Jaco Reinach
Full names: Jacobus
Date of birth: 1 Jan 1962
Place of birth: Ceres
School: Grey College
Springbok no: 542
Springbok debut province: Orange Free State
Physical: 1.78m, 78.0kg
Date of death: 21 Jan 1997 (Age 35)
Test summary: Tests: 4 Tries: 2
First Test: 10 May 1986 Age 24 - Right Wing against NZ Cavaliers at Newlands, Cape Town
Last Test: 31 May 1986 Age 24 - Right Wing against NZ Cavaliers at Ellispark, Johannesburg
Test history:
DateAgePositionOpponentVenueResultScoreProvince
10 May 1986 24Right Wing NZ Cavaliers Newlands, Cape Town Win: 21-15  OFS
17 May 1986 24Right Wing NZ Cavaliers Kingspark, Durban Lose: 18-191 try OFS
24 May 1986 24Right Wing NZ Cavaliers Loftus Versfeld, Pretoria Win: 33-181 try OFS
31 May 1986 24Right Wing NZ Cavaliers Ellispark, Johannesburg Win: 24-10  OFS

Jaco Reinach

Jaco Reinach was the last person to obtain Springbok colors in both rugby and athletics (track & field), since Springbok colors are now limited to rugby only. At the time of his death, he was still the SA recordholder in the 400m with a time of 45.01 seconds which he set on April 15th, 1983. Reinach's 400m record was only broken in April 2011 by the 400m-hurdles athlete LJ van Zyl in 44.86 when he bettered the 28-year old record. (Wayde van Niekerk's 43.03 world record set at the 2016 Rio Olympics is the current SA record.)

Jaco Reinach scored two tries in four tests when he represented the Springboks on right-wing in 1986 against the NZ Cavaliers. He made his test-debut on May 10th, 1986 at Newlands against the Cavaliers in a team captained by Naas Botha. The other test-debutants that day were Uli Schmidt, Gert Smal, Christo Ferreira, Jannie Breedt and Wahl Bartmann. On May 31st that year he played his fourth and last test against the New Zealanders.

When he died in a car accident, his wife Annette was expecting their third son whom was born the next month. His other two sons, Herman and Cobus, were aged nine and six respectively. Jaco was also survived by his parents, dr Herman and Petro Reinach, two brothers, Norman and Herman and two sisters, Ronel and Monica. Reinach died on Tuesday, January 21st 1997, 20 days after his 35th birthday when his car left the road outside Kroonstad and rolled. According to a newspaper report, the accident happened after 2pm when Reinach drove through a pool of water on the road between Kroonstad and Ventersburg. The vehicle supposedly skidded and crashed into a tree. Reinach died on impact. He was on his way to Johannesburg for business. He had a company in Bloemfontein that supplied paper to wholesalers.

Cobus Reinach followed his dad and grandfather's footsteps by also playing for the Grey College first fifteen. Cobus, who was born on February 7th, 1990 moved to Durban where he is staying in the boarding house of Glenwood High School and working as a rugby coach for the school. Cobus is playing scrumhalf for the Sharks in the Currie Cup, Vodacom Cup and Superrugby.