Robert Kruger
| Full name | Robert Albertus Kruger | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Date of birth | 28 April 1988 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Place of birth | Johannesburg, South Africa | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Height | 1.92 m (6 ft 4 in) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Weight | 105 kg (16 st 7 lb) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| School | Standerton High School, Standerton | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| University | North-West University | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Rugby union career | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Robert Albertus Kruger (born 28 April 1988 in Johannesburg, South Africa) is a South African rugby union player, currently playing with the Template:Rut Golden Lions.[1] His regular position is a flanker, but he has occasionally played as a lock or number eight.
Career
Youth
Playing his schoolboy rugby for Standerton High School, Kruger was included in several youth tournaments for his provincial side, the Mpumalanga Template:Rut Pumas, playing at the 2004 Under-16 Grant Khomo Week, at the 2005 Under-18 Academy Week and the 2006 Under-18 Craven Week tournaments.[2]
At the start of 2007, Kruger joined Potchefstroom-based side the Template:Rut Leopards. He played for the Template:Rut Leopards U19 team in the 2007 Under-19 Provincial Championship and for the Template:Rut Leopards U21 team in the 2008 Under-21 Provincial Championship.
Golden Lions
In 2009, Kruger moved to Johannesburg to join the Template:Rut Golden Lions. He made his first class debut for them during the 2009 Vodacom Cup competition, starting their match in Potchefstroom against former side the Template:Rut Leopards.[3] Six days later, he started their match against the Template:Rut Blue Bulls in Pretoria and scored the opening try of the match, but could not prevent the Golden Lions suffering a 20–19 defeat.[4]
With just the two first class matches behind his name, Kruger was drafted into the Template:Rut Lions Super 14 squad for the 2009 Super 14 season and included in their touring squad that travelled to Australasia. He made his Super Rugby debut on New Zealand soil in a match against the Template:Rut Blues in Auckland, coming off the bench on the hour mark.[5] Despite getting sin-binned in their next match, a 31–20 victory against the Template:Rut Reds in Brisbane,[6] Kruger was promoted to the starting line-up for the first time the following week against the Template:Rut Force in Perth.[7] Upon their return to South Africa, Kruger made a further two starts and one appearance off the bench.
He made his Currie Cup debut in July of the same year, coming off the bench against the Template:Rut Bulls in Pretoria.[8]
Leopards
However, he failed to establish himself as a regular for the Template:Rut Golden Lions, either domestically or in the Super Rugby, and returned to Potchefstroom to rejoin the Template:Rut Leopards prior to the 2011 Currie Cup First Division season.[9] There, he immediately established himself in the first team in both the Vodacom Cup and Currie Cup competitions.
He was once again called up to the Template:Rut Lions Super Rugby side for their 2015 Super Rugby season. He played off the bench for the Lions in their first match of the season in a 8–22 loss to the Template:Rut Hurricanes to make his first appearance in the competition after a four-season absence.[10]
He was a member of the Template:Rut Leopards team that won the 2015 Currie Cup First Division.[11] He featured in a total of twelve matches during the 2015 Currie Cup qualification rounds and First Division proper and scored two tries for the side. He also started the final, where he helped the Leopards to a 44–20 victory over the Template:Rut SWD Eagles to win the competition for the first time in their history.
He was named the Leopards' Player of the Year for 2015, the second time he received this accolade.[12]
References
- ^ "SA Rugby Player Profile – Robert Kruger". South African Rugby Union. Retrieved 29 May 2016.
- ^ "Jong maanhare sonder vuurvreter-kaptein, maar wil steeds naels teen Pumas slyp" (in Afrikaans). Beeld. 13 July 2006. Retrieved 28 May 2014.
- ^ "Match Breakdown: Platinum Leopards vs Golden Lions". South African Rugby Union. 14 March 2009. Retrieved 28 May 2014.
- ^ "Match Breakdown: Blue Bulls vs Golden Lions". South African Rugby Union. 20 March 2009. Retrieved 28 May 2014.
- ^ "Match Breakdown: Blues vs Auto & General Lions". South African Rugby Union. 10 April 2009. Retrieved 28 May 2014.
- ^ "Match Breakdown: Reds vs Auto & General Lions". South African Rugby Union. 18 April 2009. Retrieved 28 May 2014.
- ^ "Match Breakdown: Western Force vs Auto & General Lions". South African Rugby Union. 24 April 2009. Retrieved 28 May 2014.
- ^ "Match Breakdown: Vodacom Blue Bulls vs Xerox Lions". South African Rugby Union. 11 July 2009. Retrieved 28 May 2014.
- ^ "Luiperds lok 3 jong Bulle". Beeld. 18 November 2010. Retrieved 28 May 2014.
- ^ "Match Breakdown: Emirates Lions vs Hurricanes". South African Rugby Union. 13 February 2015. Retrieved 13 February 2015.
- ^ "Leopards clinch Absa Currie Cup First Division title in style". South African Rugby Union. 8 October 2015. Retrieved 8 October 2015.
- ^ "Luiperds se Speler van die Jaar word 'n Haai". Netwerk24 (in Afrikaans). 29 October 2015. Retrieved 29 October 2015.