# Duane Vermeulen

Daniel Johannes "Duane" Vermeulen (born 3 July 1986) is a former South African professional rugby union player who previously played for the South Africa national team. He also previously played for Ulster Rugby in the United Rugby Championship, Vodacom Blue Bulls and the Pumas, Free State Cheetahs and Western Province in South African domestic rugby, the Cheetahs, Stormers and Bulls in Super Rugby and Toulon in the Top 14. He was an instrumental part of South Africa winning the 2019 Rugby World Cup and received the Man of the Match award in the final. Vermeulen played as a Number eight but he was equally adept at playing both blindside and openside flanker. Nicknamed “Thor”, he is known for his physical strength, anticipation under the high ball and leadership abilities. He is widely regarded as one of the best Number Eights in South African Rugby history.

## Background

Vermeulen's father died from cancer in c.1997. When Vermeulen was only 10/11 years old.

## Club career

Vermeulen began his career in the Free State, playing for the Free State Cheetahs in the Currie Cup and the Cheetahs in the Super 14. He eventually followed his former coach Rassie Erasmus and joined the much larger and more competitive Western Province rugby union in 2009 after three seasons with the Free State. He put in some strong displays for the Stormers in the 2010 Super 14 season, where the Stormers made it all the way to the final.
Injuries plagued Vermeulen's 2011 and early 2012 seasons, however, after playing just nine games of Super Rugby, was selected as part of Heyneke Meyer's squad for the away leg of the Rugby Championship.
Vermeulen has twice won the Currie Cup, in 2007 with the Free State and in 2012 with Western Province. He was named captain of the Stormers for the 2015 Super Rugby season. While out with a neck injury, in June 2015 Vermeulen flew to France to be unveiled as a post-2015 Rugby World Cup signing for Top 14 club Toulon.
After a short spell in Japan with Kubota Spears, Vermeulen travelled back to his home nation of South Africa as a Bulls-player, signing in October 2018.
On 16 September 2021, it was announced that Vermeulen would join Irish province Ulster in the United Rugby Championship for the 2021–22 season. Vermeulen made his Ulster debut on 11 December 2021 in the European Rugby Champions Cup, against Clermont Auvergne. He spent two seasons with the Irish province, leaving at the end of the 2022–23 season.

## International career

Before his first full international cap, Vermeulen represented South Africa at the second level of international rugby, appearing for the Emerging Springboks. One highlight of his appearances for the Emerging Boks was being in the squad that performed against the British & Irish Lions, holding them to a 13–13 draw, during their tour to South Africa in 2009.
Vermeulen looked like being a certain selection for the Springboks, Vermeulen was not called into the Springbok squad that faced Wales, Italy and France. He was also omitted from the Springboks 2010 Tri Nations Series squad. After a stand out Currie Cup domestic Rugby Season, Vermeulen was named as part of the 39-man preliminary training squad ahead of the 2010 end of year grand slam tour to the Northern Hemisphere. He was once again overlooked for selection in the final squad.
Vermeulen made his international debut for South Africa on 8 September 2012, where he formed part of the starting lineup going up against Australia. He was selected again to start the following week against New Zealand in Dunedin, where South Africa lost by 10 points. On 29 September 2012, South Africa beat Australia 31–8, a victory which marked Vermeulen's first Springbok win.
He was selected for the Springboks' 2012 Northern Hemisphere tour. Vermeulen received a man of the match award for his performance against England at Twickenham during this tour, based on a number of vital turnovers on the ground, 15 hard tackles, and his role of primary ball carrier on the day. In 2014, he was one of five nominees for the IRB Player of the Year award.
Vermeulen played in the 2019 Rugby World Cup Final against England. He was part of the South African team that won their third World Cup at the Yokohama Stadium in Japan. He was awarded a man of the match award for his performance where he made a number of vital contributions, including 10 carries, making 49 metres (both the most in the match) and 2 turnovers.
Vermeulen was called up by the Springboks at the 2023 Rugby World Cup and the team went on and win the World Cup once again after the 2019.
Vermeulen announced his retirement from rugby on 8 November 2023.

## Honours

* SARU Rugby Player of the Year 2014
* Super Rugby Player of Year 2014
* IRB Player of the Year – Nominee – 2014
* Super Rugby and Unlocked Player of Year 2020
* SA Rugby Player of the Year for 2020
* Currie Cup winner 2020–21
* World Cup Winner 2019, 2023
* Rugby Championship Winner 2019

### Test Match Record

    As of 8 October 2021
| Against | P | W | D | L | Tri | Pts | %Won |
| Argentina | 6 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 5 | 100 |
| Australia | 8 | 4 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 50 |
| England | 7 | 5 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 5 | 71.43 |
| France | 3 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 100 |
| Ireland | 4 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 50 |
| Italy | 3 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 100 |
| Japan | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 100 |
| New Zealand | 11 | 2 | 1 | 8 | 0 | 0 | 22.73 |
| Samoa | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 100 |
| Scotland | 5 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 100 |
| United States | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 100 |
| Wales | 7 | 5 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 5 | 71.43 |
| Total | 58 | 39 | 1 | 18 | 3 | 15 | 68.1 |
Pld = Games Played, W = Games Won, D = Games Drawn, L = Games Lost, Tri = Tries Scored, Pts = Points Scored

### International Tries

| Try | Opposing team | Location | Venue | Competition | Date | Result |
| 1 | Argentina | Soweto, South Africa | FNB Stadium | 2013 Rugby Championship | 17 August 2013 | Won 73–13 |
| 2 | Wales | Durban, South Africa | Kings Park | Mid-year rugby test series | 14 June 2014 | Won 38–16 |
| 3 | England | Bloemfontein, South Africa | Toyota Stadium | Mid-year rugby test series | 16 June 2018 | Won 23–12 |

## Super Rugby statistics

    As of 3 March 2021
| Season | Team | Games | Starts | Sub | Mins | Tries | Points | | |
| 2007 | Cheetahs | 7 | 5 | 2 | 437 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| 2008 | Cheetahs | 13 | 12 | 1 | 949 | 3 | 15 | 0 | 0 |
| 2009 | Stormers | 13 | 13 | 0 | 1040 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2010 | Stormers | 15 | 15 | 0 | 1186 | 2 | 10 | 0 | 0 |
| 2011 | Stormers | 16 | 15 | 1 | 1178 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| 2012 | Stormers | 8 | 8 | 0 | 640 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2013 | Stormers | 10 | 10 | 0 | 791 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| 2014 | Stormers | 16 | 16 | 0 | 1221 | 1 | 5 | 0 | 0 |
| 2015 | Stormers | 11 | 11 | 0 | 862 | 2 | 10 | 0 | 0 |
| 2016–2018 | did not participate in Super Rugby | did not participate in Super Rugby | did not participate in Super Rugby | did not participate in Super Rugby | did not participate in Super Rugby | did not participate in Super Rugby | did not participate in Super Rugby | did not participate in Super Rugby | did not participate in Super Rugby |
| 2019 | Bulls | 19 | 19 | 0 | 1056 | 2 | 10 | 0 | 0 |
| Total | Total | 123 | 119 | 4 | 9360 | 10 | 50 | 3 | 0 |

## Personal life

Vermeulen married wife Ezel in 2012, and they have two sons.
He has business investments in farming, honey, wine and bubble tea.