Ruan Ackermann
| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Nickname | Ackies | ||
| Born |
29 December 1995 Pretoria, South Africa | ||
| Height | 1.93 m (6 ft 4 in) | ||
| Weight | 108 kg (17 st 0 lb) | ||
| School(s) attended | Hoërskool Garsfontein, Pretoria | ||
| Relatives | Johan Ackermann (father) | ||
| Club information | |||
| Playing position | Flanker | ||
| Current club | Lions / Golden Lions | ||
| Youth career | |||
| 2014–present | Golden Lions | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps† | (Pts)† |
| 2015–present | Young Lions | 8 | (10) |
| 2016–present | Lions | 16 | (15) |
| 2016–present | Golden Lions | 9 | (5) |
| Representative team(s)‡ | |||
| 2016 | Barbarians | 1 | (0) |
|
* Senior club appearances and points correct as of 25 October 2016. | |||
Ruan Ackermann (born 29 December 1995 in Pretoria, South Africa) is a South African rugby union player, currently playing Super Rugby with the Lions and Currie Cup rugby with the Golden Lions.[1] His regular position is flanker.
Rugby career
2012–2014 : Youth
Ackermann played high school rugby for Hoërskool Garsfontein, where he featured for their first XV from 2012 to 2014,[2] also captaining them in 2014, where he helped them reach the final of the Beeld Trophy.[3] He didn't represent the Blue Bulls at Craven Week level and was instead contracted by Johannesburg-based side the Golden Lions to join their academy from 2015.
Despite still being at school, he was included in the Golden Lions U19 squad during the 2014 Under-19 Provincial Championship and was named on the bench for three of their matches. He played off the bench on all three occasions and marked his debut – a Round Ten match against Western Province U19 in Johannesburg – by scoring a try in a 28–8 victory.[4]
2015 : Vodacom Cup and Under-21
Ackermann was named in the Golden Lions squad for the 2015 Vodacom Cup. He made his first class debut by starting their opening match of the campaign, a 53–3 victory over the Welwitschias in Windhoek.[5] He played off the bench in their regular season matches against the Blue Bulls,[6] Leopards[7] and the Griffons in Welkom, a match that also saw Ackermann score his first senior try in a 36–20 victory.[8] The Golden Lions finished top of the Northern Section, winning all seven of their matches to qualify for the Quarter Finals. Ackermann played off the bench in a 29–21 victory over the SWD Eagles in their quarter final match[9] and started their semi-final match against the Pumas, which the side from Nelspruit won 43–20 to eliminate the Golden Lions from the competition.[10]
Ackermann was named in a 37-man South Africa Under-20 training squad in March 2015,[11] but missed out on selection for their final squad for the 2015 World Rugby Under 20 Championship.[12]
He made six appearances for the Golden Lions U21 team during the 2015 Under-21 Provincial Championship Group A, scoring a try in his side's 17–30 defeat to the Free State U21s[13] as they finished in fourth position on the log to qualify for the semi-finals, but didn't feature in the semi-final match which was won 43–20 by eventual champions Western Province U21.[14]
2016–present : Super Rugby
In December 2015, Ackermann was included in the 55-man Lions squad that prepared for the 2016 Super Rugby season[15] and he also made the cut for a 27-man squad for their tour to Japan and New Zealand for matches against the Sunwolves, Chiefs and Highlanders.[16] He was named on the bench for their opening match against the Sunwolves.[17]
Personal life
He is the son of Johan Ackermann, a former provincial rugby player that also made thirteen appearances for the South African national team. After finishing his playing career, Johan Ackermann became a coach at the Golden Lions Currie Cup side and the Lions Super Rugby side.
References
- ↑ "SA Rugby Player Profile – Ruan Ackermann". South African Rugby Union. Retrieved 29 May 2016.
- ↑ "1st XV HS Garsfontein vs Marais Viljoen". Youth Sports Network. 6 March 2013. Retrieved 22 February 2016.
- ↑ "Nelspruit klop Garsies in eindstryd". Netwerk24 (in Afrikaans). 24 August 2014. Retrieved 22 February 2016.
- ↑ "SA Rugby Match Centre – Golden Lions U19 28-8 WP U19". South African Rugby Union. 13 September 2014. Retrieved 2 June 2016.
- ↑ "SA Rugby Match Centre – FNB Welwitschias 3-53 Xerox Golden Lions". South African Rugby Union. 6 March 2015. Retrieved 2 June 2016.
- ↑ "SA Rugby Match Centre – Xerox Golden Lions 24-12 Vodacom Blue Bulls". South African Rugby Union. 20 March 2015. Retrieved 2 June 2016.
- ↑ "SA Rugby Match Centre – Xerox Golden Lions 63-10 Leopards XV". South African Rugby Union. 25 April 2015. Retrieved 2 June 2016.
- ↑ "SA Rugby Match Centre – Down Touch Griffons 20-36 Xerox Golden Lions". South African Rugby Union. 8 May 2015. Retrieved 2 June 2016.
- ↑ "SA Rugby Match Centre – Xerox Golden Lions 29-21 SWD Eagles". South African Rugby Union. 16 May 2015. Retrieved 2 June 2016.
- ↑ "SA Rugby Match Centre – Xerox Golden Lions 20-43 Steval Pumas". South African Rugby Union. 22 May 2015. Retrieved 2 June 2016.
- ↑ "SARU names large group for Junior Bok trials". South African Rugby Union. 25 March 2015. Retrieved 25 March 2015.
- ↑ "Liebenberg to lead Junior Boks at U20 World Championship in Italy". South African Rugby Union. 20 May 2015. Retrieved 20 May 2015.
- ↑ "SA Rugby Match Centre – Free State U21 30-17 Golden Lions U21". South African Rugby Union. 26 September 2015. Retrieved 2 June 2016.
- ↑ "SA Rugby Match Centre – Western Province U21 43-20 Golden Lions U21". South African Rugby Union. 17 October 2015. Retrieved 2 June 2016.
- ↑ "Emirates Golden Lions squad bolstered for SuperRugby" (Press release). Lions. 5 December 2015. Retrieved 22 February 2016.
- ↑ "Lions name squad for Japan, New Zealand Super Rugby tour". Times Live. 22 February 2016. Retrieved 22 February 2016.
- ↑ "Lions name their team". The Citizen. 25 February 2016. Retrieved 25 February 2016.