africa’s 2007 Rugby World Cup victory, for which he was named IRB Player of the Tournament. In 2008, he captained the first team to defeat the All Blacks in New Zealand since England did so in 2003. After initially retiring following the 2011 World Cup as South Africa’s most capped player, Matfield ended a two-year hiatus by signing a two-year playing deal with the Bulls for the 2014 and 2015 seasons.

Born in Pietersburg (now Polokwane) on 11 May 1977, Matfield grew up playing both rugby and cricket, representing Far North Schools in cricket. A batting and bowling injury led him to focus on rugby, and he was selected for Far North’s junior Craven Week team before playing lock for Hoërskool Pietersburg. He competed in the high school Craven Week competition for two consecutive years.

After school, Matfield studied at the University of Pretoria, where he made the university’s under-21 side and soon joined the Blue Bulls under-21 team. In 1997, he was selected for the under-21 Springbok side captained by Bobby Skinstad, and he was also chosen for the 1998 squad.

A major turning point came in 1999 when Matfield left the Blue Bulls for Griquas, which also earned him a spot with the Cats in the Super 12 that year. This move helped him prove his ability, and in 2000 he was given a chance to play for the Bulls in the Super 12. His efforts paid off in 2001 when he was selected for the Springbok squad, making his debut against Italy on 30 June 2001. He contributed to the Springboks’ resurgence in 2004 and 2005, and in the latter year he was one of five finalists for the IRB World Player of the Year award.

Matfield was an automatic pick for South Africa’s 2007 World Cup-winning squad and earned Man of the Match in the final for his line-out work. After the tournament, he was linked with a move to Leicester Tigers but instead signed a six-month contract with French second-division club Toulon, starting in January 2008. At Toulon, he joined a side packed with veteran stars, including George Gregan, Andrew Mehrtens, and coach Tana Umaga. Between January and February 2008, Matfield played nine key matches for Toulon before returning to South Africa for the 2008 Super 14 season with the Bulls. His return was reportedly prompted by the South African Rugby Union reconsidering its policy limiting overseas-based players for the Springboks.

In 2014, Matfield returned to playing, signing a two-year contract with the Bulls that kept him in the game through the end of 2015. At the 2015 Rugby World Cup, he started in South Africa’s first two group matches. The Springboks reached the knockout stages, and Matfield came off the bench in their semi-final loss to New Zealand. His final international appearance was a 24–13 victory in the third-place playoff against Argentina, where he again entered as a second-half substitute. In 2015, it was announced that Matfield would join Northampton Saints after the World Cup. He played one season for Northampton before ending his 21-year career in a match against Gloucester Rugby.

Over his career, Matfield won the Currie Cup three times (2002, 2004, 2009), the Super 14 title three times (2007, 2009, 2010), the Tri-Nations twice (2004, 2009), and the Rugby World Cup in 2007. He was inducted into the University of Pretoria Hall of Fame in 2008.

After retiring from the Springboks following the 2015 World Cup, Matfield considered a coaching role with the NSW Waratahs in Australia. He later joined SuperSport as a TV presenter for the Super Rugby season and served as a line-out consultant for the Blue Bulls in 2013.