DHL Stormers legend: Jaque Fourie

Regarded as one of the finest centres of his generation, Jaque Fourie was a powerful presence in midfield for the DHL Stormers.

Fourie was always a threat on the gainline, but he was also blessed with plenty of pace and an exceptional rugby brain.

Between 2010 and 2011, Fourie helped marshal the DHL Stormers and DHL Western Province defensive line while posing a threat with ball in hand alongside fellow Springbok midfielders Jean de Villiers and Juan de Jongh.

With Fourie forming the bedrock for an adamantine backline, the DHL Stormers featured in the playoff stages of Super Rugby for two successive seasons, and he played a prominent role in the historic 2010 final against the Vodacom Bulls in Soweto.

He scored 13 tries in 30 appearances for the DHL Stormers, before signing a two-year contract to stay in Japan with the Kobe Steelers in 2012 following a short-term deal with the Panasonic Wild Knights.

Capped 72 times by the Springboks, Fourie played Test rugby from 2003 to 2014, and featured at three Rugby World Cups. He received a first call-up to the Springboks for the 2003 Rugby World Cup, after making his Emirates Lions bow earlier that year, and scored a try on debut against Uruguay.

The midfield maestro would become a mainstay in the No 13 channel for his country as part of a dynamic partnership with De Villiers, and was a key figure of South Africa’s Webb Ellis Trophy victory in 2007.

Fourie scored 32 tries during his international career, but his second try in the second Test against the British & Irish Lions in 2009 stands out above the rest and sealed the series for the Springboks, as well as winning the IRB Men’s Try of the Year.

He hung up his boots in 2018 after a stint with the Western Force as a player-coach, and has served as defence coach with the Emirates Lions since 2021 after several seasons honing his craft in the Far East.

Fourie’s DHL Stormers numbers

30 – The number of matches he played for the DHL Stormers from 2010 to 2011

13 – The number of tries he scored for the DHL Stormers