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Francois
Pienaar

Learn everything you need to know about Springboks hero Francois Pienaar right here on RugbyPass.

Francois Pienaar Bio

As a former captain of South Africa and a winner of the 1995 Rugby World Cup, Francois Pienaar is undoubtedly a legend of South African rugby and was inducted into the RugbyPass Hall of Fame in 2021.

Born 2 January 1967, Francois Pienaar made his debut for Transvaal in 1989. From then until 1996, he enjoyed a highly successful stay with the side. In 1993, the team won the Super 10, Currie Cup and Lion Cup under his stewardship. The year after, they retained the Currie Cup and he was voted international player of the year by Rugby World magazine.

Due to the success he’d experienced at Transvaal, Francois Pienaar was first selected to represent South Africa in 1993. Between 1993 and 1996, he made 29 appearances for the Springboks, featuring as captain on every occasion.

The highlight of Francois Pienaar’s career was undoubtedly the 1995 Rugby World Cup. The Springboks were seeded ninth going into the tournament, but they left as champions after defeating New Zealand in the final. Following the conclusion of the game, Francois Pienaar was handed the Webb Ellis Cup by Nelson Mandela, who was wearing a Springboks jersey with his number on it.

Shortly after the 1995 Rugby World Cup, Francois Pienaar was instrumental in turning the game professional. However, in 1996, he was controversially dropped from the South Africa side after he was accused of feigning an injury by head coach Andre Markgraaff. As a result, he left South Africa and became a player-coach for Saracens.

Francois Pienaar then retired from the game in 2000, when he took up a role as the CEO of Saracens. However, he stood down from the role in 2002. Although he remains a director of Saracens, he’s now returned to South Africa and regularly works as a pundit. He’s also a member of the International Rugby Hall of Fame and the IRB Hall of Fame.

Rugby World Cup Icons: Francois Pienaar

Francois Pienaar receives the Webb Ellis Cup from Nelson Mandela

Fixtures & Results

Sat Aug 8, 2026
3:05am PDT
Hanazono Rugby Stadium
Japan Japan
-
3:05am
Australia Australia
LIVE
0
0
12:00pm PDT
Estadio José Amalfitani
Argentina Argentina
-
12:00pm
South Africa South Africa
LIVE
0
0
Fri Aug 14, 2026
10:15pm PDT
Queensland Country Bank Stadium
Australia Australia
-
10:15pm
Japan Japan
LIVE
0
0
Sat Aug 22, 2026
8:00am PDT
Ellis Park
South Africa South Africa
-
8:00am
New Zealand New Zealand
LIVE
0
0
Sat Aug 29, 2026
8:00am PDT
DHL Stadium
South Africa South Africa
-
8:00am
New Zealand New Zealand
LIVE
0
0
12:00pm PDT
Estadio 23 de Agosto
Argentina Argentina
-
12:00pm
Australia Australia
LIVE
0
0
Fri Sep 4, 2026
10:50pm PDT
Denka Big Swan Stadium
Japan Japan
-
10:50pm
Canada Canada
LIVE
0
0
Sat Sep 5, 2026
8:00am PDT
FNB Stadium
South Africa South Africa
-
8:00am
New Zealand New Zealand
LIVE
0
0
12:00pm PDT
Estadio Malvinas Argentinas
Argentina Argentina
-
12:00pm
Australia Australia
LIVE
0
0
Sat Sep 12, 2026
8:05am PDT
M&T Bank Stadium
South Africa South Africa
-
8:05am
New Zealand New Zealand
LIVE
0
0
Sun Sep 27, 2026
2:45am PDT
Optus Stadium
Australia Australia
-
2:45am
South Africa South Africa
LIVE
0
0
Fri Oct 9, 2026
11:10pm PDT
Eden Park
New Zealand New Zealand
-
11:10pm
Australia Australia
LIVE
0
0
Fri Oct 16, 2026
10:00pm PDT
Accor Stadium
Australia Australia
-
10:00pm
New Zealand New Zealand
LIVE
0
0
Fri Apr 10, 2026
10:00am PDT
Stadion Park Mladeži
Croatia Croatia
-
10:00am
Mexico Mexico
LIVE
0
0
Fri Apr 3, 2026
FT
Marketa Stadium
Czech Republic Czech Republic
-
5:00am
Mexico Mexico
LIVE
54
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