| Full name | Gideon Johannes Stegmann | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Date of birth | 22 March 1986 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Place of birth | Cradock, Eastern Cape, South Africa | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Height | 1.81 m (5 ft 11+1⁄2 in) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Weight | 104 kg (16 st 5 lb; 229 lb) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| School | Grey College, Bloemfontein, South Africa | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Rugby union career | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Gideon Johannes Stegmann (born 22 March 1986) is a South African professional rugby union player, who most recently played as an openside flank for Honda Heat in the Japanese Top League. He made his Super 14 debut for the Bulls in 2008 at the age of 21.
Stegmann is a classic fetcher with a low centre of gravity who is thriving under the new law interpretations- and his anticipation, together with his toughness, is a huge asset for the Bulls.[1] He made the number 6 jersey his own in 2008 after playing in every Super 14 match and being awarded Bulls Forward of the Year in 2008.
His grandpa is famous springbok player Johannes Augustus Stegmann. He has been one of the Super Rugby's best openside flankers from 2008 to 2011.[2] He is one of the hardest-working players in the Bulls' squad, as well as a superb team player with a very high work rate, regularly leading the tackle count, turnover and work rate stats for the Bulls.[3] He has a time of 10.8 seconds in the 100-metre sprint.[4]
At the Bulls, Stegmann plays in a back row combination together with Springbok flank, Dewald Potgieter and Springbok number 8, Pierre Spies, winning 2 Super 14 titles in 2 successive years as well as the Currie Cup.
In 2013, he signed a contract extension to keep him at the Blue Bulls until 2015.[5]
Stegmann attended South Africa's top-ranked rugby school:[6] Grey College, Bloemfontein, where he was selected for the SA schools team. During high school he was a track and field athlete and played number 8 (as well as flank) in Grey College's First XV loose trio, alongside Springbok and Cheetahs flank Heinrich Brüssow, and Cheetahs now Irish international flank Richardt Strauss.[7][8][9] Tertiary education: UNISA.
In November 2010, Stegmann was called up to the Springbok squad (outgoing tours) as a replacement to injured Springbok flank and former IRB player of the year Schalk Burger, and was handed his first cap as a Springbok debutant in the starting lineup named to face Ireland on 6 November 2010. The Springboks won and Stegmann subsequently started every match on tour. South Africa obtained a result of 3–1 over the Isles, beating England and Wales and losing to Scotland.