Hanno Dirksen

Hanno Dirksen is a South African rugby union player currently playing for Ospreys. He was a regular member of the squad during the 2011–12 Pro12 winning season, and earned the award of try of the season for his score against Edinburgh in February 2012.[1]

Hanno Dirksen
Birth nameWillem Johannes Dirksen
Date of birth (1991-03-31) 31 March 1991
Place of birthKrugersdorp, South Africa
Height183 cm (6 ft 0 in)
Weight97 kg (15 st 4 lb; 214 lb)
SchoolTruro College
Notable relative(s)Corra Dirksen (uncle)
Rugby union career
Position(s) Wing
Senior career
Years Team Apps (Points)
2009– Ospreys 132 (180)
National team(s)
Years Team Apps (Points)
United States u-18

Dirksen grew up in the United States in Nashville, Tennessee, where he attended Lassiter High School (Marietta, GA), and played for the USA U17 and U18 national rugby union teams.[2] Dirksen went to the UK on a student visa in 2008 to study at Truro College, before transferring to Neath Port Talbot College in 2009. During his time at Truro College he played regularly for St Ives RFC and became a scoring machine, with St Ives lifting the County cup. Because of his student visa, he played as an amateur at Swansea RFC and Ospreys until he signed a professional contract with the Ospreys in January 2011.

He made his debut for Ospreys in November 2009 against Bath Rugby and scored his first try for the region in February 2010 against Leeds Carnegie in his only other appearance in the 2009–10 season. Dirksen featured for Ospreys 5 times during the 2010–11 season, scoring once. During the 2011–12 season Dirksen scored 8 tries for Ospreys in 24 matches.[3] Currently Dirksen is eligible to play for Wales in 2014 due to residency requirements and has expressed interest in playing for the nation in the future.[4]

Dirksen has two rugby internationals in his family. His brother Cornelius made his debut for the USA in the 2012 International Rugby Series, and their uncle Corra Dirksen won 10 South Africa caps in the 1960s.[5]

References
  1. "BBC Sport - Hanno Dirksen: Wing signs new deal with Ospreys".
  2. USA Rugby, Men's National Team, Player Profile, "Hanno Dirksen". Archived from the original on 3 March 2016.
  3. "Ospreys Player Profile: Hanno Dirksen". Archived from the original on 9 October 2012.
  4. "BBC Sport - Ospreys wing Hanno Dirksen reveals his Wales ambitions".
  5. Griffiths, John (21 November 2012). "Longevity and inexperience". Ask John. ESPN Scrum. Retrieved 21 November 2012.


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