# Ruben Kruger

Ruben Jacobus Kruger (30 March 1970 – 27 January 2010) was a South African rugby union player. He played as a flanker. He had two daughters Zoë (b. 2002) and Isabella (b. 2005). Isabella played quarter final on the junior tournament at the 2022 Wimbledon Championships.

## Playing career
### Provincial

A product of Grey College in Bloemfontein, Kruger played for the Free State schools team at the annual Craven Week tournament in 1987 and 1988 and gained selection for the South African Schools team in both years. After representing the Free State under-20 team in 1989 and 1990, he made his senior provincial debut for the Free State in 1991. During 1993, Kruger moved to Northern Transvaal and played for the union until 2000. In 1995 Ruben Kruger was named South African Rugby Football Union's player of the year.

### International

Kruger played for the South Africa national rugby union team between 1993 and 1999. He played his first test match for the Springboks on 6 November 1993 against Argentina at the Ferro Carril Oeste Stadium in Buenos Aires.
In 1995, he played in the Rugby World Cup. During this tournament, he made 5 starts, and scored 1 try, in the controversial semi-final against the France national rugby union team. Kruger also played in the 1999 World Cup and in addition to his 36 test matches, he also played in 20 tour matches and scored 14 tries.

### Test history

World Cup Final
| No. | Opposition | Result (SA 1st) | Position | Tries | Date | Venue |
| 1. | Argentina | 29–26 | Flank | | 6 Nov 1993 | Ferro Carril Oeste, Buenos Aires |
| 2. | Argentina | 52–23 | Flank | | 13 Nov 1993 | Ferro Carril Oeste, Buenos Aires |
| 3. | Scotland | 34–10 | Flank | | 19 Nov 1994 | Murrayfield, Edinburgh |
| 4. | Wales | 20–12 | Flank | | 26 Nov 1994 | Cardiff Arms Park, Cardiff |
| 5. | Samoa | 60–8 | Flank | | 13 Apr 1995 | Ellis Park, Johannesburg |
| 6. | Australia | 27–18 | Flank | | 25 May 1995 | Newlands, Cape Town |
| 7. | Romania | 21–8 | Flank | | 30 May 1995 | Newlands, Cape Town |
| 8. | Samoa | 42–14 | Flank | | 10 Jun 1995 | Ellis Park, Johannesburg |
| 9. | France | 19–15 | Flank | 1 | 17 Jun 1995 | Kings Park, Durban |
| 10. | New Zealand | 15–12 | Flank | | 24 Jun 1995 | Ellis Park, Johannesburg |
| 11. | Wales | 40–11 | Flank | | 2 Sep 1995 | Ellis Park, Johannesburg |
| 12. | Italy | 40–21 | Flank | | 12 Nov 1995 | Stadio Olimpico, Rome |
| 13. | England | 24–14 | Flank | | 18 Nov 1995 | Twickenham, London |
| 14. | Fiji | 43–18 | Flank | | 2 Jul 1996 | Loftus Versfeld, Pretoria |
| 15. | Australia | 16–21 | Flank | | 13 Jul 1996 | Sydney Football Stadium (SFG), Sydney |
| 16. | New Zealand | 11–15 | Flank | | 20 Jul 1996 | AMI Stadium, Christchurch |
| 17. | Australia | 25–19 | Flank | | 3 Aug 1996 | Free State Stadium, Bloemfontein |
| 18. | New Zealand | 18–29 | Flank | | 10 Aug 1996 | Newlands, Cape Town |
| 19. | New Zealand | 19–23 | Flank | | 17 Aug 1996 | Kings Park, Durban |
| 20. | New Zealand | 26–33 | Flank | 1 | 24 Aug 1996 | Loftus Versfeld, Pretoria |
| 21. | New Zealand | 32–22 | Flank | | 31 Aug 1996 | Ellis Park, Johannesburg |
| 22. | Argentina | 46–15 | Flank | | 9 Nov 1996 | Ferro Carril Oeste, Buenos Aires |
| 23. | Argentina | 44–21 | Flank | 2 | 16 Nov 1996 | Ferro Carril Oeste, Buenos Aires |
| 24. | France | 22–12 | Flank | | 30 Nov 1996 | Stade Chaban-Delmas, Bordeaux |
| 25. | France | 13–12 | Flank | | 7 Dec 1996 | Parc des Princes, Paris |
| 26. | Wales | 37–20 | Flank | | 15 Dec 1996 | Cardiff Arms Park, Cardiff |
| 27. | Tonga | 74–10 | Flank | 2 | 10 Jun 1997 | Newlands, Cape Town |
| 28. | British Lions | 16–25 | Flank | | 21 Jun 1997 | Newlands, Cape Town |
| 29. | British Lions | 15–18 | Flank | | 28 Jun 1997 | Kings Park, Durban |
| 30. | New Zealand | 32–35 | Flank | | 19 Jul 1997 | Ellis Park, Johannesburg |
| 31. | Australia | 20–32 | Flank | | 2 Aug 1997 | Suncorp Stadium, Brisbane |
| 32. | New Zealand | 35–55 | Flank | 1 | 9 Aug 1997 | Eden Park, Auckland |
| 33. | New Zealand | 18–34 | Flank | | 7 Aug 1999 | Loftus Versfeld, Pretoria |
| 34. | Australia | 10–9 | Replacement | | 14 Aug 1999 | Newlands, Cape Town |
| 35. | Spain | 47–3 | Flank | | 10 Oct 1999 | Murrayfield, Edinburgh |
| 36. | New Zealand | 22–18 | Replacement | | 4 Nov 1999 | Millennium Stadium, Cardiff |

### World Cups

* 1995 : world champions, 5 selections (Wallabies, Romania, Samoa, France, All Blacks).
* 1999 : 2 selections (Spain, All Blacks).

## Later career

At the end of his rugby career, he became a camera salesman. He owned a Minolta franchise in Pretoria. He was portrayed in Invictus, a film about Nelson Mandela and the 1995 Springboks, by Grant Roberts.

## Death

Kruger died in Pretoria on 27 January 2010 after battling brain cancer for 10 years. He was two months short of his 40th birthday.