History

Pierre Spies is a young man with the potential for excellence and the willpower to achieve it. This has been evident in his life from a very young age. Already in primary school he displayed prowess in sport and the character of a leader, when he was elected as the head boy of Skuilkrans Primary School in Pretoria. He competed and excelled in a variety of sport activities including athletics, swimming, tennis, rugby and cricket, the latter for which he achieved provincial colours (Northern Province).

Pierre attended the well-known Pretoria Afrikaans Hoër Seunskool, (Afrikaans Boys High School) fondly known as “Affies”. It was during his years in High School that his proficiency in sport became recognizable as an undeniable gifting. He continued to stand out in rugby, cricket and athletics, but also added water polo to his repertoire of demanding sport activities. He secured a place in the under sixteens Blue Bull rugby team in 2001 when he was in Grade 10, along with his friend, Chiliboy Ralapela, today, likewise a member of the Springbok rugby team. Pierre was awarded the news paper, Beeld’s ‘Man of the Match’ Award. That same year he was selected for the award-winning ‘Affies’ Boys Choir.

Then, in 2002 Pierre played lock for the Craven Week team and received the Beeld, Man of the Match Award for the second consecutive year. He also ended fourth in the National Championships for under seventeens discus throwing. In his matric year (2003) he surpassed himself by excelling not only in rugby, but also in both track and field events in athletics. He captained the Craven Week rugby team in the position as eighth man, became the under twenties discus champion of South Africa, ranked third in the country for shot-put, thus qualifying for the Junior World Championships and ran the 100 meter sprint in an astonishing 10.7 seconds.

After school Pierre attended the University of Pretoria and completed his first year in B.Sc Construction Management, but tragedy struck in October that year, when his father, former Northern Transvaal rugby player and Springbok athlete, passed away. When Pierre pulled the Springbok Rugby jersey over his head for the first time shortly thereafter, playing for the under nineteens, it was a bitter-sweet moment for the family. The absence and loss of Pierre Spies Snr. was felt particularly, as he would have no-doubt been very proud of seeing his son attain Springbok status.
The following year, only nineteen years old, Pierre made his Super 12 debut as the youngest rugby player ever, to play for the Blue Bulls and what a debut he made, scoring nine tries in only six games as the under twenty-one’s wing. The doors swung wide open for Pierre, welcoming him into the world of professional South African rugby, in 2006. He played for his country at the World Cup in France in the under twenty-one’s team and thereafter, ran onto the field for the National Team on the 15th of July against Australia in Brisbane, during the Tri-Nations Series.

The country fell into shock when the popular young player was diagnosed later that same year, with blood clots in his lungs and subsequently had to withdraw from the team that went on the win the World Cup against England. While being in treatment and under the watchful eye of the team’s physicians, Pierre kept on training and as soon as he received the green light, he ran back onto the rugby field. That year he was nominated SA Curry Cup Player of the Year, SA Player of the Year, International Player of the Year and got the award for SA’s most Promising Player of the Year, as well as Sportsman of the Year. He played more test matches than Curry Cup games and continue to excite fans and rugby experts alike.

Although the name Pierre Spies is to South Africans and rugby fans all over the world, synonymous with competence on the sport field, it is clear that this young athlete is known for more than that. Inundated with invitations to appear as guest speaker, Pierre uses every opportunity to inspire young and old, not with talk of sport, but of life, faith, family and love. He married the girl of his dreams, the beautiful Juanne Weidemann, in December 2008 and their dedication to Christ and Christian values, serve as an example to young and old alike.