Huge credit here to Beeld’s Pieter Jordaan for alerting me to something that I didn’t previously know about one of our most exciting young Sharks stars.
Pieter-Steph du Toit, the 19-year-old lock who made his debut for the Sharks in Super Rugby this weekend has, as we reported yesterday, been included in this week’s Bok planning group. What I didn’t realise, though, is that the young man from Swartland Hoër in Malmesbury is actually the grandson of a Bok legend from the same region, legendary Boland strongman Piet “Spiere” du Toit.
Piet du Toit was a hugely powerful player, plucked from the obscurity of the Stellenbosch under 19s, where he was playing flank, and turned into a powerful front ranker by Doc Craven. He went on to play 14 tests at tight head prop, between 1958 and 1961 and is still widely considered to be one of the strongest men ever to wear the green and gold – at least relative to other who played in the same era. Du Toit senior played his last test at the age of 25 and then went on to become a successful wine farmer , acquiring the Kloovenburg estate in the Riebeeck Valley in the late 50s. His son Pieter (Steph’s dad) runs the estate today.
Spiere, alas, passed on in 1996, at the age of just 60. He’ll rest well, though, knowing that his “grootste kleinseun” has taken a big step towards following in his Bok footsprints.
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Big shoes to fill but he’ll be up to the task
So his grandfather is Piet,his father Pieter and he’s Pieter Steph,wonder what they’ll name Pieter Steph’s son
@Ludz (Comment 2) :
Nog ‘n Piet or Pieter, I’m sure..
I’m the fourth Richard, I think it is an Afrikaans thing..
@Richard Ferguson (Comment 3) : you mean the approach, if not the name itself
@robdylan (Comment 4) :
I have seen him at Kloovenberg, he is a big boy. And their wine is excellent.
@Ludz (Comment 2) : Piet, Pieter, Pieter-Steph, Pieter Stephanus…?
@Richard Ferguson (Comment 3) : Definitely an Afrikaans thing. I’m the third André. Happily, that tradition comes to a grinding halt in July…
@Culling Song (Comment 7) :
Congratulations in advance..
If I may, why won’t you continue?
@Richard Ferguson (Comment 8) : I’m not continuing with the trend for a few reasons:
1) Choosing a family name opens a veritable pandora’s box of family politics. Just. Not. Worth. The. Hassle.
2) André is VERY widely-used name. At every company I’ve been employed by there’s been at least 4 André’s in whichever department I’ve worked in. Really makes one feel special…
3) My wife and I like to do things our own way. Some sort of mid-life crisis rebellious streak kind of thing, I suppose
@Culling Song (Comment 9) :
In other words…..André is just too kommin.
Not sure he is big enough ,however he is young . Doesn’t look much over 6ft 5 to me or I may just be over hyping the size of professional rugby players .JPP on the other hand is a monster. Sat nights at Tiger Tiger.
@Culling Song (Comment 9) :
Go for Richard then
@Pokkel (Comment 10) :
Sadly that’s never been the case with us Xhosa gentlemen have never been men to continue with your father’s name,it’s creeping in though,my mom’s cousin recently named his MJ,which is Mqondisi Junior
@Richard Ferguson (Comment 3) : Where does the Ferguson come from? Not very Afrikaans sounding.
@lostfish (Comment 15) :
Haha.. Its Scottish, my great grandfather is from up North and he married an Afrikaans tannie from here..
@Ludz (Comment 2) : where is the write up on terra mthembu’s legacy?
@Megatron (Comment 17) : now you know that’s not fair… if there’s one that I’m not aware of, please let me know about it.
Don’t know of anything Rob
@Megatron (Comment 17) : Speaking of write ups…