| Full name | Wynand Claassen | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| University | University of Pretoria; University of Natal | ||
Wynand Claassen (born 16 January 1951 in Schweizer-Reneke) is a South African rugby player. He started as a Blue Bulls eighth-man when he arrived in the province in the late 1970s.
During his sporting career he earned acclaim after moving to Natal (now known at the Natal Sharks). There he helped take them from a B-league team to one of the premier rugby union teams in South Africa.
He formed a loose-trio with Thys Lourens and Burger Geldenhuys and soon had two Currie Cup final victories under his belt.
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In the early 1980s he won his first Springbok cap. In 1981 he earned international acclaim as captain during the infamous "Rebel Tour" in New Zealand.
Since retiring from the sport, he has maintained active role in South African Rugby. He is often invited to the Captain's Table at various fund raising events.
He has also earned great respect through his active involvement along with other Springbok captains supporting AfriForum's memorandum against political interference and racial discrimination in rugby.
On 12 August 2008, Wynand Claassen and a delegation of former Springbok captains met with the South African Rugby Union as part of their campaign to express concerns and lobby against the use of race to determine team selection.
In this meeting they expressed their intent to send a memorandum to the International Rugby Board. They assert that racial discrimination in sport and team selection is in conflict with international sporting regulations.
His autobiography, "More Than Just Rugby" was published in 1985.
Wynand Claassen will also be an honorary host on the Amabokoboko Blue Train which will be departing in June 2009 on a rare and distinguished journey from Pretoria. He will play host to exclusive guests en route to watch the Springboks vs the British & Irish Lions in the 1st test match at Durban.
Claassen is also an architecture graduate and occasional artist. In a Sunday Times interview with Jani Allan he described his passion for architecture; "I'm very interested in old architecture - I think it's a great pity that beautiful buildings that are part of our heritage are torn down to make way for great glass boxes." A self-portrait also accompanied the column.[1]