Jacques Olivier
Full names: Jacques
Date of birth: 13 Nov 1968
Place of birth: Pretoria
School: Menlopark, Pretoria
Springbok no: 570
Springbok debut province: Blue Bulls
Physical: 1.80m, 88.0kg
Current age: 55
Test summary: Tests: 17 Tries: 3
First Test: 17 Oct 1992 Age 23 - Left Wing against France at Stade de Gerland, Lyon
Last Test: 15 Dec 1996 Age 28 - Left Wing against Wales at Millenium Stadium (Cardiff Arms Park), Cardiff
Test history:
DateAgePositionOpponentVenueResultScoreProvince
17 Oct 1992 23Left Wing France Stade de Gerland, Lyon Win: 20-15  Blue Bulls
24 Oct 1992 23Left Wing France Parc des Princes, Paris Lose: 16-29  Blue Bulls
14 Nov 1992 24Left Wing England Twickenham, London Lose: 16-33  Blue Bulls
26 Jun 1993 24Left Wing France Kingspark, Durban Draw: 20-20  Blue Bulls
03 Jul 1993 24Left Wing France Ellispark, Johannesburg Lose: 17-18  Blue Bulls
31 Jul 1993 24Left Wing Australia Sydney Football Stadium (Aussie stadium), Sydney Win: 19-12  Blue Bulls
14 Aug 1993 24Left Wing Australia Ballymore, Brisbane Lose: 20-281 try Blue Bulls
21 Aug 1993 24Left Wing Australia Sydney Football Stadium (Aussie stadium), Sydney Lose: 12-19  Blue Bulls
06 Nov 1993 24Left Wing Argentina Ferrocarril-Oeste Stadium, Buenos Aires Win: 29-26  Blue Bulls
02 Sep 1995 26Left Wing Wales Ellispark, Johannesburg Win: 40-11  Blue Bulls
12 Nov 1995 26Reserve Italy Olympic Stadium, Rome Win: 40-21  Blue Bulls
18 Nov 1995 27Right Wing England Twickenham, London Win: 24-14  Blue Bulls
09 Nov 1996 27Left Wing Argentina Ferrocarril-Oeste Stadium, Buenos Aires Win: 46-15  Blue Bulls
16 Nov 1996 28Left Wing Argentina Ferrocarril-Oeste Stadium, Buenos Aires Win: 44-211 try Blue Bulls
30 Nov 1996 28Left Wing France Parc Lescure, Bordeaux Win: 22-12  Blue Bulls
07 Dec 1996 28Left Wing France Parc des Princes, Paris Win: 13-12  Blue Bulls
15 Dec 1996 28Left Wing Wales Millenium Stadium (Cardiff Arms Park), Cardiff Win: 37-201 try Blue Bulls

Olivier calls it a day: Philip de Bruin

2002-04-23

Jacques Olivier, the former Springbok and current Pumas stalwart has decided not to even hang up his boots but to send them so far away that he would never see them again.

"I'm finished, finished, finished. So much so, that I'm going to bronze my boots so that I never have to put my feet in them again. Some time ago I watched a video of one of the matches and when I saw myself with my terrible bald patch, I said to myself that bald guy does not belong on a rugby field."

However the baldness is not truly the reason why the popular Olivier (34) decided to give up rugby.

"Three weeks ago I fell off a wall and injured my knee for the umpteenth time. When I had to leave the field during the match between the Pumas and the Falcons with an injured knee the week after that and the doctor told me I needed to have an operation, I decided that was it."

Although Olivier played 22 Tests and 50 matches in the Bok jersey at centre or on the wing and had people talking with his exhilarating and powerful runs, he managed only one try.

"If you have to ask me which Springbok try I remember the best, I unfortunately would have to answer that it is my only Springbok try! And a handicapped person could have scored that try to boot."

Olivier's rugby career began at the Hoƫrskool Menlo Park in Pretoria and almost ended there too.

"I played no rugby in the army. When I arrived at Tukkies a wing withdrew from the sixth team and I was sent on as an emergency replacement. Within a year I was playing for the then Northern Transvaal."

He became a Blue Bull in 1991 and a Springbok in 1992. "I still have a lot of feeling for the Bulls, but these days I'm ashamed of them," Olivier said.

Looking back at his career he admits that "everything was more due to luck than to wisdom".

Olivier plans to concentrate on his various business interests from here on and although Tuks asked him to coach their second team, he says he will have to think about that for a long time yet.