Pieter Stephanus du Toit (born 20 August 1992) is a South African professional rugby union player who plays as a lock or flanker for the South Africa and in Japan Rugby League One. A two-time recipient of the World Rugby Men's 15s Player of the Year award (2019 and 2024), he is regarded as one of the outstanding players of his generation. Du Toit was a key member of the Springboks' 2019 Rugby World Cup and 2023 World Cup-winning squads and was named man of the match in the 2023 final against New Zealand. Renowned for his stamina, defensive work rate, and tackling dominance, he is widely considered among the greatest players of all time.

Early life Du Toit was born in Cape Town to Pieter and Annelene du Toit. He grew up in the Riebeek Valley, where his family farmed on the historic Kloovenburg estate in Riebeek Kasteel. He attended Laerskool Riebeek Kasteel before moving to Hoërskool Swartland, where he played mostly as a second-row forward.

Du Toit is the latest in a long line of Pieter Stephanus du Toits, continuing a family naming tradition dating back to the 1820s. His grandfather, Pieter Stephanus du Toit, represented South Africa as a prop, earning 14 Test caps between 1958 and 1962 after debuting against France.

He is one of four brothers – Johan, Anton and Daniel. Johan du Toit became a professional rugby player, while Anton du Toit represented in the Varsity Cup competition.

Club career Sharks After finishing school at the end of 2010, Du Toit signed with the and joined the Sharks Academy, where he represented the franchise at Under-19 and Under-21 levels. He was named Best First Year Rugby Student at the Academy Awards in 2011.

Du Toit made his professional debut for the Sharks during the 2012 season, appearing off the bench in a Super Rugby match against the Chiefs after featuring earlier that year in the Vodacom Cup.

In July 2013, he signed a two-year contract extension with the franchise. He remained with the Sharks until his departure was formally announced in October 2015.

Stormers Du Toit joined the ahead of the 2016 season, where he became a central figure in their Super Rugby squad. Du Toit never represented . He remained at the Cape franchise until 2021.

During this period he overcame two major injuries. In 2019 he suffered a torn ACL and successfully returned to play after undergoing surgery in which his father donated a tendon for the reconstruction.

In February 2020 he sustained a life-threatening leg injury during a Super Rugby match against the Blues at Newlands. A haematoma on his left thigh developed into acute compartment syndrome, requiring multiple surgeries and keeping him sidelined for more than a year.

Toyota Verblitz Following the 2021 season, Du Toit signed with in Japan's Japan Rugby League One.

International career Du Toit was a member of the South Africa Under-20 side that won the 2012 IRB Junior World Championship.

He made his senior Test debut for South Africa against Wales in Cardiff on 9 November 2013 at the age of 21. Du Toit featured at the 2015 Rugby World Cup, coming off the bench in the quarter-final victory over Wales at Twickenham Stadium.

He became a regular starter under head coach Allister Coetzee from 2016 onwards and captained the Springboks for the first time on 2 June 2018, becoming South Africa's 60th Test captain in a match against Wales.

From 2019 onwards Du Toit transitioned predominantly to the back row. He was selected for the 2019 Rugby World Cup, where South Africa defeated England in the final to claim their third world title. His performances throughout the year earned him the World Rugby Men's 15s Player of the Year award for 2019.

Du Toit was also part of the South African squad that won the Rugby Championship in 2019, 2024 and 2025.

In 2021 he featured in the Test series win over the British & Irish Lions, playing in the first two Tests before being ruled out of the series decider due to a shoulder injury sustained in the second Test. South Africa ultimately won the series 2–1.

At the 2023 Rugby World Cup, Du Toit produced one of the most celebrated performances of his career in the final against New Zealand, earning the Player of the Match award after making 28 tackles as South Africa secured back-to-back world titles. He was named World Rugby Player of the Year for a second time in 2024, becoming one of the few players to win the award more than once.

Personal life Du Toit is a Christian and is nicknamed the "Malmesbury Missile".

He is married to Willemien, and the couple have three children. His first-born son is also named Pieter Stephanus du Toit, continuing the family naming tradition that now spans eight generations.

His younger brother, Johan du Toit, was also a professional rugby player, and the two were teammates at the in 2014–2015 before later reuniting at the from 2017 until 2021.

International statistics

Test match record

Against P W D L Tri Pts %Won 14 11 0 3 6 30 12 6 2 4 2 10 2 1 0 1 0 0 9 6 0 3 1 5 8 7 0 1 0 0 2 2 0 0 0 0 9 4 0 5 2 10 4 3 0 1 0 0 3 2 0 1 0 0 21 10 1 10 2 10 5 5 0 0 1 5 1 1 0 0 0 0 12 7 0 5 1 5 Total 102 65 3 34 15 75 Pld = Games Played, W = Games Won, D = Games Drawn, L = Games Lost, Tri = Tries Scored, Pts = Points Scored

Test tries

Try Opposition Location Venue Competition Date Result Score1 Cape Town, South Africa Newlands Test match Loss 20–262 Johannesburg, South Africa Ellis Park Stadium Test match Win 32–263 Salta, Argentina Estadio Padre Ernesto Martearena 2016 Rugby Championship Loss 26–244 Port Elizabeth, South Africa Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium 2017 Rugby Championship Win 37–155 Yokohama, Japan International Stadium Yokohama 2019 Rugby World Cup Loss 23–136 Pretoria, South Africa Loftus Versfeld Stadium 2023 Rugby Championship Win 43–127 Cardiff, Wales Millennium Stadium 2023 Rugby World Cup warm-up matches Win 52–168 Marseille, France Stade Vélodrome 2023 Rugby World Cup Win 18–39 Brisbane, Australia Lang Park 2024 Rugby Championship Win 33-710 Mbombela, South Africa Mbombela Stadium 2024 Rugby Championship Win 48–71112 London, England Twickenham Stadium 2024 end-of-year rugby union internationals Win 20–2913 Durban, South Africa Kings Park Stadium 2025 Rugby Championship Win 67–301415 Baltimore, United States M&T Bank Stadium 2026 New Zealand tour of South Africa Win 43–28

Honours South Africa Rugby World Cup: Winner: 2019, 2023 British & Irish Lions series: Winner: 2021 The Rugby Championship: Winner: 2019, 2024, 2025 IRB Junior World Championship: Winner: 2012 Sharks Currie Cup: Winner: 2013 Individual World Rugby Men's 15s Player of the Year: 2019, 2024 World Rugby Men's 15s Dream Team of the Year: 2024 South Africa Rugby Union Awards – Player of the Year: 2016, 2018, 2019

See also List of South Africa national rugby union players – Springbok no. 854

References

External links Pieter-Steph du Toit at Springboks