In 1999 he was inducted into the International Rugby Hall of Fame, and in 2007 received the Order of Ikhamanga in Silver from the South African Government for "excellent achievement in rugby... and promoting the use of sport for social change".
In 1999 he was inducted into the International Rugby Hall of Fame, and in 2006 into the South African Sports and Arts Hall of Fame. In 2007 Du Plessis was awarded the Order of Ikhamanga in Silver from the South African Government for "excellent achievement in rugby... and promoting the use of sport for social change".