Rugby pumps through Wikus van Heerden’s veins. The former Springbok, Lions and Bulls flanker is the son of the legendary Springbok lock Moaner van Heerden.
Van Heerden was first spotted (along with Barend Pieterse) playing for Waterkloof Hoërskool in Pretoria and he was recruited to join the Lions the following year.
He was part of the Junior Lions which won the SA Under 21 competition in 2001 and the combination went on to win the Vodacom Cup in 2003.
“If I can sum up Van Heerden in one phrase it would definitely be ‘captain courageous’ says his former coach Eugene Eloff. “He didn’t speak a lot but his team-mates were inspired by his play and they followed him.”
Van Heerden was a member of the Springbok’s victorious World Cup side in 2007, won SuperRugby with the Bulls in 2008 and the Currie Cup with the Lions in 2011.
Wikus eventually played 99 games for the Lions and only a broken arm in his last season before retirement robbed him of his centenary.
He also played in 97 SuperRugby games for the Cats, Bulls and Lions.
He eventually played 240 first class games (Saracens excluded) and scored 49 first class tries, just missing out on another milestone.
Johannes Lodewikus van Heerden (Wikus), born 25/02/1979 in Johannesburg.First Class Debut: 2000. Provincial career: Lions 2000-2006 & 10-11 99-17-0-0-0-85. Young Lions 2001-06 & 10 4-4-0-0-0-20, Blue Bulls 2007-08 15-6-0-0-0-30.SuperRugby: Cats 2002, 2004-06 39-5-0-0-0-35, Bulls 2003, 07-08 38-12-0-0-0-60, Lions 2010-12 20-1-0-0-0-5.Representative honours: SA 2003, 2007 Tests: 14-1-0-0-0-5, Tour 2-1-0-0-0-5. SA A 2004 4-0-0-0-0-0, SA Under 21, 2000 4-2-0-0-0-10, SA Under 19, Craven Week, Blue Bulls 1997.First Class Record: 240-49-0-0-0-245.He also played 21 games for Saracens in 2009-10 and scored two tries.Stats provided by Eddie Grieb.