Victor Matfield

Who is Victor Matfield?

Victor Matfield is a South African rugby union player. He has played for and captained the Springbok rugby team as well as the Blue Bulls in the Currie Cup and the Bulls franchise in Super Rugby. He is generally considered one of the best locks in the world and has had a long successful partnership with Springbok and Blue Bulls teammate Bakkies Botha.

Besides almost always winning his own line-out ball, Matfield is known for his exceptional skill at disrupting opposition line-outs – this skill was a cornerstone of their 2007 World Cup success, where he was crowned IRB player of the Rugby World Cup – and his speed around the field led former Australian coach Eddie Jones to comment that he should be an Olympic sprinter instead. He also possesses good upper body strength, with the ability to bench press 155 kg. In 2008 he became the first international captain to beat the All Blacks in New Zealand since Martin Johnson in 2003. Matfield initially retired after the 2011 World Cup after an impressive career, leaving the game as the record Springbok cap holder, but returned after a two-year hiatus by signing a two-year playing contract with the Bulls for 2014 and 2015.