Schalk Burger
Encyclopedia
Schalk Burger Jr. (born 13 April 1983 in Port Elizabeth) is a South African rugby union
player. He plays the position of flanker
in the Springbok
rugby union team.
, and enjoyed success in many sports.
in 2003 at the Rugby World Cup
and has since carved out a name as one of the best flankers in the world with solid performances in the Super 12
, Tri-Nations and Currie Cup
. Burger plays club rugby for the Stormers
and Western Province
.
Burger possesses all the necessary attributes to be a great loose forward. He is quick to the breakdown and has an abundance of stamina; he is rarely rested throughout the Stormers' Super 14 campaigns, South African Test matches or the Currie Cup. He is also a constructive link in open play with his ability to draw defenders and offload.
, went on to win the Tri-Nations trophy for the first time since Nick Mallett
's team managed the feat in 1998.
To cap off a magnificent year, Burger was also awarded the most prestigious rugby player's award, the IRB International Player of the Year
award in the 2004 season. In addition, he claimed the 2004 ABSA SA Rugby Player of the Year award.
, during which Burger showed only flashes of the brilliance that took him to the peak of world rugby, he was to once again start in his favoured number 6 shirt ( openside flanker in South African rugby) in the national team for the upcoming expanded Tri-Nations test series against Australia and New Zealand. However, in the Springboks' Test match
against Scotland
on 17 June, Burger suffered a serious neck injury. The following day, it was confirmed that he would require cervical fusion
surgery and would be out of action for at least the remainder of 2006. The injury and the required surgery were serious enough for White to tell the media, "I don't want to jump to conclusions – but there is a chance he may never play again." Burger's father told a Cape Town
radio program that the injury was between his sixth and seventh cervical vertebrae
, adding, "Although the operation is difficult the fact that the injury is lower down his neck is good for a future prognosis of making a full recovery." The South African Rugby Union
released a statement on 24 June, the date of the surgery, indicating that the surgery was successful and that Burger would undergo six to eight months of rehabilitation, with plans to return him to the game.
In mid-2007 he was picked in the Springboks squad for the 2007 Rugby World Cup
. He has been linked with a move to Harlequins
of the English Premiership
after the cup.
During the Springboks' first match of the Rugby World Cup against Samoa
, Burger was cited for a high tackle on Junior Polu
, and on 11 September was given a four-match suspension which would have in theory kept him out of the team until the semi-final. However, this was reduced to a two-match suspension on appeal.
Burger would return to play a key role in South Africa's World Cup triumph as the Springboks defeated England
15–6 to lift the Webb Ellis trophy and brought it back to South Africa for the second time in four attempts.
for the Springboks' 2008 Tri Nations campaign.
, not having played since injuring his calf muscle in April while playing for the Stormers.
During the opening minute of the second British and Irish Lions test
at Loftus Versfeld, Pretoria, Burger made contact with the eyes of Lions winger Luke Fitzgerald
. The incident was seen by touch judge Bryce Lawrence
who reported it to match referee Christophe Berdos
, who awarded a yellow card. Burger was subsequently cited by the commissioning officer for "making contact with the eye area" and then handed an eight-week ban. A later investigation by judicial officer Alan Hudson concluded that contact with the face was made but there was no intention to gouge Fitzgerald's eyes, but that Burger acted "contrary to good sportsmanship by making contact with the face in the eye area." Burger responded by saying "...I only have the utmost respect for the traditions of the wonderful game of rugby. Through my life and career I have always approached the game with the intention only of playing it hard and fair. I am not a rugby thug and will never intentionally engage in eye gouging or similar illegal actions."
Rugby union
Rugby union, often simply referred to as rugby, is a full contact team sport which originated in England in the early 19th century. One of the two codes of rugby football, it is based on running with the ball in hand...
player. He plays the position of flanker
Flanker (rugby union)
A flanker is a position in the sport of rugby union. Flankers play in the forwards, and are generally classified as either blindside, or openside flankers; numbers six and seven respectively. The name comes from their position in a scrum in which they flank each set of forwards...
in the Springbok
South Africa national rugby union team
The South African national rugby union team are 2009 British and Irish Lions Series winners. They are currently ranked as the fourth best team in the IRB World Rankings and were named 2008 World Team of the Year at the prestigious Laureus World Sports Awards.Although South Africa was instrumental...
rugby union team.
Father
His father, also called Schalk Burger, was an international lock, being capped for South Africa during the "isolation years" of the 1980s. Schalk was schooled at Paarl GimnasiumPaarl Gimnasium
Paarl Gimnasium is a school in Paarl, Western Cape, South Africa. Rev. van Lingen founded the school in the centre of town in 1858. The school has had a number of significant sporting achievements and has produced some of South Africa's top Rugby players including Ashley Johnson Schalk Burger, Jean...
, and enjoyed success in many sports.
Rugby career
After playing for the Under 21 Springbok side that won the U21 Rugby World Cup in 2002 and then captaining it in 2003, Burger was selected for the senior Springbok squad. He made his debut against GeorgiaGeorgia national rugby union team
The Georgia national rugby union team represents Georgia in rugby union. The team's nickname, The Lelos, comes from lelo burti, a traditional Georgian sport with strong similarities to rugby. Lelo has been adopted as the Georgian word for "try"...
in 2003 at the Rugby World Cup
2003 Rugby World Cup
The 2003 Rugby World Cup was the fifth Rugby World Cup and was won by England. Originally planned to be co-hosted by Australia and New Zealand, all games were shifted to Australia following a contractual dispute over ground signage rights between the New Zealand Rugby Football Union and Rugby World...
and has since carved out a name as one of the best flankers in the world with solid performances in the Super 12
Super 14
Super Rugby is the largest and pre-eminent professional Rugby union competition in the Southern Hemisphere...
, Tri-Nations and Currie Cup
Currie Cup
The Currie Cup tournament is South Africa's premier domestic rugby union competition, played each winter and spring , featuring teams representing either entire provinces or substantial regions within provinces...
. Burger plays club rugby for the Stormers
Stormers
The Stormers, for sponsorship reasons referred to as DHL Stormers, are a South African rugby union team based in Cape Town competing in the Super Rugby competition . Despite their lack of silverware over the years, their home stadium, Newlands, typically draws the highest average attendance figures...
and Western Province
Western Province (rugby team)
DHL Western Province is a South African rugby union team that participates in the annual Currie Cup tournament. The team has won the Currie Cup on 32 occasions and has the most supporters of any Currie Cup team...
.
Burger possesses all the necessary attributes to be a great loose forward. He is quick to the breakdown and has an abundance of stamina; he is rarely rested throughout the Stormers' Super 14 campaigns, South African Test matches or the Currie Cup. He is also a constructive link in open play with his ability to draw defenders and offload.
2004
In 2004, Burger was selected as part of a rejuvenated Springbok squad which, under the guiding hand of new coach Jake WhiteJake White
Jake White is a rugby union coach and former coach of the South Africa national rugby union team, the Springboks. His most notable achievements as coach include leading the Springboks to victory in 2007 Rugby World Cup and the 2004 Tri Nations title...
, went on to win the Tri-Nations trophy for the first time since Nick Mallett
Nick Mallett
Nicholas Vivian Howard Mallett is a former South African rugby union player who was until recently the head coach of the Italian national team, previously replacing Pierre Berbizier on 3 October 2007...
's team managed the feat in 1998.
To cap off a magnificent year, Burger was also awarded the most prestigious rugby player's award, the IRB International Player of the Year
IRB International Player of the Year
IRB Player of the Year is an accolade awarded annually by the International Rugby Board. It is awarded to the player who is adjudged to have been the best performer in rugby union internationals in the preceding season IRB Player of the Year is an accolade awarded annually by the International...
award in the 2004 season. In addition, he claimed the 2004 ABSA SA Rugby Player of the Year award.
2006
After an indifferent 2006 Super 14 season2006 Super 14 season
The 2006 Super 14 season started on Friday 10 February 2006. The Grand Final was held on Saturday 27 May 2006. Super 14 is a provincial rugby union competition with 14 teams from New Zealand, Australia and South Africa. This season was the first of the expansion, which saw two new teams, the...
, during which Burger showed only flashes of the brilliance that took him to the peak of world rugby, he was to once again start in his favoured number 6 shirt ( openside flanker in South African rugby) in the national team for the upcoming expanded Tri-Nations test series against Australia and New Zealand. However, in the Springboks' Test match
2006 mid-year rugby test series
During June of 2006, several rugby union test sides played fixtures that were mainly contested in southern nations. It acted as end of year tours of the Northern Hemisphere nations, and pre season matches for the Tri Nations Series and Pacific 5 Nations....
against Scotland
Scotland national rugby union team
The Scotland national rugby union team represent Scotland in international rugby union. Rugby union in Scotland is administered by the Scottish Rugby Union. The Scotland rugby union team is currently ranked eighth in the IRB World Rankings as of 19 September 2011...
on 17 June, Burger suffered a serious neck injury. The following day, it was confirmed that he would require cervical fusion
Spinal fusion
Spinal fusion, also known as spondylodesis or spondylosyndesis, is a surgical technique used to join two or more vertebrae. Supplementary bone tissue, either from the patient or a donor , is used in conjunction with the body's natural bone growth processes to fuse the vertebrae.Fusing of the...
surgery and would be out of action for at least the remainder of 2006. The injury and the required surgery were serious enough for White to tell the media, "I don't want to jump to conclusions – but there is a chance he may never play again." Burger's father told a Cape Town
Cape Town
Cape Town is the second-most populous city in South Africa, and the provincial capital and primate city of the Western Cape. As the seat of the National Parliament, it is also the legislative capital of the country. It forms part of the City of Cape Town metropolitan municipality...
radio program that the injury was between his sixth and seventh cervical vertebrae
Cervical vertebrae
In vertebrates, cervical vertebrae are those vertebrae immediately inferior to the skull.Thoracic vertebrae in all mammalian species are defined as those vertebrae that also carry a pair of ribs, and lie caudal to the cervical vertebrae. Further caudally follow the lumbar vertebrae, which also...
, adding, "Although the operation is difficult the fact that the injury is lower down his neck is good for a future prognosis of making a full recovery." The South African Rugby Union
South African Rugby Union
The South African Rugby Union is the governing body for rugby union in South Africa and is affiliated to the International Rugby Board...
released a statement on 24 June, the date of the surgery, indicating that the surgery was successful and that Burger would undergo six to eight months of rehabilitation, with plans to return him to the game.
2007 and the Rugby World Cup
Following successful surgery and rehabilitation, Burger returned to the Vodacom Stormers line-up on 13 January 2007, playing 55 minutes as the Stormers lost to the Bulls. Despite the loss, Burger did show flashes of the brilliance that took him to the peak of world rugby in 2004–05. After a shaky start to the 2007 Super 14 season, Burger inspired the Stormers to their first win of the campaign against the Chiefs as the Stormers recorded their first points of the season in a tense 21–16 victory at the Newlands Stadium.In mid-2007 he was picked in the Springboks squad for the 2007 Rugby World Cup
2007 Rugby World Cup
The 2007 Rugby World Cup was the sixth Rugby World Cup, a quadrennial international rugby union competition inaugurated in 1987. Twenty nations competed for the Webb Ellis Cup in the tournament, which was hosted by France from 7 September to 20 October. France won the hosting rights in 2003,...
. He has been linked with a move to Harlequins
Harlequin F.C.
The Harlequin Football Club is an English rugby union team who play in the top level of English rugby, the Aviva Premiership. Their ground in London is Twickenham Stoop...
of the English Premiership
Guinness Premiership
The English Premiership, also currently known as the Aviva Premiership because of the league's sponsorship by Aviva, is a professional league competition for rugby union football clubs in the top division of the English rugby system. There are twelve clubs in the Premiership...
after the cup.
During the Springboks' first match of the Rugby World Cup against Samoa
Samoa national rugby union team
The Manu Samoa is the men's representative side of the Samoa Rugby Union in both the 15's and the 7's for international competitions. The Samoa Rugby Union is owned by the affiliated rugby unions of Samoa. In Samoa, Manu Samoa is in honour of a famous Samoan warrior. From 1924 to 1997 Samoa was...
, Burger was cited for a high tackle on Junior Polu
Junior Polu
Junior Poluleuligaga is a Samoan rugby union international player. He currently plays for Exeter Chiefs in the Aviva Premiership. He plays as a Scrum-half and was educated at De La Salle College, Mangere East. His name is often abbreviated to Junior Polu.-Career:So much of Junior Poluleuligaga's...
, and on 11 September was given a four-match suspension which would have in theory kept him out of the team until the semi-final. However, this was reduced to a two-match suspension on appeal.
Burger would return to play a key role in South Africa's World Cup triumph as the Springboks defeated England
England national rugby union team
The England national rugby union team represents England in rugby union. They compete in the annual Six Nations Championship with France, Ireland, Scotland, Italy, and Wales. They have won this championship on 26 occasions, 12 times winning the Grand Slam, making them the most successful team in...
15–6 to lift the Webb Ellis trophy and brought it back to South Africa for the second time in four attempts.
2008
In March 2008, Burger was banned for openly abusing a touch judge in a Super 14 game for the Stormers against the Sharks in Durban. The touch judge in question had suggested the referee send Burger to the sin-bin for an offense that the referee hadn't seen. Upon leaving the field, Burger was seen to be gesticulating and shouting at the touch judge. The citing commissioner decided that Burger be banned for two weeks for his actions. After another great season which saw the Stormers finish just short of making the play-offs, Burger was selected by new coach Peter de VilliersPeter de Villiers
Peter de Villiers is a South African rugby union coach who is the coach of the South Africa national rugby union team. After his successes with South African U19 and U21 squads, de Villiers was named as the coach of South Africa's national team, the Springboks in January 2008, the first-ever...
for the Springboks' 2008 Tri Nations campaign.
2009
Burger was selected for the Springboks' to play the British and Irish Lions2009 British and Irish Lions tour to South Africa
The 2009 British and Irish Lions Tour to South Africa was an international rugby union tour which took place in South Africa from May to July 2009....
, not having played since injuring his calf muscle in April while playing for the Stormers.
During the opening minute of the second British and Irish Lions test
2009 British and Irish Lions tour to South Africa
The 2009 British and Irish Lions Tour to South Africa was an international rugby union tour which took place in South Africa from May to July 2009....
at Loftus Versfeld, Pretoria, Burger made contact with the eyes of Lions winger Luke Fitzgerald
Luke Fitzgerald
Luke Matthew Fitzgerald is a Rugby Union footballer. He currently plays at winger or centre for Leinster. Having previously studied at Blackrock College he won two Leinster Schools Senior Cups, in 2004 and 2006. He won his first cap for Ireland in November 2006...
. The incident was seen by touch judge Bryce Lawrence
Bryce Lawrence
Bryce Lawrence is a professional international rugby union referee from the Bay of Plenty, New Zealand.Originally a school headmaster, Lawrence took up refereeing in 1994, following in footsteps of his father, Keith Lawrence, who had been an international rugby union referee from 1985 to 1991...
who reported it to match referee Christophe Berdos
Christophe Berdos
Christophe Berdos is a full-time international rugby union referee with the French Rugby Federation and is one of the two French representatives on the IRB's International Referees Panel....
, who awarded a yellow card. Burger was subsequently cited by the commissioning officer for "making contact with the eye area" and then handed an eight-week ban. A later investigation by judicial officer Alan Hudson concluded that contact with the face was made but there was no intention to gouge Fitzgerald's eyes, but that Burger acted "contrary to good sportsmanship by making contact with the face in the eye area." Burger responded by saying "...I only have the utmost respect for the traditions of the wonderful game of rugby. Through my life and career I have always approached the game with the intention only of playing it hard and fair. I am not a rugby thug and will never intentionally engage in eye gouging or similar illegal actions."