When Ruan Pienaar takes the field for the final time for his beloved Toyota Cheetahs side in the SA Cup derby against Griquas on Friday night, his long-time friend and now Cheetahs Director of Rugby Frans Steyn has one wish - to make it a spectacle.
“I hope they shoot crackers and they do something special. They should even hand out ice cream,” Steyn laughed when asked about Pienaar’s farewell, which will cap a remarkable 20 year journey that began and ended in Bloemfontein.
Pienaar has done just about everything there is to do in rugby. A legend in Ulster Rugby circles, there was recently excitement in Northern Ireland with the prospect he may return to Belfast as a coach, although Pienaar laughs that off as “the media running with a story”.
But it is hard not to use the term rugby legend when it comes to the son of a former Springbok fullback that always was a class above, but perhaps never received the accolades as some of his Bok teammates did.
Think of his career for a second. It has some staggering facts.
Pienaar is Springbok number 779, a number he cherishes, and made his first class debut for the Cheetahs in 2004. Fifteen years later he would return to the orange jersey and the city that he grew up in to again lead them to a Currie Cup title, one of two tournament victories he now cherishes.
Free State Rugby brings honour to an exceptional player and teammate. He will be running onto the field in his last match on Friday against the Griquas at Shimla Park. @Springboks@ToyotaSA pic.twitter.com/GVPgQFUwbT
— Toyota Cheetahs (@CheetahsRugby) May 16, 2024
88 SPRINGBOK TESTS
Above that there were the 88 test matches he played for the Springboks, 85 caps for the Toyota Cheetahs and another 99 games for the Sharks (32 Currie Cup and 67 Super Rugby matches).
At Ulster he was a folk hero, playing 141 times for the club between 2010 and 2017, playing in the 2012 Heineken Cup final, where he scored nine points with the boot. In 2013 he helped Ulster to the Pro12 final, scoring all Ulster’s points as they lost to Leinster.
A stint at Montpellier saw another 28 caps before he returned to Bloemfontein. Oh, and while he had set his sights on finishing his career for the Cheetahs, he took his Sharks’ cap tally to over 100 with five more games on loan.
Now at the age of 40 he finally hangs up his boots, and will transition to the Free State under-21 coaching staff as the new backline and attack coach as he looks to the next chapter in his life.
But stats only tell one part of the story. What makes Ruan Pienaar so special - a question that Steyn - his Springbok roommate for their entire careers - smiles when asked.
HATES TO LOSE
“He hates to lose,” Steyn grins, “Even more than me. And he stresses before the game. But on the field he can read a game like few other players. It isn’t often that you find a player that has an all-round game like him, especially at nine. His passes are good, his kicking is exceptional, and he reads the game unbelievably well.”
Pienaar’s calmness has been another big asset in his career, as he handled tense and tough situations with all the experience he had picked up.
“Some of the young players might not agree,” Pienaar laughs, “They have seen me get really angry on the field. Sometimes you need to have some harsh words. But I’m the guy who always believes in driving the standards for the team, both in practice sessions and in games.
“Sometimes you are a bit hard on the youngsters, but I really don’t like to lose. I want us to play good rugby and it is because you love what you do. If you look at the top players it is an asset that they all have - you need to be able to take good decisions under pressure. Hopefully I had that throughout my career.
“Now that I’m going into coaching, it is something I want to concentrate on. Not all players have those skills and it is something I want to work on with them.”
INJURY FREE
Pienaar’s career has been remarkable in that he has remained mostly injury free, and that has contributed to the amazing numbers he has racked up in terms of appearances.
“I think I chose my position wisely, Frans (Steyn) took a bit more hammering in the midfield than I did at scrumhalf. I’ve been really blessed and fortunate that I haven’t picked up long term injuries. I had a knee injury when I was 19 or 20, but that was probably the most serious injury that I had,” Pienaar recalls.
“Everything is still intact. Hopefully all goes well on Friday and I will leave the game still feeling fine and being able to play with my kids afterwards.”
And while there are many accolades, trophies and man of the match performances, it is the memories that will sit with him for years to come.
“Winning trophies and medals are always nice. And being part of big games was always a thrill, but all the memories, that is all you are going to have left when you retire. All those things are nice - the memories you make with friends, and meeting new people. All the banter in the changerooms in the week and after games, those are the things you will always remember, the stories you share. I am going to miss playing but I guess those things will probably be with you for longer than the rest of it.”
LOVE FOR THE CURRIE CUP
Yet it is the Currie Cup, a trophy that is struggling to find a place in the SA Rugby calendar with a plethora of international competitions, that is still the closest to his heart.
“I truly hope the competition continues for another 100 years,” Pienaar said.
“It is the competition with the most enduring history and features some of the biggest names in the game.
“I have had the privilege to have played in the Currie Cup competition and it remains something that deserves a special place in the South African calendar.
“To have returned to the Cheetahs at age 35 and to have been part of two Currie Cup-winning teams is special – given that when I left in 2004 I never thought I would play for the Cheetahs.”
GYSIE’S LESSONS
Pienaar’s father Gysie was a Springbok hero who played 165 times for the Cheetahs between 1975 and 1987 and played 13 tests between 1980 and 1981 for the Springboks. And it is clear that it rubbed off on his son.
“My dad never forced me to take up rugby, and he never pressured me. I loved playing from when I was small. I try to do the same with my kids, and they need to find their own feet and look where it takes them,” Pienaar recalls.
“I am really honoured to have my dad as part of my career. We spoke after every game about what went well and what didn’t. For me it helped my career immensely. I watched a lot of my dad’s games on tapes and the flair that he had was twice as good as I am.
“But it was great to be able to share it with him. He made sure skills were a major thing, and he always taught me to work hard and never stop.
“When I got a contract at the Sharks, he said to me ‘ here is a chance, either you use it or you let it slip’. I’ve seen it with a lot of younger players who get the chance, but unfortunately for one or other reason don’t want to do the work.
“I watched my dad and he was very disciplined. Even now, my preparation is something that sticks with me. It is something that I need to do.”
HELP YOUNG PLAYERS
Now that he looks ahead to his coaching career, Pienaar wants to see young players grab their potential and be part of that development process.
“To me it is heartbreaking to see a player with talent not use that potential that they have. I want to try and help them achieve that, with hard work. It has already been shown that if you perform at Varsity Cup, the Cheetahs will give you a chance. We want to bring those young players, especially those from Bloemfontein, through the system.
“Our junior rugby isn’t strong enough at the moment in the Free State. That is something I want to help correct.”
And if he shows the same sort of dedication and drive in his career, there is no reason why Pienaar’s transition won’t be a success.