Heinrich Brüssow

Heinrich Brüssow
Personal information
Full name Heinrich Wilhelm Brüssow
Born (1986-07-21) 21 July 1986
Bloemfontein, South Africa
Height 1.80 m (5 ft 11 in)
Weight 103 kg (16 st 3 lb)
School(s) attended Grey College, Bloemfontein
University University of the Free State
Club information
Playing position Flanker
Current club NTT Docomo Red Hurricanes
Youth career
2004–05 Free State Cheetahs
Senior career*
Years Team Apps† (Pts)†
2006–14 Free State Cheetahs 61 (125)
2007–15 Cheetahs 82 (45)
2013– NTT Docomo Red Hurricanes 19 (25)
Representative team(s)‡
2004 S.A. Schools ()
2006 S.A. Sevens ()
2008–11, 2015– South Africa 22 (5)
2014 Barbarians 2 (5)

* Senior club appearances and points correct as of 13 June 2015.
† Appearances (Points).

‡ Representative team caps and points correct as of 8 August 2015.

Heinrich Wilhelm Brüssow (born 21 July 1986) is a South African rugby union footballer. His usual position is open-side flanker and he currently plays for NTT Docomo Red Hurricanes in the Japanese Top League.

He played for the Free State Cheetahs in domestic South African rugby between 2006 and 2014, for the Cheetahs in Super Rugby between 2007 and 2015 and also represented South Africa between 2008 and 2011 and for the South Africa Sevens team in 2006.

Early career

Born 21 July 1986 in Bloemfontein, South Africa, Heinrich Brüssow attended Grey College in Bloemfontein where he played in the First XV and was later selected for the Under-18 Free State Craven Week side. Brüssow was part of the Free State Cheetahs squad who shared the Currie Cup glory in 2006 with the Blue Bulls, before playing in the 2007 Currie Cup final against the Golden Lions, scoring a crucial try and helping the team to a 20–18 win. In 2008 he was voted best open-side flanker in the Super 14 and Currie Cup. This earned him a call-up to the Springboks squad for the November 2008 tour to the British Isles. He only played the final 4 minutes in the end-of-tour test against England.

Professional career

In 2009, Brüssow was again a flanker in the Super 14 competition. However, selectors excluded him from the Springboks squad. Soon afterwards he played for the Free State Cheetahs against the British and Irish Lions team; Brüssow was finally called up for Schalk Burger, who failed to recover from an injury for the first test against the Lions.[1][2] He received the Man-of-the-Match award in the Springboks' win against the All Blacks on 25 July 2009.[3] Brüssow once again featured in a Currie Cup final in 2009, but the Free State Cheetahs lost to a hungry Blue Bulls team.

Early March 2010 Brüssow's career took a blow when he injured his cruciate knee-ligament[4] in a Super 14 game against the Hurricanes, which kept him from international rugby till August 2011. For the Cheetahs in the 2011 super rugby season Brussow was part of the Cheetahs team that finished 11th in the table. The cheetahs won five and lost eleven games that season which showed that they were not at their best. However they produced some wonderful wins against the Waratahs and the Brumbies. In the 2011 tri nations Brüssow only came in at the third game against eventual champions Australia. South Africa lost the match 14–9. South Africa had nothing much to play for in final test against New Zealand but they could certainly spoil the party for the All Blacks. Brüssow put up a Man-of-the-Match winning performance and South Africa beat the All Blacks by 18–5.

He returned to international competition on 13 August 2011 against Australia: He played for a short stint from the bench where he showed he still had the full ability which made him so popular in 2009.[5] On 20 August Heinrich Brüssow gave a Man-of-the-Match display of his skills as the Springboks managed to defeat their arch-enemies, the All Blacks in Port Elizabeth.[6]

Brüssow played the first game against Wales which South Africa won 17–16 and against Fiji which the boks also won 49–3. However against Namibia, Alberts was favoured to Brüssow in the starting line up which meant Brüssow had to drop to the bench. South Africa won the game and Brüssow restored his place in the starting line up against Samoa which South Africa won to reach the quarter-finals of the World Cup. In the quarter-finals Brussow started against Australia. South Africa lost the game 11–9 and were knocked out of the competition. In the summer internationals Brüssow was shockingly dropped from the team with new South Africa coach Heyneke Meyer preferring Marcell Coetzee. Even without Brüssow's commitment, South Africa won the series against England with a win in the first test 22–17, second test 36–27 but where held to a draw in the third test 14–14.

In 2013, it was announced that he would play for a team in the Japanese Top League for the 2013–14 season – later revealed as NTT Docomo Red Hurricanes[7] – but he would return to play for the Cheetahs in the 2014 Super Rugby season.[8]

Squads

Influential Games

2009

2011

Tournament Winner Medals

Tournament Winner
YearTournamentTeamPosition
2009Tri NationsSpringboksOpenside Flanker
2009British and Irish LionsSpringboksOpenside Flanker
2007Currie CupFree State CheetahsOpenside Flanker
2006Currie CupFree State CheetahsSquad Member
2004Craven WeekFree State U/18Openside Flanker

Awards

Playing Style

Heinrich Brüssow is well known in South Africa because of his immense and unstoppable work at the breakdowns and in the scrums. He was selected for the South African team due to his excellent work performances. He was also admired by many when he almost outfought New Zealand captain Richie McCaw in two of their duels, one which South Africa won 18–5.

Transfer Rumours

In January 2012 there was a rumour that Brüssow may join Ireland pro 12 team Ulster Rugby, but Brussow eventually stayed with the Cheetahs.

References

  1. ↑ http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/rugby_union/8100972.stm BBC: Brüssow handed Springboks start
  2. ↑ http://edition.cnn.com/2009/SPORT/06/16/rugby.lions.springboks.test/index.html CNN: Springboks call for flanker Brüssow
  3. ↑ "Pocket rocket to plague All Blacks". Stuff.co.nz. 28 July 2009. Retrieved 2 October 2011.
  4. ↑ http://www.guardian.co.uk/sport/2010/mar/08/heinrich-brussow-injury-south-africa Guardian.co.uk
  5. ↑ http://sport.iafrica.com/rugby/news/747735.html iAfrica.com:Brussow to steal the show
  6. ↑ http://sport.iafrica.com/news/747805.html iAfrica.com:Boks come to the party
  7. ↑ 2013年度 新加入予定選手のお知らせ. NTT Docomo Red Hurricanes (in Japanese). 10 July 2013. Retrieved 11 July 2013.
  8. ↑ "Brüssow heading for Japan". Sport24. 20 June 2013. Retrieved 20 June 2013.
  9. ↑ http://mg.co.za/article/2011-08-23-no-surprises-in-world-cup-bok-squad/ Mail & Guardian: No surprises in World Cup Squad
  10. 1 2 http://www.sarugby.net/index.php?option=com_players&view=player&id=35550&leagueid=0 Official SA Rugby site

External links

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