Neil Rautenbach (born 17 May 1991 in Cape Town, South Africa) is a Namibian South African-born rugby union player for the Boland Cavaliers in the Currie Cup and the Rugby Challenge.[1] His regular position is hooker.
| Date of birth | 17 May 1991 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Place of birth | Cape Town, South Africa | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Height | 1.78 m (5 ft 10 in) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Weight | 98 kg (15 st 6 lb; 216 lb) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| School | Paarl Boys' High School | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| University | Cape Peninsula University of Technology | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Rugby union career | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Career
editYouth and Varsity Cup rugby
editHe represented Western Province at high school level, playing for their Under-16 side at the Grant Khomo Week in 2007 and for their Under-18 Craven Week side in 2009. He joined their academy and played for the Western Province U19 side in the 2010 Under-19 Provincial Championship and for the Western Province U21 side in the 2011 and 2012 Under-21 Provincial Championships.
He also played Varsity Cup rugby for the UCT Ikey Tigers since 2011, winning the competition with them twice in 2011 (during which he made just one appearance, but was named on the bench for the final)[2] and 2014, when he made nine appearances and played the first 72 of the final as they secured a dramatic 39–33 comeback victory.[3]
Western Province
editHe made his first class debut in the 2014 Vodacom Cup competition, starting their quarter-final match against the Pumas in Nelspruit. That turned out to be his only appearance in the competition, as Western Province lost 13–8.[4]
He was included in their squad for the 2014 Currie Cup Premier Division and named on the bench for their Round Two clash against the Blue Bulls.[5]
Free State Cheetahs
editRautenbach signed a contract to join the Free State Cheetahs from 1 July 2015.[6]
Representative rugby
editIn October 2014, Rautenbach was called up to the Namibian national team for the first time prior to their end-of-year tour to Europe.[7]
References
edit- ^ "SA Rugby Player Profile – Neil Rautenbach". South African Rugby Union. Retrieved 29 May 2016.
- ^ "SA Rugby Match Centre – Tuks 16–26 UCT". South African Rugby Union. 11 April 2011. Retrieved 21 September 2016.
- ^ "SA Rugby Match Centre – FNB NWU-PUKKE 33–39 FNB UCT 1ST XV". South African Rugby Union. 7 April 2014. Retrieved 21 September 2016.
- ^ "SA Rugby Match Centre – Steval Pumas 13–8 DHL Western Province". South African Rugby Union. 2 May 2014. Retrieved 21 September 2016.
- ^ "Just one change for DHL WP v Bulls" (Press release). Western Province. 14 August 2014. Retrieved 14 August 2014.
- ^ "WP-haker, OP-stut word Cheetahs" (in Afrikaans). Netwerk24. 16 May 2015. Retrieved 19 May 2015.
- ^ "Namibia call up WP, Cheetahs stars". Rugby365. 15 October 2014. Retrieved 15 October 2014.