Gerhard Mans (rugby union)

Gerhard Mans (born 19 April 1962) is a former Namibian rugby union player.[1] He is the father of Gerhard Mans, who represented Namibia in cycling.[2]

Gerhard Mans
Birth nameGerhard Mans
Date of birth (1962-04-19) 19 April 1962
Place of birthKarasburg, Namibia
Height1.70 m (5 ft 7 in)
Weight82 kg (181 lb)
SchoolWennie du Plessis, Gobabis
UniversityUniversity of the Free State
ChildrenGerhard Mans
Rugby union career
Position(s) Wing, Fullback
Provincial / State sides
Years Team Apps (Points)
1982–1984 Free State 24 ()
1985–1989 South West Africa ()
National team(s)
Years Team Apps (Points)
1990–1994 Namibia 27 (114)

Playing career

Born in Karasburg, a small town in southern Namibia, Mans attended school in Gobabis and after school moved to Bloemfontein, South Africa for tertiary studies at the University of the Free State.

He made his senior provincial debut in South Africa for the Free State in 1982 and in 1985 returned to his home country.[3] At the time South West Africa participated in the South African domestic rugby competitions. In 1987 Mans was appointed as captain of South West Africa and under his leadership during 1987, South West Africa won the B division of the Currie Cup and gained promotion to the A division for the 1988 season.[4]

In 1990 Namibia gained independence and consequently withdrew from the South African rugby competitions. Mans was selected as captain for the first Namibian national side after independence. Namibia played its first test match on 24 March 1990 in Windhoek against Zimbabwe and Mans scored one of his team's six tries in a 33–18 victory. In his second test, against Portugal, he scored a record six tries. Mans continued to play 27 test matches and scored 26 tries for Namibia and also captained the team 26 times. The only occasion that he did not captained the team, was during the 1995 World Cup qualifying final group stages against the Ivory Coast, when he played as a replacement and the team was captained by Henning Snyman. Mans retired at the end of the 1994 season, after Namibia failed to qualify for the 1995 World Cup.[1]

Test history

No.OppositionResult
(NAM 1st)
PositionTriesDateVenue
1. Zimbabwe33–18Wing (c)124 March 1990South West Stadium, Windhoek
2. Portugal86–9Wing (c)621 April 1990South West Stadium, Windhoek
3. Wales9–18Wing (c)12 June 1990South West Stadium, Windhoek
4. Wales30–34Wing (c)19 June 1990South West Stadium, Windhoek
5. France XV15–24Wing (c)23 June 1990South West Stadium, Windhoek
6. Spain36–6Wing (c)218 May 1991Campo Universitaria, Madrid
7. Portugal34–12Wing (c)124 May 1991Universitario Lisboa, Lisbon
8. Italy17–7Wing (c)115 June 1991South West Stadium, Windhoek
9. Italy33–19Wing (c)122 June 1991South West Stadium, Windhoek
10. Zimbabwe34–15Wing (c)29 June 1991South West Stadium, Windhoek
11. Zimbabwe53–9Wing (c)6 July 1991South West Stadium, Windhoek
12. Ireland15–6Wing (c)120 July 1991South West Stadium, Windhoek
13. Ireland26–15Wing (c)127 July 1991South West Stadium, Windhoek
14. Zimbabwe22–19Wing (c)3 August 1991Police Grounds, Harare
15. Zimbabwe23–16Fullback (c)10 August 1991Police Grounds, Harare
16. Zimbabwe46–20Fullback (c)17 September 1991South West Stadium, Windhoek
17. Zimbabwe55–23Wing (c)29 May 1992South West Stadium, Windhoek
18. Zimbabwe69–26Wing (c)116 May 1992South West Stadium, Windhoek
19. Wales23–38Wing (c)5 June 1993South West Stadium, Windhoek
20. Arabian Gulf64–20Wing (c)33 July 1993RFUEA Ground, Nairobi
21. Kenya60–9Wing (c)17 July 1993RFUEA Ground, Nairobi
22. Zimbabwe41–16Wing (c)310 July 1993RFUEA Ground, Nairobi
23. Russia12–31Wing (c)19 March 1994South West Stadium, Windhoek
24. Zimbabwe25–20Wing (c)14 June 1994COC Stadium, Casablanca
25. Ivory Coast12–13Replacement16 June 1994COC Stadium, Casablanca
26. Morocco16–16Fullback (c)18 June 1994COC Stadium, Casablanca
27. Hong Kong22–12Wing (c)24 August 1994South West Stadium, Windhoek

Accolades

Mans was one of the five nominees for 1988 SA Rugby player of the Year award. The other nominees for the award were Adolf Malan, Calla Scholtz, Tiaan Strauss and the eventual winner of the award, Naas Botha.[5]

References

  1. "Gerhard Mans". ESPN scrum. Retrieved 2020-06-17.
  2. Marketing, Intouch Interactive. "Mans-kombinasie takel Cape Epic - Sport - Republikein" [Mans-combination tackle Cape Epic]. www.republikein.com.na (in Afrikaans). Retrieved 2020-08-02.
  3. Van Rooyen, Quintus (1985). S.A. Rugby Writers Annual 1985. Verwoerdburg: SA Rugby Writers' Society. p. 73.
  4. Van Rooyen, Quintus (1988). S.A. Rugby Writers Annual 1988. Verwoerdburg: SA Rugby Writers' Society. pp. 173–175. ISBN 0620117222.
  5. Van Rooyen, Quintus (1989). S.A. Rugby Writers Annual 1989. Verwoerdburg: SA Rugby Writers' Society. p. 10. ISBN 0620132469.
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