Anton Stegmann
Full names: Antonie Christoffel
Date of birth: 25 Aug 1883
Place of birth: Cradock
School: Swartland
Springbok no: 93
Springbok debut province: Western Province
Physical: 1.80m, 79.4kg
Date of death: 23 Jan 1972 (Age 88)
Test summary: Tests: 2 Tries: 1
First Test: 17 Nov 1906 Age 23 - Left Wing against Scotland at Hampden Park, Glasgow
Last Test: 24 Nov 1906 Age 23 - Left Wing against Ireland at Ravenhill Grounds, Belfast
Tours Scotland, Ireland, Wales & England 1906-07
Test history:
DateAgePositionOpponentVenueResultScoreProvince
17 Nov 1906 23Left Wing Scotland Hampden Park, Glasgow Lose: 0-6  WP
24 Nov 1906 23Left Wing Ireland Ravenhill Grounds, Belfast Win: 15-121 try WP

ANTHONY C. STEGMANN (Victoria College, Stellenbosch; and Western Province) was born in Cradock, Eastern Province, in 1884, and is thus entering upon his twenty-third year. He is a tall, well-built man, standing 5 feet 11 inches, and weighing 12 stone 7 pounds; he possesses great pace and determination and kicks very well, either drop-kicking or punting. Like Loubser, he gets away very smartly, and is usually going at top speed when he has covered ten yards. From his pace, and the fact that he brings his knees high up, he is a difficult man to stop. He has a wonderfully sure pair of hands, takes and gives his passes very cleanly, and is a wonderfully good tackler.

His first introduction to football was when he was at school at Wellington in 1901, but there his play was not of a character that led one to think that he would develop into one of the best three-quarters in South Africa. He did not play at all in 1902-3, but on going up to Victoria College in 1904 he took up the game again and quickly gained his place in the Victoria College fifteen, and Stellenbosch second. The following season he turned out occasionally for the first XV when Lochner was unable to play, and on the latter leaving he gained his place in the first fifteen of Stellenbosch. As soon as he became accustomed to his colleagues, it was soon apparent that the new man was in the first flight of players in the Western Province and a great improvement on his predecessor. After he had played four or five games, his place as left wing three-quarter for Western Province was assured, and this in spite of the great game that "Japie" Le Roux was playing.

In the Currie Cup Tournament he only played two games, but these were sufficient to demonstrate his great ability as a wing player, and if he could do himself justice on the hard grounds of the Transvaal after having played all his football on the soft grounds in the Western Province, there was every reason to think he would be a success in England. There, as a scoring three-quarter, he has proved the man of the team, and particularly at the commencement of the tour, scoring in almost every match he played. The consequence was that he was "marked," and more than once had to lay up for repairs.