Jannie du Plessis

Jannie du Plessis

South Africa vs Fiji during 2007 Rugby World Cup
Full name	Jan Nathaniël du Plessis
Date of birth	(1982-11-16) 16 November 1982 (age 34)
Place of birth	Bethlehem, Free State, South Africa
Height	1.88 m (6 ft 2 in)
Weight	121 kg (267 lb; 19 st 1 lb)
School	Grey College, Bloemfontein
University	University of the Free State
Notable relative(s)	Bismarck du Plessis (brother) Tabbie du Plessis (brother)
Occupation(s)	Doctor, professional rugby union player
Rugby union career
Playing career
Position	Prop
Provincial/State sides Years Club / team Caps (points) 2003–2007 2008–present Free State Cheetahs Sharks (Currie Cup) 69 35 (15) (15) Correct as of 26 October 2013
Super Rugby Years Club / team Caps (points) 2006–2007 2008–present Cheetahs Sharks 26 119 (0) (0) Correct as of 14 June 2015
National team(s) Years Club / team Caps (points) 2003 2007–present 2007 & 2009 2014–2015 South Africa Under-21 South Africa (test) South Africa (tour) Springbok XV 4 70 2 2 0 (5) (0) (0) Correct as of 30 October 2015

Dr. Jan Nathaniel "Jannie" du Plessis (born 16 November 1982 in Bethlehem, Free State) is a South African rugby union player, who plays as a prop for South Africa and for Montpellier in the French Top 14. He played for the Free State Cheetahs in the Currie Cup and the Cheetahs in Super Rugby until 2007, when he joined Durban-based side the Sharks, where he played until 2015.

Du Plessis showed promise as a rugby player early, being named as captain of the Eastern Free State age-group team at Craven Week in 1995. While he continued to advance in rugby, playing for Free State representative teams at under-18 and under-19 level, he never represented South Africa at junior level.

He studied medicine at the University of the Free State and became a qualified doctor, making him one of the few players in the professional era of rugby union to have a career outside of the sport while playing professionally.

He eventually made the senior Free State Cheetahs side in 2003, and continued playing for the Cheetahs through the 2007 Currie Cup. Du Plessis was also named to a South African squad that faced a World XV at Ellis Park in 2006.

Du Plessis made his Super 14 debut in 2006 for the Vodacom Cheetahs. His 2007 Super 14 campaign was hampered by an ankle injury. After recovering, he was selected for the Springboks squad for the first time during the 2007 Tri Nations, making his debut in the starting XV on 7 July against Australia during the Boks' home leg. The match was significant for him in another way, as his younger brother Bismarck made his Boks debut as a substitute in the same match while he was still on the field. This made the Du Plessis brothers the 23rd set of brothers to earn Springboks caps.