Celebrate world champion Springbok Bismarck du Plessis’ 41st birthday with a look back on his illustrious career.
For much of his Bok career, the abrasive and athletic hooker’s first-team opportunities were limited by the presence of captain and hooker John Smit, yet he still racked up 79 Test caps and won multiple titles.
Du Plessis made the bench for five matches in South Africa’s journey to the Webb Ellis Cup in 2007.
The key moment in his international career came in 2008 when coach Peter de Villiers moved Smit to tighthead prop to facilitate the inclusion of the younger hooker in the front row, reasoning that the latter could no longer be consigned to the role of an impact substitute.
Du Plessis appeared at both the 2011 and 2015 World Cup tournaments, his last Test cap coming in the third-place playoff win against Argentina at the latter. His domestic career began at the Cheetahs before a move to the Sharks, who he represented on 170 occasions across Super Rugby and the Currie Cup.
He then made 108 appearances for French club Montpellier between 2015 and 2021, before finishing his career at the Bulls in 2023.
Photo: Sandra Mu/Getty Images
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