Jan du Preez

{{Short description|South African rugby union player (1930–2024)}}

{{Infobox rugby biography

| name = Jan du Preez

| image = Jan du Preez 1956.jpg

| image_size = 240px

| caption = du Preez in New Zealand in 1956

| birth_name = Jan Gysbert Hermanus du Preez

| nickname =

| birth_date = {{birth date|1930|10|6|df=y}}

| birth_place = Piketberg, South Africa

| death_date = {{death date and age|2024|6|19|1930|10|6|df=y}}

| death_place =

| height = 1.83m

| weight = 80kg

| ru_position = Wing

| amatteam1 = Maties

| ru_amupdate =

| repteam1 = South Africa

| repyears1 = 1956

| repcaps1 = 1

| reppoints1 = 0

| ru_ntupdate =

| ru_province1 = Western Province

| ru_provinceyears1 = 1951–1958

| ru_provinceapps1 =

| ru_provincepoints1 =

| ru_provinceupdate =

| relatives =

| school = Piketberg High School

| university = University of Stellenbosch

}}

Jan Gysbert Hermanus du Preez (6 October 1930 – 19 June 2024) was a South African rugby union player who made one Test match appearance in 1956.{{Cite web|title=Jan du Preez|url=http://www.espnscrum.com/southafrica/rugby/player/6058.html|access-date=2021-06-29|website=ESPN scrum}}

He was the last surviving member of the 1956 Springboks rugby union tour of Australia and New Zealand, passing away in June of 2024.{{cite web |url=https://bokhist.com/PlayerData.aspx?PlayerID=327&utm_source=chatgpt.com | title=Jan du Preez }}

Playing career

Du Preez was born in Piketberg and received his schooling at Piketberg High School. He then enrolled at Stellenbosch University to study for a BSc degree and later gained a doctorate in chemistry.{{Cite book|title=Die groot rugbygesin van die Maties|last=Craven|first= Daniel Hartman|date=1980|publisher=G. & S|isbn=0620048794|location=Kaapstad|pages=180|oclc=86067195}}

While a student, du Preez began playing provincial rugby for Western Province as a centre, before moving to the wing.{{cite web|url=http://www.rugbyrelics.com/Museum/countries/SA/tr-1956.htm |title=1956 SPRINGBOK TOUR of AUSTRALIA and NEW ZEALAND |publisher=WORLD RUGBY MUSEUM |accessdate=16 July 2010}} His only Test appearance for South Africa came on the 1956 tour of Australia and New Zealand. He was selected to play in the first Test against the All Blacks at Carisbrook, Dunedin—a match that South Africa lost 10–6.{{cite web|url=http://www.scrum.com/southafrica/rugby/match/19860.html |title=South Africa tour – Dunedin, 14 July 1956 |publisher=Scrum |accessdate=16 July 2010}} Preez died on 19 June 2024, at the age of 93.{{Cite web |title=Jan du Preez |url=https://bokhist.com/PlayerData.aspx?PlayerID=327 |access-date=2025-01-15 |website=bokhist.com}}