Dan du Preez

Daniel du Preez (born 5 August 1995 in Durban, South Africa) is a South African rugby union player for the Sharks in Super Rugby and Sale Sharks in the English Premiership.[1] He can play as a lock, a flanker or a number eight.

Dan du Preez

Full name	Daniel du Preez
Date of birth	(1995-08-05) 5 August 1995
Place of birth	Durban, South Africa
Height	1.96 m (6 ft 5 in)
Weight	112 kg (17 st 9 lb; 247 lb)
School	Kearsney College, KwaZulu-Natal
University	Varsity College, Westville
Notable relative(s)	Robert du Preez (father), Robert du Preez (brother), Jean-Luc du Preez (brother)
Rugby union career
Position(s) Loose forward / Lock Current team Sharks / Sale Sharks Youth career 2008–2015 Sharks Senior career Years Team Apps (Points) 2015–present Sharks 53 (70) 2015–2017 Sharks XV 4 (10) 2015–2018 Sharks (Currie Cup) 19 (45) Correct as of 7 July 2019 National team(s) Years Team Apps (Points) 2012–2013 South Africa Schools 4 (0) 2015 South Africa Under-20 5 (10) 2017–2018 South Africa 4 (0) Correct as of 3 June 2018

Career

Youth

Du Preez was selected in a number of KwaZulu-Natal youth squads whilst still at school. At primary school level, he was selected for their squad that played at the 2008 Under-13 Craven Week competition. He also played in the premier schools competition in South Africa – the Under-18 Craven Week in three different seasons; he made two appearances at the 2011 event in Kimberley, three appearances at the 2012 event in Port Elizabeth – scoring a try in their match against the Free State[2] – and a further three appearances in 2013, scoring a try against Border.[3]

In both 2012 and 2013, Du Preez was selected to represent a South African Schools team. In 2012, he played in their matches against France[4] and Wales[5] and in 2013 he made appearances against England[6] and Wales.[7]

He recovered from an injury that kept him out of the 2014 IRB Junior World Championship to play a key part in the Sharks U19 side that played in the 2014 Under-19 Provincial Championship, making eleven appearances and scoring tries in their matches against Eastern Province U19[8] and Free State U19[9] to help them qualify for the semi-finals, where they lost 20–43 to the Blue Bulls U19.[10]

Sharks

In 2015, despite not having featured at senior provincial level for the Sharks, Du Preez was included on the bench for the Sharks' Round Five Super Rugby match against the Cheetahs.[11] He made his Super Rugby debut in the Sharks' 27–10 victory, coming on for the final ten minutes of the match.[12]

South Africa Under-20

In 2014, he was selected in the South Africa Under-20 squad to play at the 2014 IRB Junior World Championship, but an injury ruled him out of the competition and was replaced by Jacques Vermeulen.[13]

In March 2015, Du Preez was named in an extended South Africa Under-20 training group as part of their preparation for the 2015 World Rugby Under 20 Championship.[14] He featured for them in a friendly match against a Varsity Cup Dream Team in April 2015.[15] In May 2015, he was included in the South Africa Under-20 squad that toured Argentina.[16] He started both of their tour matches,[17][18] scoring a try in the 25–22 victory in the first encounter and was then included in the final squad for the 2015 World Rugby Under 20 Championship.[19]

He played off the bench in the first of their three matches in Pool B of the competition, a 33–5 win against hosts Italy,[20] started their 40–8 win against Samoa[21] and again came on as a replacement in their 46–13 win over Australia[22] to help South Africa finish top of Pool B to qualify for the semi-finals with the best record pool stage of all the teams in the competition. Du Preez came on in the second half of their semi-final match against England, but could not prevent them losing 20–28 to be eliminated from the competition by England for the second year in succession[23] and started their third-place play-off match against France, scoring two tries in the match to help South Africa to a 31–18 win to secure third place in the competition.[24]

Personal

Du Preez's father Robert is a former Springbok scrum-half that made seven appearances for South Africa between 1992 and 1993.[25]

He has an older brother – also called Robert – and a twin brother Jean-Luc. Both of them also represented the South Africa Under-20 side at the IRB Junior World Championship, in 2013 and 2014 respectively.[26]

References

1. "SA Rugby Player Profile – Dan du Preez". South African Rugby Union. Retrieved 29 May 2016.
2. "SA Rugby Match Centre – Free State 24-48 KZN". South African Rugby Union. 9 July 2012. Retrieved 4 July 2016.
3. "SA Rugby Match Centre – Border 14-77 KwaZulu Natal". South African Rugby Union. 13 July 2013. Retrieved 4 July 2016.
4. "SA Rugby Match Centre – South Africa 17-7 France". South African Rugby Union. 10 August 2012. Retrieved 4 July 2016.
5. "SA Rugby Match Centre – South Africa 24-16 Wales". South African Rugby Union. 14 August 2012. Retrieved 4 July 2016.
6. "SA Rugby Match Centre – South Africa 19-14 England". South African Rugby Union. 9 August 2013. Retrieved 4 July 2016.
7. "SA Rugby Match Centre – South Africa 14-13 Wales". South African Rugby Union. 17 August 2013. Retrieved 4 July 2016.
8. "SA Rugby Match Centre – EP Kings U19 7-15 Sharks U19". South African Rugby Union. 5 September 2014. Retrieved 4 July 2016.
9. "SA Rugby Match Centre – Free State U19 22-18 Sharks U19". South African Rugby Union. 13 September 2014. Retrieved 4 July 2016.
10. "SA Rugby Match Centre – Blue Bulls U19 43-20 Sharks U19". South African Rugby Union. 17 October 2014. Retrieved 4 July 2016.
11. "Pieter Steph du Toit injury spoils Sharks victory". Business Day. 16 March 2015. Retrieved 23 March 2015.
12. "SA Rugby Match Centre – Toyota Cheetahs 10-27 Cell C Sharks". South African Rugby Union. 14 March 2015. Retrieved 4 July 2016.
13. "Du Preez blow for Baby Boks". iafrica.com. 25 May 2014. Retrieved 25 May 2014.
14. "SARU names large group for Junior Bok trials". South African Rugby Union. 25 March 2015. [{{{archiveurl}}} Archived] Check |archiveurl= value (help) from the original on 6 December 2016. Retrieved 6 December 2016.
15. "SA Rugby Match Centre – Varsity Cup XV 24-31 South Africa U/20". South African Rugby Union. 21 April 2015. Retrieved 4 July 2016.
16. "SARU names Junior Bok squad for Argentine tour". South African Rugby Union. 29 April 2015. Archived from the original on 30 January 2016. Retrieved 29 April 2015.
17. "Los Pumitas cayeron ante Baby Boks por 25 a 22". Unión Argentina de Rugby (in Spanish). 12 May 2015. Archived from the original on 22 May 2015. Retrieved 21 May 2015.
18. "Los Pumitas cayeron ante Baby Boks por 39 a 28". Unión Argentina de Rugby (in Spanish). 16 May 2015. Archived from the original on 22 May 2015. Retrieved 21 May 2015.
19. "Liebenberg to lead Junior Boks at U20 World Championship in Italy". South African Rugby Union. 20 May 2015. Archived from the original on 30 January 2016. Retrieved 20 May 2015.
20. "SA Rugby Match Centre – Italy U20 5-33 South Africa U20". South African Rugby Union. 2 June 2015. Retrieved 4 July 2016.
21. "SA Rugby Match Centre – South Africa U20 40-8 Samoa U20". South African Rugby Union. 6 June 2015. Retrieved 4 July 2016.
22. "SA Rugby Match Centre – South Africa U20 46-13 Australia U20". South African Rugby Union. 10 June 2015. Retrieved 4 July 2016.
23. "SA Rugby Match Centre – South Africa U20 20-28 England U20". South African Rugby Union. 15 June 2015. Retrieved 4 July 2016.
24. "SA Rugby Match Centre – France U20 18-31 South Africa U20". South African Rugby Union. 20 June 2015. Retrieved 4 July 2016.
25. "Meet the Du Preez Trio: Robert, Daniel and Jean-Luc". S.A. School Sports. 24 May 2011. Retrieved 30 April 2014.
26. "Junior Springboks named for JWC 2014". South African Rugby Union. 22 April 2014. [{{{archiveurl}}} Archived] Check |archiveurl= value (help) from the original on 7 June 2016. Retrieved 6 June 2016.