Stoof Bezuidenhout

Stoof Bezuidenhout
Personal information
Full nameStephanus Marthinus Bezuidenhout
NicknameStoof
Born10 May 1986
Vereeniging, South Africa
Height1.86 m (6 ft 1 in)
Weight123 kg (19 st 5 lb)
School(s) attendedHTS Potchefstroom, Potchefstroom
Club information
Playing positionProp
Current clubLeopards
Amateur team(s)
YearsTeam
2009–11NWU Pukke16(5)
Senior career*
YearsTeamApps(Pts)
2011–Leopards52(10)
* Senior club appearances and points correct as of 6 October 2014.
† Appearances (Points).

Stephanus Marthinus "Stoof" Bezuidenhout (born 10 May 1986 in Vereeniging, South Africa) is a South African rugby union player, currently playing with the Leopards.[1] His regular position is tighthead prop.

Career

Varsity Cup

Bezuidenhout played for Potchefstroom-based university side NWU Pukke in the Varsity Cup competition in 2009, 2010 and 2011. He made a total of 16 appearances, which included playing all nine of their matches during the 2009 campaign – with Bezuidenhout scoring one try against the TUT Vikings[2] – as NWU Pukke reached the final of the competition, only to lose the final 11–6 to the Maties in Stellenbosch.[3]

Leopards

In 2011, Bezuidenhout also became involved with the provincial rugby side based in Potchefstroom, the Leopards. He was included in their squad for the 2011 Vodacom Cup competition and made his debut in the first match of the season against the Border Bulldogs in East London, Eastern Cape,[4] eventually starting all eight of their matches during the competition. He was also a regular for the side in the 2011 Currie Cup Premier Division, being named in the run-on side in ten of their fourteen matches. His debut in that competition was the Round One clash against the Free State Cheetahs in Bloemfontein,[5] but he could not prevent the Leopards' relegation to the First Division as they only won one match during the competition.

He made fourteen appearances for them in the 2012 Currie Cup First Division to help them finish in fourth place. Two Vodacom Cup and six Currie Cup First Division appearances followed in 2013, with Bezuidenhout also scoring his first senior try in the latter competition in their match against the Falcons in a 38–27 victory.[6] He started all seven of the Leopards' matches in the 2014 Vodacom Cup, also scoring his first try in this competition against the Limpopo Blue Bulls[7] and made one appearance in the 2014 Currie Cup qualification competition as the Leopards lost out on qualificiation to the 2014 Currie Cup Premier Division by a single point.

References

  1. "SARU Player Profile Stoof Bezuidenhout". South African Rugby Union. Retrieved 22 August 2014.
  2. "Match Breakdown: TUT vs Pukke". South African Rugby Union. 9 March 2009. Retrieved 22 August 2014.
  3. "Match Breakdown: Maties vs Pukke". South African Rugby Union. 30 March 2009. Retrieved 22 August 2014.
  4. "Match Breakdown: Border vs Leopards". South African Rugby Union. 25 February 2011. Retrieved 22 August 2014.
  5. "Match Breakdown: Toyota Free State Cheetahs vs Platinum Leopards". South African Rugby Union. 16 July 2011. Retrieved 22 August 2014.
  6. "Match Breakdown: Valke vs Leopards". South African Rugby Union. 24 August 2013. Retrieved 22 August 2014.
  7. "Match Breakdown: Assupol Limpopo Blue Bulls vs Leopards XV". South African Rugby Union. 15 March 2014. Retrieved 22 August 2014.