Ruben Kruger

{{Infobox rugby biography

| image =

| caption =

| birth_name = Ruben Jacobus Kruger

| nickname =

| relatives = Henco Venter (nephew)

| birth_date = {{birth date|1970|3|30|df=y}}

| birth_place = Vrede, Free State, South Africa

| death_date = {{death date and age|2010|1|27|1970|3|30|df=y}}

| death_place = Pretoria, Gauteng, South Africa

| height = 1.88 m

| weight = 101 kg

| school = Grey College, Bloemfontein

| ru_position = Flanker

| ru_province1 = {{rut|Free State}}

| ru_province2 = {{rut|Northern Transvaal}}

| ru_provinceyears1 = 1991–1993

| ru_provinceyears2 = 1993–2000

| ru_provinceapps1 = 36

| ru_provinceapps2 = 96

| ru_provincepoints1 = 20

| ru_provincepoints2 = 135

| ru_provinceupdate1 =

| ru_provinceupdate2 =

| super1 = {{rut|Bulls}}

| superyears1 = 1996–2000

| superapps1 = 10

| superpoints1 = 5

| ru_nationalteam1 = South Africa

| repyears1 = 1993–1999

| repcaps1 = 36

| reppoints1 = 35

| ru_ntupdate =

| ru_sevensnationalyears1 = 1993

| ru_sevensnationalteam1 = {{nrut7|South Africa}}

| ru_sevensnationalcomp1 = 3

}}

Ruben Jacobus Kruger (30 March 1970 – 27 January 2010[http://www.supersport.com/rugby/article.aspx?headline=Ruben%20Kruger%20passes%20away&id=331131 Ruben Kruger passes away]) was a South African rugby union player. He played as a flanker.{{Cite web |title=Ruben Jacobus Kruger |url=http://www.espnscrum.com/southafrica/rugby/player/11660.html |access-date=2020-07-04 |website=ESPN scrum}} He had two daughters Zoë (b. 2002) and Isabella (b. 2005). Isabella played quarter final on the junior tournament at the 2022 Wimbledon Championships.{{Cite web |title=BREAKING: Daughter of Springbok legend BEATEN in Junior Wimbledon quarter-finals |url=https://www.thesouthafrican.com/sport/tennis/daughter-isabelle-kruger-of-springbok-legend-ruben-kruger-beaten-in-junior-wimbledon-quarter-finals-exclusive-breaking-trending-viral-tennis-news-result-match-report-live-watch/ |last=Lambley |first=Garrin |publisher=www.thesouthafrican.com |date=7 July 2022 |access-date=19 July 2022}}

Playing career

=Provincial=

A product of Grey College in Bloemfontein, Kruger played for the {{rut|Free State}} schools team at the annual Craven Week tournament in 1987 and 1988 and gained selection for the South African Schools team in both years. After representing the Free State under-20 team in 1989 and 1990, he made his senior provincial debut for the Free State in 1991.{{Cite book |title=S.A. Rugby Writers Annual 1993 |last=Van Rooyen |first=Quintus |publisher=SA Rugby Writers' Society |year=199 |isbn=0620172940 |page=87}} During 1993, Kruger moved to {{rut|Northern Transvaal}} and played for the union until 2000. In 1995 Ruben Kruger was named South African Rugby Football Union's player of the year.{{Cite book |last=Colquhoun |first=Andy |title=South African Rugby Annual 2001 |publisher=SA Rugby & MWP Media (Pty) Ltd |year=2001 |isbn=0958423180 |location=Cape Town |pages=41, 202, 208}}

=International=

Kruger played for the South Africa national rugby union team between 1993 and 1999. He played his first test match for the Springboks on 6 November 1993 against Argentina at the Ferro Carril Oeste Stadium in Buenos Aires.

In 1995, he played in the Rugby World Cup. During this tournament, he made 5 starts, and scored 1 try, in the controversial semi-final against the France national rugby union team. Kruger also played in the 1999 World Cup and in addition to his 36 test matches, he also played in 20 tour matches and scored 14 tries.{{Cite book |last=Colquhoun |first=Andy |title=South African Rugby Annual 2001 |publisher=SA Rugby & MWP Media (Pty) Ltd |year=2001 |isbn=0958423180 |location=Cape Town |page=402}}

= Test history =

{{colorbox|gold}} World Cup final

No.	Opposition	Result (SA 1st)	Position	Tries	Date	Venue
class="wikitable sortable"
1.	{{ru\|ARG}}	align="center" \|29–26	Flank		6 Nov 1993	Ferro Carril Oeste, Buenos Aires
style="background: #D0E6FF;" \| 2.	{{ru\|ARG}}	align="center" \| 52–23	Flank		13 Nov 1993	Ferro Carril Oeste, Buenos Aires
3.	{{ru\|SCO}}	align="center" \| 34–10	Flank		19 Nov 1994	Murrayfield, Edinburgh
style="background: #D0E6FF;" \| 4.	{{ru\|WAL}}	align="center" \| 20–12	Flank		26 Nov 1994	Cardiff Arms Park, Cardiff
5.	{{ru\|SAM}}	align="center" \| 60–8	Flank		13 Apr 1995	Ellis Park, Johannesburg
style="background: #D0E6FF;" \| 6.	{{ru\|AUS}}	align="center" \| 27–18	Flank		25 May 1995	Newlands, Cape Town
7.	{{ru\|ROM}}	align="center" \| 21–8	Flank		30 May 1995	Newlands, Cape Town
style="background: #D0E6FF;" \| 8.	{{ru\|SAM}}	align="center" \| 42–14	Flank		10 Jun 1995	Ellis Park, Johannesburg
9.	{{ru\|FRA}}	align="center" \| 19–15	Flank	align="center" \| 1	17 Jun 1995	Kings Park, Durban
bgcolor=gold \| 10.	{{ru\|NZL}}	align="center" \| 15–12	Flank		24 Jun 1995	Ellis Park, Johannesburg
11.	{{ru\|WAL}}	align="center" \| 40–11	Flank		2 Sep 1995	Ellis Park, Johannesburg
style="background: #D0E6FF;" \| 12.	{{ru\|ITA}}	align="center" \| 40–21	Flank		12 Nov 1995	Stadio Olimpico, Rome
13.	{{ru\|ENG}}	align="center" \| 24–14	Flank		18 Nov 1995	Twickenham, London
style="background: #D0E6FF;" \| 14.	{{ru\|FIJ}}	align="center" \| 43–18	Flank		2 Jul 1996	Loftus Versfeld, Pretoria
15.	{{ru\|AUS}}	align="center" \| 16–21	Flank		13 Jul 1996	Sydney Football Stadium (SFG), Sydney
style="background: #D0E6FF;" \| 16.	{{ru\|NZL}}	align="center" \| 11–15	Flank		20 Jul 1996	AMI Stadium, Christchurch
17.	{{ru\|AUS}}	align="center" \| 25–19	Flank		3 Aug 1996	Free State Stadium, Bloemfontein
style="background: #D0E6FF;" \| 18.	{{ru\|NZL}}	align="center" \| 18–29	Flank		10 Aug 1996	Newlands, Cape Town
19.	{{ru\|NZL}}	align="center" \| 19–23	Flank		17 Aug 1996	Kings Park, Durban
style="background: #D0E6FF;" \| 20.	{{ru\|NZL}}	align="center" \| 26–33	Flank	align="center" \| 1	24 Aug 1996	Loftus Versfeld, Pretoria
21.	{{ru\|NZL}}	align="center" \| 32–22	Flank		31 Aug 1996	Ellis Park, Johannesburg
style="background: #D0E6FF;" \| 22.	{{ru\|ARG}}	align="center" \| 46–15	Flank		9 Nov 1996	Ferro Carril Oeste, Buenos Aires
23.	{{ru\|ARG}}	align="center" \| 44–21	Flank	align="center" \| 2	16 Nov 1996	Ferro Carril Oeste, Buenos Aires
style="background: #D0E6FF;" \| 24.	{{ru\|FRA}}	align="center" \| 22–12	Flank		30 Nov 1996	Stade Chaban-Delmas, Bordeaux
25.	{{ru\|FRA}}	align="center" \| 13–12	Flank		7 Dec 1996	Parc des Princes, Paris
style="background: #D0E6FF;" \| 26.	{{ru\|WAL}}	align="center" \| 37–20	Flank		15 Dec 1996	Cardiff Arms Park, Cardiff
27.	{{ru\|TON}}	align="center" \| 74–10	Flank	align="center" \| 2	10 Jun 1997	Newlands, Cape Town
style="background: #D0E6FF;" \| 28.	{{flag\|British and Irish Lions\|name=British Lions}}	align="center" \| 16–25	Flank		21 Jun 1997	Newlands, Cape Town
29.	{{flagicon\|British and Irish Lions}} British Lions	align="center" \| 15–18	Flank		28 Jun 1997	Kings Park, Durban
style="background: #D0E6FF;" \| 30.	{{ru\|NZL}}	align="center" \| 32–35	Flank		19 Jul 1997	Ellis Park, Johannesburg
31.	{{ru\|AUS}}	align="center" \| 20–32	Flank		2 Aug 1997	Suncorp Stadium, Brisbane
style="background: #D0E6FF;" \| 32.	{{ru\|NZL}}	align="center" \| 35–55	Flank	align="center" \| 1	9 Aug 1997	Eden Park, Auckland
33.	{{ru\|NZL}}	align="center" \| 18–34	Flank		7 Aug 1999	Loftus Versfeld, Pretoria
style="background: #D0E6FF;" \| 34.	{{ru\|AUS}}	align="center" \| 10–9	Replacement		14 Aug 1999	Newlands, Cape Town
35.	{{ru\|ESP}}	align="center" \| 47–3	Flank		10 Oct 1999	Murrayfield, Edinburgh
style="background: #D0E6FF;" \| 36.	{{ru\|NZL}}	align="center" \| 22–18	Replacement		4 Nov 1999	Millennium Stadium, Cardiff

=World Cups=

1995: world champions, 5 selections (Wallabies, Romania, Samoa, France, All Blacks).
1999: 2 selections (Spain, All Blacks).

Later career

At the end of his rugby career, he became a camera salesman. He owned a Minolta franchise in Pretoria. He was portrayed in Invictus, a film about Nelson Mandela and the 1995 Springboks, by Grant Roberts.{{Citation |title=Invictus (2009) - IMDb |url=http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1057500/fullcredits |access-date=2020-07-04}}

Death

Kruger died in Pretoria on 27 January 2010 after battling brain cancer for 10 years. He was two months short of his 40th birthday.[http://www.sport24.co.za/Content/Rugby/264/b344c1e0025e4c9bb0655f7206e524b4/28-01-2010-07-40/Ruben_Kruger_dies www.supersport.com].