Eben Etzebeth

Eben Etzebeth is well known for his impressive skills and his towering stature. During his illustrious career, he’s spent significant time with the Stormers, Toulon and the Sharks. He has also represented South Africa on an international level more than 100 times and was a pivotal part of the squad that won back-to-back Rugby World Cups. 

Eben Etzebeth was born in Cape Town, South Africa in October 1991 and from an early age he excelled in the sport and was earmarked as a hot prospect for the future.

He entered the Western Province youth setup in 2009 and also played with amateur side UCT Ikey Tigers in 2011. He then went on to play at a senior level with Western Province and the Stormers. In 2015, he had a season in the Japanese Top League with NTT DoCoMo Red Hurricanes. 

Across his club career, Eben Etzebeth has earned a fierce reputation as a hard-hitting enforcer - something that has translated onto the international stage. He has been acknowledged by players and pundits alike as one of the best locks in the world ever since his first senior call up for the Springboks in 2012. 

Etzebeth played in the 2015 Rugby World Cup with the Springboks, eventually finishing in third place. Less than a year later at the 2016 Rugby Championship, he earned his 50th cap for South Africa aged 24, becoming the youngest ever player to achieve this milestone.

In the 2017 edition of The Rugby Championship, Etzebeth was named as the captain of the Springboks. Although he missed a large portion of the 2018 international season due to injury, he still made the squad for the 2019 World Cup. He played a number of games in this tournament and started in the final, helping South Africa to a famous win over England. He then helped the Springboks claim back-to-back Rugby World Cups in 2023, before helping South Africa win The Rugby Championship again in 2024. 

Etzebeth has had an impressive career so far and we can’t wait to see more from him in the coming years.