Stompie van der Merwe
| Full name | Hendrik Stefanus van der Merwe | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Date of birth | 24 August 1936 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Place of birth | Krugersdorp, South Africa | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Date of death | 4 June 1988 (aged 51) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Height | 1.89 m (6 ft 2 in) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Weight | 99.8 kg (220 lb) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Occupation(s) | Building inspector | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Rugby union career | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Hendrik Stefanus van der Merwe (24 August 1936 – 4 June 1988), known as Stompie van der Merwe, was a South African international rugby union player.[1]
Born in Krugersdorp, van der Merwe was educated at Hoërskool Hendrik Verwoerd.[2]
Known by the nickname "Stompie" (Afrikaans slang for short), van der Merwe was in reality a tall lock forward. He made his Springboks debut against the All Blacks at Boet Erasmus Stadium in 1960 and was a reserve through their 1960–61 tour of Europe, as back up for Johan Claassen and Avril Malan. A back injury limited his participation during the tour and he didn't feature in any of the internationals fixtures.[3] In 1963, van der Merwe got an extended run in the Springboks team, taking the place of Claassen for three home Test matches against the Wallabies. He received a fifth and final cap the following year against France at Springs.[2]
See also
References
- ^ "Vital Test Today". The Press. 27 August 1960.
- ^ a b "Stompie van der Merwe". bokhist.com.
- ^ "Tourists Are Tired And Shaken". Belfast Telegraph. 27 January 1961.