Pieter-Steph du Toit

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Pieter-Steph du Toit
du Toit (right) in the 2023 Rugby World Cup final
Full namePieter Stephanus du Toit
Born (1992-08-20) 20 August 1992 (age 33)
Cape Town, South Africa
Height2.00 m (6 ft 6+1⁄2 in)[1]
Weight115 kg (254 lb; 18 st 2 lb)[1]
SchoolHoërskool Swartland, Malmesbury
Notable relative(s)Piet du Toit (grandfather),
Johan du Toit (brother)
Rugby union career
Position Lock / Flanker / Number 8
Current team Toyota Verblitz
Youth career
2010 Boland Cavaliers
2011–2012 Sharks
Senior career
Years Team Apps (Points)
2012–2015 Sharks (Currie Cup) 5 (0)
2012–2015 Sharks 32 (5)
2016–2021 Stormers 59 (20)
2022– Toyota Verblitz 37 (15)
Correct as of 13 October 2025
International career
Years Team Apps (Points)
2012 South Africa Under-20 5 (5)
2013– South Africa 95 (75)
Correct as of 13 October 2025
Medal record
Men's Rugby union
Representing  South Africa
Rugby World Cup
Bronze medal – third place 2015 England Squad
Gold medal – first place 2019 Japan Squad
Gold medal – first place 2023 France Squad

Pieter Stephanus du Toit (born 20 August 1992) is a South African professional rugby union player who plays as a lock or flanker for the South Africa and Toyota Verblitz in Japan Rugby League One. A two-time recipient of the World Rugby Men's 15s Player of the Year award (2019 and 2024), he is regarded as one of the outstanding players of his generation. Du Toit was a key member of the Springboks' 2019 Rugby World Cup and 2023 World Cup-winning squads and was named man of the match in the 2023 final against New Zealand. Renowned for his stamina, defensive work rate, and tackling dominance, he is widely considered among the greatest players to have represented South Africa.

Early life

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Du Toit was born in Cape Town to Pieter and Annelene du Toit.[2] He grew up in the Riebeek Valley, where his family farmed on the historic Kloovenburg estate in Riebeek Kasteel. He attended Laerskool Riebeek Kasteel before moving to Hoërskool Swartland, where he played mostly as a second-row forward.[3]

Du Toit is the latest in a long line of Pieter Stephanus du Toits, continuing a family naming tradition dating back to the 1820s. His grandfather, Pieter Stephanus du Toit, represented South Africa as a prop, earning 14 Test caps between 1958 and 1962 after debuting against France.[4]

He is one of four brothers – Johan, Anton and Daniel. Johan du Toit became a professional rugby player, while Anton du Toit represented Maties in the Varsity Cup competition.[5]

Club career

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Sharks

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After finishing school at the end of 2010, Du Toit signed with the Sharks and joined the Sharks Academy, where he represented the franchise at Under-19 and Under-21 levels. He was named Best First Year Rugby Student at the Academy Awards in 2011.[6]

Du Toit made his professional debut for the Sharks during the 2012 season, appearing off the bench in a Super Rugby match against the Chiefs after featuring earlier that year in the Vodacom Cup.[7]

In July 2013, he signed a two-year contract extension with the franchise.[8] He remained with the Sharks until his departure was formally announced in October 2015.[9]

Stormers

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Du Toit joined the Stormers ahead of the 2016 season, where he became a central figure in their Super Rugby squad. Du Toit never represented Western Province. He remained at the Cape franchise until 2021.[10]

During this period he overcame two major injuries. In 2019 he suffered a torn ACL and successfully returned to play after undergoing surgery in which his father donated a tendon for the reconstruction.[11]

In February 2020 he sustained a life-threatening leg injury during a Super Rugby match against the Blues at Newlands. A haematoma on his left thigh developed into acute compartment syndrome, requiring multiple surgeries and keeping him sidelined for more than a year.[12]

Toyota Verblitz

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Following the 2021 season, Du Toit signed with Toyota Verblitz in Japan's Japan Rugby League One.[13]

International career

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Du Toit was a member of the South Africa Under-20 side that won the 2012 IRB Junior World Championship.[14]

He made his senior Test debut for South Africa against Wales in Cardiff on 9 November 2013 at the age of 21.[15] Du Toit featured at the 2015 Rugby World Cup, coming off the bench in the quarter-final victory over Wales at Twickenham Stadium.

He became a regular starter under head coach Allister Coetzee from 2016 onwards and captained the Springboks for the first time on 2 June 2018, becoming South Africa’s 60th Test captain in a match against Wales.

From 2019 onwards Du Toit transitioned predominantly to the back row.[3] He was selected for the 2019 Rugby World Cup, where South Africa defeated England in the final to claim their third world title. His performances throughout the year earned him the World Rugby Men's 15s Player of the Year award for 2019.[16][17]

Du Toit was also part of the South African squad that won the Rugby Championship in 2019, 2024 and 2025.

In 2021 he featured in the Test series win over the British & Irish Lions, playing in the first two Tests before being ruled out of the series decider due to a shoulder injury sustained in the second Test.[18] South Africa ultimately won the series 2–1.

At the 2023 Rugby World Cup, Du Toit produced one of the most celebrated performances of his career in the final against New Zealand, earning the Player of the Match award after making 28 tackles as South Africa secured back-to-back world titles.[19] He was named World Rugby Player of the Year for a second time in 2024, becoming one of the few players to win the award more than once.

Personal life

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Du Toit is a Christian and is nicknamed the "Malmesbury Missile".[20]

He is married to Willemien, and the couple have three children.[21] His first-born son is also named Pieter Stephanus du Toit, continuing the family naming tradition that now spans eight generations.[22]

His younger brother, Johan du Toit, was also a professional rugby player, and the two were teammates at the Sharks in 2014–2015 before later reuniting at the Stormers from 2017 until 2021.[23]

International statistics

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Test match record

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As of 23 November 2025
Against P W D L Tri Pts %Won
 Argentina 14 11 0 3 6 30 78.57
 Australia 12 6 2 4 2 10 50
British & Irish Lions 2 1 0 1 0 0 50
 England 8 5 0 3 1 5 62.5
File:Flag of France.svg France 8 7 0 1 1 5 87.5
File:Flag of Georgia.svg Georgia 2 2 0 0 0 0 100
File:IRFU flag.svg Ireland 9 4 0 5 2 10 44.44
File:Flag of Italy.svg Italy 4 3 0 1 0 0 75
File:Flag of Japan.svg Japan 3 2 0 1 0 0 66.67
File:Flag of New Zealand.svg New Zealand 17 7 1 9 0 0 41.18
File:Flag of Scotland.svg Scotland 4 4 0 0 1 5 100
 United States 1 1 0 0 0 0 100
File:Flag of Wales (1959–present).svg Wales 11 6 0 5 1 5 54.55
Total 95 59 3 33 14 70 62.11

Pld = Games Played, W = Games Won, D = Games Drawn, L = Games Lost, Tri = Tries Scored, Pts = Points Scored

Test tries

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Try Opposition Location Venue Competition Date Result Score
1 File:IRFU flag.svg Ireland Cape Town, South Africa Newlands Test match 11 June 2016 Loss 20–26
2 File:IRFU flag.svg Ireland Johannesburg, South Africa Ellis Park Stadium Test match 18 June 2016 Win 32–26
3  Argentina Salta, Argentina Estadio Padre Ernesto Martearena 2016 Rugby Championship 27 August 2016 Loss 26–24
4  Argentina Port Elizabeth, South Africa Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium 2017 Rugby Championship 19 August 2017 Win 37–15
5 File:Flag of New Zealand.svg New Zealand Yokohama, Japan International Stadium Yokohama 2019 Rugby World Cup 21 September 2019 Loss 23–13
6  Australia Pretoria, South Africa Loftus Versfeld Stadium 2023 Rugby Championship 8 July 2023 Win 43–12
7 File:Flag of Wales (1959–present).svg Wales Cardiff, Wales Millennium Stadium 2023 Rugby World Cup warm-up matches 19 August 2023 Win 52–16
8 File:Flag of Scotland.svg Scotland Marseille, France Stade Vélodrome 2023 Rugby World Cup 10 September 2023 Win 18–3
9  Australia Brisbane, Australia Lang Park 2024 Rugby Championship 10 August 2024 Win 33-7
10  Argentina Mbombela, South Africa Mbombela Stadium 2024 Rugby Championship 28 September 2024 Win 48–7
11
12  England London, England Twickenham Stadium 2024 end-of-year rugby union internationals 16 November 2024 Win 20–29
13  Argentina Durban, South Africa Kings Park Stadium 2025 Rugby Championship 27 September 2025 Win 67–30
14

Honours

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South Africa
Sharks
Individual

See also

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References

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