Marco Wentzel

Marco Wentzel
Full name Marco Van Zyl Wentzel
Date of birth 6 May 1979
Place of birth George, South Africa
Height 201 cm (6 ft 7 in)
Weight 117 kg (18 st 6 lb)
Rugby union career
Playing career
Position Lock
Professional / senior clubs
Years Club / team Caps (points)
1998–99
2000–02
2003–05
2005–06
2006
2006–07
2007–09
2009
2009–11
2011–13
2013–
Eagles
Pumas
Free State Cheetahs
Treviso
Boland
Treviso
Leicester
Southern Kings
Leeds
Wasps
Natal Sharks
4
59
36
64
7
24
48
1
49
51
19
(0)
(15)
(20)
(0)
(5)
(25)
(0)
(0)
(20)
(10)
5
correct as of 18 October 2014.
Super Rugby
Years Club / team Caps (points)
2001–02
2003
2013–
Bulls
Cats
Sharks
16
10
7
(0)
(0)
0
correct as of 1 April 2015.
National team(s)
Years Club / team Caps (points)
2002 South Africa 2 (0)

Marco Van Zyl Wentzel (born 6 May 1979 in George, Western Cape, South Africa) is a rugby union player. He plays as a lock or in the back-row.

He attended Outeniqua High School in George and played for their first team from 1995 to 1997; he was also captain in 1997. In 1996 and 1997, he played Craven Week for South Western Districts. In 1997, he also played for SWD U21. After finishing school, he signed a contract with the SWD Eagles, where Heyneke Meyer was the coach. He made his Currie Cup debut that year for SWD against North-West province. In 2000, he signed for the Pumas on a three-year deal. In 2001 and 2002, he also played for the Bulls in Super 12.

In 2001, he played for a South Africa Under-23 side which won the Africa Cup and in 2002 he became a Springbok. He made his debut against France alongside Bakkies Botha and Jean de Villiers. He joined the Free State Cheetahs and played for them from 2003 until 2005; he also played Super Rugby with the Cats in 2003.

In 2004, he signed with the Italian outfit Treviso where he played for 3 years, coming back in between for stints with the Free State Cheetahs in 2005 (winning the Currie Cup with them) and the Boland Cavaliers, which won Currie Cup First Division.

While at Treviso, they won the Copa Italia in 2004 and the Italian Super 10 in 2005 and 2006. He moved to England to represent Leicester Tigers and Leeds Carnegie in the Aviva Premiership, before plying his trade with London Wasps and joining teammate Steve Thompson at the Wycombe-based club in 2011.[1]

Leaving Wasps after the 2012–13 Premiership season,[2] he returned to South Africa and signed a two-year contract to play for the Natal Sharks domestically and for the Sharks in Super Rugby.[3]

References

  1. "Leeds skipper Marco Wentzel signs for Wasps". BBC. 23 May 2011. Retrieved 2 April 2015.
  2. "London Wasps lock Marco Wentzel returns to South Africa". BBC. 18 June 2013. Retrieved 17 July 2013.
  3. "Ebersohn op pad na Frankryk; Wentzel word Haai". Die Burger (in Afrikaans). Media24. 17 July 2013. Retrieved 17 July 2013.

External links