Springboks backrower Duane Vermeulen has announced his retirement after a double in the Rugby World Cup.
Vermeulen was lauded by Mark Alexander, President of the South Africa Rugby Union, as a “springbok great.”
“Duane will forever be regarded as one of the real hard men of South Africa Rugby-he was not only a formidable force for the Springboks but also a multifaceted player who consistently delivered his best,” Said Mr Alexander.
The 37-year-old Vermeulen spanned 76 tests over 11 seasons. He started 68 of his tests in the number 8 jersey, played three times at flanker and five times off the bench, scoring three tries for South Africa.
He came from Mbombela in Mpumalanga, making his test debut against Australia in Perth in 2012 and concluded his international journey in the 2023 Rugby World Cup final against New Zealand in Paris.
Some of his achievements in green and golden jersey are, he won the South Africa Rugby Player of the Year Award twice (2014 and 2020), winning the Currie Cup with three different Unions when he lifted the coveted golden trophy with the Toyota Cheetahs (2007), DHL Western Province(2012) and Vodacom Bulls(2020).
“Duane made a massive impression wherever he went and looking at his achievements worldwide, it’s clear that he was not only a Springbok great , but a superb ambassador for South Africa,” added Mr Alexander.
