Bulls to honour a Loftus legend

SPOTLIGHT: Morné Steyn versus Ruan Pienaar is on the cards when the Bulls host the Cheetahs in the Currie Cup crunch match at Loftus on Saturday.

But more than that, Steyn will also bow out of rugby as he step-ups for his very last kick on the pitch he has called home for the last 14 years.

The Blue Bulls Company announced this week that the 38-year-old will be recognised for his “long-standing commitment and service” until his retirement from the game in June.

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Ironically Steyn was the replacement for Pienaar in the second Test in Pretoria in 2009 against the British & Irish Lions when he came on after 61 minutes to kick the winning penalty from 53m a minute from time.

That kick gave the Springboks a 28-25 win and the series.

Steyn has garnered a reputation for having one of the most lethal boots in rugby.

There is always one athlete whose name becomes an identity for the sport. That’s when you know they have achieved something really, really great.

Steyn’s name will go down in the annals of rugby as exactly that. In terms of points amassed, he has broken every record possible at the Bulls, but also in the Springbok jersey.

He played at Stade Francais from 2013 to 2020, helping them to the European Challenge Cup in 2017 and the French Top 14 title in 2015.

He kicked all of Stade’s points in a 12-6 win over Clermont in the French final. He returned to the Bulls after his stint in France.

Here is a list of all his caps:

A timeline of his heroics on the field reads like the rugby book of legends:

• He joined the Bulls straight from school in 2003 and made his Super Rugby debut for the Bulls in 2005, when he was nominated for the Young Player of the Year.
• He topped the first-class point-scoring charts that year with 341.
• Steyn made an immediate impact in the international game when he made his debut off the bench in the first Test in Durban in 2009 against the British & Irish Lions.
• He was the leading point-scorer in Super Rugby that year with 189 and dropped four goals, a record, in the 36-23 semi-final win over the Crusaders.
• On his second start for the Springboks, in 2009, he scored the record number of points scored in an International by one player who had contributed all of his side’s points (all 31 points consisting of one try, one conversion and eight penalties) in a 31-19 win over New Zealand in Durban.
• In 2009 Steyn fixed himself to an all-time high in test rugby by scoring all 31 points in a 31-19 win against New Zealand. In only his second start, the magician slotted eight penalties and converted his own try.
• He surpassed 100 points for South Africa in just his eighth Test match (three of them were as a replacement), which was a record for a Springbok.
• He was also the fastest South African to 200, 300, 400, 500, 600 and 700 points, passing the milestones in 16, 24, 33, 43, 50 and 62 matches respectively.
• During the 2011 Rugby World Cup, when the Springboks were knocked out 11-9 in the quarterfinals by Australia in Wellington, he was the top scorer in the tournament with 62 points.
• He was recalled to the South African squad ahead of the British & Irish Lions 2021 series, nearly five years after his previous appearance, against New Zealand in Durban, in October 2016 – a 15-57 loss.
• His personal records aside, he also bagged two Currie Cup trophies, three Super Rugby titles, one French Top 14 title, and a Tri-Nations (now The Rugby Championship) win.
• In 2021, the maestro would do it again, coming off the bench to seal a win against the British & Irish Lions in the last seconds. A fairy tale story that would be too cliche if written about, yet lived by the veteran flyhalf.
• He remains one of the top four Super Rugby points scored by an individual player in history. He was the star of the show for the defending champions in 2010 when the Bulls moved to the top of the Super 14 table with a 50-32 victory over the Brumbies at Loftus Versfeld. The former Springbok weighed in with 35 points courtesy of two tries, five penalties and five conversions as the hosts recorded their 12th successive victory at their Pretoria home.

“Playing at Loftus over such a long period of time has been a gift in life I wouldn’t have dreamt of in any perfect world,” Steyn said.

“It has been a privilege and honour to represent all the passionate Loftus faithful, sharing the field with some incredible rugby players and experiencing many highs and lows with some of the most loyal rugby lovers, and of course, winning many pieces of silverware along the journey.

“This place has been home not only to me, but my family, wife and now kids. We will miss it when I am done, but luckily, we will always consider it our home and everyone here a part of our family,” Steyn said.