Devin Oosthuizen
Full nameDevin André Oosthuizen
Date of birth (1988-05-28) 28 May 1988 (age 35)
Height1.94 m (6 ft 4+1⁄2 in)
Weight104 kg (229 lb; 16 st 5 lb)
SchoolHTS John Vorster, Pretoria
Rugby union career
Position(s) Flanker / Number eight
Youth career
2006–2009 Blue Bulls
Amateur team(s)
Years Team Apps (Points)
2009 UP Tuks 8 (0)
Senior career
Years Team Apps (Points)
2010 Blue Bulls 10 (5)
2010–2014 Eastern Province Kings 58 (50)
2013 Southern Kings 11 (0)
2015 Free State Cheetahs 4 (5)
Correct as of 20 May 2015
International career
Years Team Apps (Points)
2011 South African Kings 3 (0)
Correct as of 21 February 2013

Devin André Oosthuizen (born 28 May 1988) is a South African professional rugby union player, who most recently played with the Free State Cheetahs.[1] His regular position is flanker or number eight.

Career

Youth and Varsity Cup rugby

Oosthuizen went to school at HTS John Vorster in Pretoria, where he played for and captained the first team in 2006.[2] He was noticed by the Blue Bulls selectors and he earned a call-up to their Under-18 Craven Week side in the same year.

After school, Oosthuizen joined the Blue Bulls Academy and played for the Blue Bulls U19 side in 2007 and for the Blue Bulls U21s in 2008 and 2009. He was also a key player for university side UP Tuks in the 2009 Varsity Cup competition; he played in all eight of their matches (starting seven of those) as they reached the semi-final of the competition, before losing 14–38 to eventual champions, Maties.[3]

Blue Bulls

Oosthuizen made his senior debut for the Blue Bulls playing off the bench in their opening match of the 2010 Vodacom Cup season, a 22–17 victory over defending champions Griquas in Kimberley.[4] After a further substitute appearance in their next match against the Pumas,[5] Oosthuizen made his first start of the competition in a match against near-neighbours Golden Lions in Johannesburg. He marked the occasion by scoring his first senior try, dotting down after thirteen minutes to help his side to a 27–22 victory.[6] He played in all their remaining matches in the pool stages of the competition, with the Blue Bulls winning all seven. He also started their 17–6 victory over Western Province in the quarter-finals,[7] their 33–3 win over the Sharks XV in the semi-final[8] and in the final, where the Blue Bulls beat the Free State XV to win the Vodacom Cup competition for the third time.[9]

Eastern Province Kings / Southern Kings

After the Vodacom Cup competition, Oosthuizen was signed by Port Elizabeth-based side the Eastern Province Kings. He made his first Currie Cup appearance during their 2010 Currie Cup First Division campaign, coming on as a substitute in their 18–27 defeat to the Griffons in Welkom.[10] However, that was one of only two defeats during the season as they qualified for the semi-finals in second place. Oosthuizen started their 26–25 semi-final victory over Boland Cavaliers in Port Elizabeth,[11] as well as the final, which the EP Kings won 16–12 to become First Division champions. He also started both legs of their promotion play-off matches against the Pumas and scored a try in the first leg to help the Kings secure a 36–36 draw in Witbank.[12] However, the Pumas won the return leg in Port Elizabeth 46–28 to ensure the Kings remained in the First Division.

Oosthuizen's most prolific try-scoring campaign was the 2011 Vodacom Cup competition. He started six of their matches, scoring a brace of tries on two occasions – in a 51–0 victory over the Falcons in Vanderbijlpark[13] and in a 45–43 victory over the Griffons in Welkom.[14] It proved to be in vain as the Kings lost out on a quarter final spot following a points deduction for fielding ineligible players.[15][16]

Oosthuizen was part of the South African Kings side that played at the 2011 IRB Nations Cup competition in Romania. He played in all three matches as they secured victories over Georgia, Romania and Portugal to win the competition.

Oosthuizen started in a further nine matches (scoring one try against the Falcons) during the 2011 Currie Cup First Division season as they once again reached the final, only to be beaten by the Boland Cavaliers on this occasion.[17]

Oosthuizen appeared in all eight of their matches during the 2012 Vodacom Cup season, with the side managing to reach the quarter-final this time. However, they were eliminated at that stage by the Pumas in Nelspruit in a 19–30 defeat.[18] The same two teams battled it out for the 2012 Currie Cup First Division season, with the EP Kings running out 26–25 winners over the Pumas in Port Elizabeth to be crowned First Division champions for the second time in three years. Oosthuizen played on six occasions for the Kings, including the title decider.[19] He repeated his feat of 2010, once again scoring in the first leg of their promotion play-off series, this time against the Free State Cheetahs in Bloemfontein.[20] However, it was a mere consolation as the Kings lost the match 14–53. They couldn't turn around the deficit in the second leg, losing 6–16 to remain in the First Division.

During 2012, Oosthuizen also played in one match for the Kings against a South African Students selection.

With the Southern Kings entry into Super Rugby in 2013, Oosthuizen was named in the Southern Kings squad. Despite not being selected for their first few matches, he made his Super Rugby debut in Christchurch, New Zealand, coming on as a substitute in their 20–55 loss to the Crusaders.[21] He made his first start at this level the following week against the Hurricanes in Wellington[22] and also started their next match against the Brumbies in Canberra, which ended in dramatic fashion as an injury-time Cornell du Preez try followed by a Demetri Catrakilis conversion helped the Kings a secure their first away points in the competition.[23] He again started the following week, as an injury time Catrakilis drop goal saw the Kings win their first match on foreign soil, 30–27 against the Rebels in Melbourne.[24] Oosthuizen made a further four appearances off the bench and started their final match against the Sharks as they finished bottom of the log.[25] He also appeared in both legs of their relegation play-off series against the Lions, with the Kings losing 42–44 on aggregate to lose their Super Rugby status.

Oosthuizen returned to domestic action in the 2013 Currie Cup First Division and made nine consecutive appearances as the Kings reached their fourth final in succession. The 2013 saw a reversal of the 2012 result, with the Pumas running out 53–30 victors.[26] However, they were promoted to the Premier Division anyway following a SARU decision to expand the top tier from six teams to eight teams. In June 2014, he was selected in the starting line-up for the Eastern Province Kings side to face Wales during a tour match during a 2014 incoming tour. He played just under an hour of the match as the Kings suffered a 12–34 defeat.[27] He made five appearances in the 2014 Currie Cup Premier Division season, including their final match of the season against the Pumas that saw the Kings pick up their only victory in the competition.[28]

During his five seasons in Port Elizabeth, Oosthuizen made 58 first class domestic appearances, scoring ten tries. He also appeared three times in the IRB Nations Cup and eleven times in Super Rugby.

Free State Cheetahs / Cheetahs

Prior to the 2015 season, he signed a one-year contract with Bloemfontein-based side the Free State Cheetahs.[29]

References

  1. ^ "SA Rugby Player Profile – Devin Oosthuizen". South African Rugby Union. Retrieved 30 May 2016.
  2. ^ "Maritzburg te sterk vir JV's" (in Afrikaans). Beeld. 25 March 2014. Archived from the original on 30 October 2014. Retrieved 30 October 2014.
  3. ^ "SA Rugby Match Centre – Maties 38–14 Tuks". South African Rugby Union. 23 March 2009. Retrieved 4 July 2016.
  4. ^ "SA Rugby Match Centre – Griquas 17–22 Blue Bulls". South African Rugby Union. 26 February 2010. Retrieved 4 July 2016.
  5. ^ "SA Rugby Match Centre – Blue Bulls 29–15 Pumas". South African Rugby Union. 5 March 2010. Retrieved 4 July 2016.
  6. ^ "SA Rugby Match Centre – Golden Lions 22–27 Blue Bulls". South African Rugby Union. 13 March 2010. Retrieved 4 July 2016.
  7. ^ "SA Rugby Match Centre – Blue Bulls 17–6 Western Province". South African Rugby Union. 24 April 2010. Retrieved 4 July 2016.
  8. ^ "SA Rugby Match Centre – Blue Bulls 33–3 Sharks XV". South African Rugby Union. 1 May 2010. Retrieved 4 July 2016.
  9. ^ "SA Rugby Match Centre – Blue Bulls 31–29 Free State". South African Rugby Union. 7 May 2010. Retrieved 4 July 2016.
  10. ^ "SA Rugby Match Centre – Griffons 27–18 Eastern Province Kings". South African Rugby Union. 3 September 2010. Retrieved 4 July 2016.
  11. ^ "SA Rugby Match Centre – Eastern Province Kings 26–25 Boland". South African Rugby Union. 9 October 2010. Retrieved 4 July 2016.
  12. ^ "SA Rugby Match Centre – Barloworld Toyota Pumas 36–36 Eastern Province Kings". South African Rugby Union. 22 October 2010. Retrieved 4 July 2016.
  13. ^ "SA Rugby Match Centre – Valke 0–51 Eastern Province Kings". South African Rugby Union. 19 March 2011. Retrieved 4 July 2016.
  14. ^ "SA Rugby Match Centre – Tasol Solar Griffons 43–45 Eastern Province Kings". South African Rugby Union. 15 April 2011. Retrieved 4 July 2016.
  15. ^ "Law-flouting Kings penalised". sport24.co.za. 11 March 2011. Retrieved 11 March 2011.
  16. ^ "EP penalised after appeal dismissed". South African Rugby Union. 30 March 2011. Archived from the original on 24 September 2015. Retrieved 30 March 2011.
  17. ^ "SA Rugby Match Centre – Regent Boland Cavaliers 43–12 Eastern Province Kings". South African Rugby Union. 14 October 2011. Retrieved 4 July 2016.
  18. ^ "SA Rugby Match Centre – Ford Pumas 30–19 Eastern Province Kings". South African Rugby Union. 4 May 2012. Retrieved 4 July 2016.
  19. ^ "SA Rugby Match Centre – Eastern Province Kings 26–25 Ford Pumas". South African Rugby Union. 13 October 2012. Retrieved 4 July 2016.
  20. ^ "SA Rugby Match Centre – Toyota Free State Cheetahs 53–14 Eastern Province Kings". South African Rugby Union. 19 October 2012. Retrieved 4 July 2016.
  21. ^ "SA Rugby Match Centre – Crusaders 55–20 Southern Kings". South African Rugby Union. 23 March 2013. Retrieved 4 July 2016.
  22. ^ "SA Rugby Match Centre – Hurricanes 46–30 Southern Kings". South African Rugby Union. 30 March 2013. Retrieved 4 July 2016.
  23. ^ "SA Rugby Match Centre – Brumbies 28–28 Southern Kings". South African Rugby Union. 5 April 2013. Retrieved 4 July 2016.
  24. ^ "SA Rugby Match Centre – Rebels 27–30 Southern Kings". South African Rugby Union. 13 April 2013. Retrieved 4 July 2016.
  25. ^ "SA Rugby Match Centre – Sharks 58–13 Southern Kings". South African Rugby Union. 13 July 2013. Retrieved 4 July 2016.
  26. ^ "SA Rugby Match Centre – Steval Pumas 53–30 Eastern Province Kings". South African Rugby Union. 11 October 2013. Retrieved 4 July 2016.
  27. ^ "SA Rugby Match Centre – Eastern Province Kings 12–34 Wales". South African Rugby Union. 10 June 2014. Retrieved 4 July 2016.
  28. ^ "SA Rugby Match Centre – Eastern Province Kings 26–25 Steval Pumas". South African Rugby Union. 10 October 2014. Retrieved 4 July 2016.
  29. ^ "Cheetahs gaps nog 'n ster van die Kings" (in Afrikaans). Netwerk24. 2 October 2014. Retrieved 1 October 2014.
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