Balie Swart

Balie Swart is what this section is about: a schoolboy captain who became a World Cup winner. At Paarl Gimnasium he captained Western Province at the 1983 Craven Week and led South African Schools the same year.

Born in Malmesbury on 18 May 1964, he played 58 matches for Western Province before moving to Transvaal in 1992. He made 108 appearances over eight seasons and could pack down on either side of the scrum.

He won 16 Springbok caps between 1993 and 1996. At the 1995 Rugby World Cup he played four matches, including the final against the All Blacks at Ellis Park, at tighthead prop.

He retired in 1999 and began coaching at the union that year. He then worked in New Zealand with Nelson Bays and the Highlanders. He was the Springboks' scrum coach at the 2007 World Cup, and later worked with referees on the scrum laws.