Boy from Mbombela is RWC final man of the match
Duane Vermeulen played his primary school, high school and first professional rugby in Mpumalanaga
He played his first competitive rugby match in 1996, for Laerskool Nelspruit’s u/9 team. He went on to Hoërskool Nelspruit, where he represented the first XV in 2004 and 2005. On Saturday Duane Vermeulen was Mastercard player of the match in the biggest rugby match that can be played – the World Cup final.
It was a 23-year journey for the born-and-bred Mbombelan.
From the fields of Laerskool and Hoërskool Nelspruit he went on to sign for the Phakisa Pumas, when they were still based in eMalahleni, in 2006 and 2007.
He was contracted to the Cheetahs and played for them in 2007 and 2008. In 2009 Vermeulen joined Western Province, where he played for the Currie Cup team and the Super Rugby side, the Stormers.
Vermeulen’s career took him to France, where he played in the colours of Toulon from 2015 to 2018.
He spent less than a season at the Kubota Spears before returning to South Africa to play for the Bulls earlier this year.
At first-class club and provincial level, Vermeulen has played 290 matches in 14 seasons.
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On Saturday the 1,93 metre, 117 kilogram number 8 earned his 54th Springbok cap.
In the final against England he made 10 carries (the most by any South African forward), making 49 metres (the most by any forward in the match), and secured two turnovers. He executed seven tackles and did not miss any.
He was immense on the field, not only in his physical play, but as a team leader. It was an impressive effort from the 33-year-old.
In the players of the match television interview, Vermuelen said, “England had two fantastic fetchers in Underhill and Curry. They were superb the whole tournament. We had to do something at the breakdown. We have a good bunch of forwards, the starters, the bomb squad. It was fantastic to lay the platform for the guys to get the advantage and get the penalties. We were doing it for each other, but also for 57 million people back in South Africa”.
Vermeulen has come a long way from a barefoot player on the A field at Nellies, to the 2019 Rugby World Cup final at the Yokahama Stadium, Tokyo.
