Pieter-Steph du Toit
Pieter Stephanus du Toit (born 20 August 1992) is a South African professional rugby union player. Du Toit plays as a lock or a flanker for the South Africa national team and the  in Japan Rugby League One. After winning the 2019 Rugby World Cup with South Africa, he was awarded the 2019 World Rugby Player of the Year. He was awarded player of the match in the 2023 Rugby World Cup final against New Zealand.

School and youth career
Du Toit went to school at Hoërskool Swartland where he played mostly in the back row.

Du Toit was a member of the South Africa Under 20 team that won the 2012 IRB Junior World Championship.

Senior career
In July 2013, Du Toit signed a two-year contract extension with the . The Sharks announced his departure in October 2015.

He made his South Africa Test debut versus Wales in Cardiff on 9 November 2013 at age 21. Du Toit has since become a regular for the Springboks and was a part of the South African team for the 2015 Rugby World Cup. Du Toit came off the bench in the quarter-final, when South Africa beat Wales 23–19 at Twickenham Stadium. The following season saw Du Toit become a regular starter for South Africa, under new head coach, Allister Coetzee.

On 2 June 2018, Du Toit became the 60th captain of South Africa, as he led the Springboks out against Wales, losing the match 20–22. Du Toit also took part in the mid-year series against England, which South Africa won.

He moved to the back row from 2019 onwards.

Du Toit was named in South Africa's squad for the 2019 Rugby World Cup. South Africa won the tournament, defeating England in the final. He was awarded the World Rugby Men's 15s Player of the Year in 2019. He was also Player of the Match in the 2023 World Cup final against the All Blacks in the Springboks successful defense of their World Cup title, making an astounding 28 tackles.

International statistics

Test match record

Pld = Games Played, W = Games Won, D = Games Drawn, L = Games Lost, Tri = Tries Scored, Pts = Points Scored

Test tries

Honours
Natal Sharks
 2013 Currie Cup winner

 South Africa
 2012 IRB Junior World Championship winner
 2019 Rugby Championship winner
 2019 Rugby World Cup winner
 2021 British & Irish Lions tour to South Africa winner
 2023 Qatar Airways Cup vs New Zealand at Twickenham winner
 2023 Rugby World Cup winner

South Africa Rugby Union Awards
 SARU Player of the Year: 2016, 2018 and 2019

International Rugby Board awards
 International Rugby Board Player of the Year: 2019

Personal life
Du Toit, a Christian, is the grandson of former Springbok prop, Piet "Spiere" du Toit and is the older brother of Johan, also a professional rugby player. The two brothers were contracted to the  at the same time (in 2014 and 2015) before reuniting at the Stormers from 2017 onwards. He's nicknamed the Malmesbury Missile.

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

References

External links
 
 
 Sharks Profile

1992 births
Rugby union players from Cape Town
Rugby union players from the Western Cape
Living people
South African rugby union players
Sharks (rugby union) players
Sharks (Currie Cup) players
Rugby union locks
Afrikaner people
White South African people
South African Christians
South Africa international rugby union players
South Africa Under-20 international rugby union players
2015 Rugby World Cup players
2019 Rugby World Cup players
2023 Rugby World Cup players
Toyota Verblitz players
South African expatriate rugby union players in Japan