Frans Steyn hung up his boots this week ending his illustrious career that saw him maximise his potential as a prolific winner regardless of the team he played for.
In a career that spanned 16 years Steyn showed his game-breaking ability through his extreme versatility and canon of a boot that propels him to legendary status in the game.
Personal life
Steyn was born in Aliwal North in South Africa’s Eastern Cape but spent much of his youth on the family farm and then in Bloemfontein, where he attended the prestigious Grey College.
Attending the famous school, which is renowned for its production of Test rugby stars, proved crucial for his future, with several offers thrown his way after he finished school.
Club career
He settled on the Sharks and made the move to Durban as an 18-year-old where he took his spot in the Currie Cup team during the 2006 season.
It was not long before Steyn debuted in the Super 14 for the Sharks, where he was originally used as a wing and then a full-back to cover for a Percy Montgomery injury. He would also feature at fly-half in a season where he played with exuberance and confidence, catching the global eye. The Sharks would go deep in the tournament but ultimately lose out to the Bulls in the dying minutes of the final.
2008 turned out to be a more fruitful year for the growing star in the colour of the Sharks as they claimed the Currie Cup, which was Steyn’s first title at club level.
The next season was a mixed year for the Durban side, with the Sharks enjoying little success. Steyn, however, had caught the eye of French side Racing 92, who signed him in 2009 for a reported €750,000.
By now, Steyn was globally renowned and perhaps ever feared for his monster boot as he could punish teams from as far as 60 metres from the tee. The South African would show he could punish teams out of hand as well, kicking an iconic drop goal from just about 60 metres out.
However, despite big-money signings at the club, he won no silverware and decided to return to the Sharks in 2012. He would show some decent form and was one of the team leaders. In 2013 he won his second Currie Cup.
Steyn would once again leave South African shores, this time for Japan, where he played for the Toshiba Brave Lupus from 2014-2016. There would be no silverware claimed during his time in Asia, which he traded for a move back to France but this time for Jake White’s Montpellier in 2016.
The star would go on to play over 100 games for the club, winning the Challenge Cup in 2015-2016 and losing out in the Top14 final in 2017-2018.
His successful stint in France came to an end in 2020 as he revealed his desire to return to South Africa with his young family signing for the Cheetahs. Soon after his return, the Covid-19 pandemic would force a reshuffle in the South African rugby structure that saw the Bloemfontein side lose their spot in global competition.
Still, Steyn stayed and together with old friend Ruan Pienaar inspired the club to the 2023 Currie Cup – his final title.
A knee injury would force him to give up the game in July 2023.
International career
Whilst the versatile man had a successful club career, it pales in comparison to his Test career.
Steyn scored on debut against Ireland in 2006 as a fresh-faced 19-year-old on the wing. His next appearance was at full-back against England, where he nailed a trademark long-range drop goal.
As a teenager, he added x-factor to the Springboks set-up famously nailing two drop-goals in the 2007 Tri-Nations against Australia.
However, it was not until the Rugby World Cup that year that he got his big break.
Star centre Jean de Villiers was injured in the first game and White, who was now Springboks coach, threw Steyn into the 12 slot, and the youngster absolutely thrived.
Steyn grew in confidence throughout the tournament after only having played one competitive game in the position before the World Cup. His bold running and massive boot proved a huge asset as he nailed long-range kicks, even in the final.
The Springboks would go on to claim the William Webb Ellis Cup, and Steyn became the youngest World Cup winner.
He continued to grow as a Test player and made his mark again in the 2009 Tri-Nations against New Zealand, where he became the first player to kick three penalties from inside his own half.
Steyn was a weapon with the boot, and his versatility made him extremely valuable, by 2012 he reached 50 Test caps – the youngest to do so at the time.
His time in the green and gold became sparse due to selection policies, with him being an overseas player restricting his chances. He would end a three-year Test hiatus in 2017 after being called up as injury cover.
However, it was not until Rassie Erasmus took over the Springboks where Steyn’s importance shot up again. At the time, the team were in a bad place with some of the poor results in their history. Erasmus’s revival plan was to return to a more physical style of play; Steyn was the key to it all.
Since Steyn could cover just about every backline position, it meant Erasmus could pick an extra forward on the bench and maintain a higher level of physicality throughout. This would be the beginning of the famed ‘Bomb Squad’.
The ‘Bomb Squad’ with Steyn as the key element, would go on to power the Springboks to the most miraculous of World Cup wins in 2019.
Erasmus, in some ways, used Steyn to change the game, and now players like Damian Willemse have elevated importance because of the effectiveness of Steyn’s versatility.
Steyn was just the second Springbok double World Cup winner, after Os du Randt. He planned to be part of the 2023 Rugby World Cup, his fourth tournament, but a knee injury forced him to hang up his boots.
Net worth
It is difficult to offer an accurate net worth for the South African, but estimates range from between $1-5 million.
READ MORE: Bakkies Botha: Everything you need to know about the Springboks ‘Enforcer’
The article Frans Steyn: Everything to know about the Springbok great appeared first on Planetrugby.com.
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