Joel Stransky
Birth name | Joel Theodore Stransky | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Date of birth | 16 July 1967 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Place of birth | Pietermaritzburg,South Africa | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Height | 1.79 m (5 ft 10 in) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
School | Maritzburg College | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
University | University of Natal | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Rugby union career | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Joel Theodore Stransky(born 16 July 1967) is a South African formerrugby unionplayer. Afly-half,he is known for scoring all of South Africa's points, including the winningdrop goal,against New Zealand in the1995 Rugby World Cupfinal.
Early life
[edit]Stransky was born inPietermaritzburg,South Africa,[1]to a family from England and Czechia. He was raised inReform Judaismand had a Bar Mitzvah ceremony.[2][3]He was educated atMaritzburg Collegewhere he was coached bySkonk Nicholson,a well-known figure in schoolboy rugby. After his military conscription in Pretoria, he returned to Natal to study at theUniversity of Natal.
Playing career
[edit]In 1990 he was part of theNatalteam that beatNorthern Transvaalto win theCurrie Cupfor the first time. He then moved to Italy where he played forL'Aquiladuring the 1991–1992 season, and forSan Donàin 1992–93. Between 1993 and 1996, he won 22 caps for South Africa.
In 1995 he was part of the first South Africa team to play in aRugby World Cup- the country had been banned from the previous World Cups because of the Apartheid regime. He played an integral part in the tournament and scored all 15 points for his team in thefinal against New Zealand,including a winning drop goal in the second period of extra time. This was the first Rugby World Cup final that went into extra time.
In 1997, he moved toLeicester Tigers,where he played for two seasons, winning the1996–97 Pilkington Cupand the1998–99 Allied Dunbar Premiership,and then became backs coach.
In the buildup to the1999 Rugby World Cup,it was suggested that Stransky could play forEngland,but he discovered that he was not qualified to do so.[4]On 20 June 1999, Stransky played for theCzech Republicin an exhibition game againstPenguin International RFC,scoring 17 points.[5]
In 2002, he was engaged byBristol Rugbyas a coach, but the offer was subsequently withdrawn. Stransky took legal action and was compensated.[6]
Test history
[edit]No. | Opposition | Result (SA 1st) | Position | Points | Date | Venue |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1. | Australia | 19–12 | Fly-half | 31 Jul 1993 | Sydney Football Stadium(SFG), Sydney | |
2. | Australia | 20–28 | Fly-half | 15(1 try, 2 conversions, 2 penalties) | 14 Aug 1993 | Ballymore Stadium,Brisbane |
3. | Australia | 12–19 | Fly-half | 2(1 conversion) | 21 Aug 1993 | Sydney Football Stadium (SFG), Sydney |
4. | Argentina | 29–26 | Fly-half | 9(3 conversions, 1 penalty) | 6 Nov 1993 | Ferro Carril Oeste Stadium,Buenos Aires |
5. | Argentina | 42–22 | Fly-half | 22(1 try, 4 conversions, 3 penalties) | 8 Oct 1994 | Boet Erasmus Stadium,Port Elizabeth |
6. | Argentina | 46–26 | Fly-half | 16(1 try, 4 conversions, 1 penalty) | 15 Oct 1994 | Ellis Park,Johannesburg |
7. | Samoa | 60–8 | Fly-half | 7(1 try, 1 conversion) | 13 Apr 1995 | Ellis Park, Johannesburg |
8. | Australia | 27–18 | Fly-half | 22(1 try, 1 conversion, 4 penalties, 1 dropgoal) | 25 May 1995 | Newlands,Cape Town |
9. | Romania | 21–8 | Replacement | 30 May 1995 | Newlands, Cape Town | |
10. | Canada | 20–0 | Fly-half | 10(2 conversions, 2 penalties) | 3 Jun 1995 | Boet Erasmus Stadium, Port Elizabeth |
11. | France | 19–15 | Fly-half | 14(1 conversion, 4 penalties) | 17 Jun 1995 | Kings Park,Durban |
12. | New Zealand | 15–12 | Fly-half | 15(3 penalties, 2 dropgoals) | 24 Jun 1995 | Ellis Park, Johannesburg |
13. | Wales | 40–11 | Fly-half | 15(3 conversions, 3 penalties) | 2 Sep 1995 | Ellis Park, Johannesburg |
14. | Italy | 40–21 | Fly-half | 20(4 conversions, 4 penalties) | 12 Nov 1995 | Stadio Olimpico,Rome |
15. | England | 24–14 | Fly-half | 9(3 penalties) | 18 Nov 1995 | Twickenham,London |
16. | Fiji | 43–18 | Replacement | 2 Jul 1996 | Loftus Versfeld,Pretoria | |
17. | New Zealand | 11–15 | Fly-half | 6(2 penalties) | 20 Jul 1996 | AMI Stadium,Christchurch |
18. | Australia | 25–19 | Fly-half | 25(1 try, 1 conversion, 6 penalties) | 3 Aug 1996 | Free State Stadium,Bloemfontein |
19. | New Zealand | 18–29 | Fly-half | 8(1 conversion, 2 penalties) | 10 Aug 1996 | Newlands, Cape Town |
20. | New Zealand | 19–23 | Fly-half | 14(1 conversion, 4 penalties) | 17 Aug 1996 | Kings Park, Durban |
21. | New Zealand | 26–33 | Fly-half | 11(1 conversion, 3 penalties) | 24 Aug 1996 | Loftus Versfeld, Pretoria |
22. | New Zealand | 32–22 | Replacement | 31 Aug 1996 | Ellis Park, Johannesburg |
Later career
[edit]He later returned to South Africa, and is a part-time rugby union television commentator.
In January 2007, Stransky joined Altech Netstar (Pty) Ltd. as Sales & Marketing director. In January 2008, he was appointed managing director, but subsequently resigned. He was then employed by the Steinhoff Group in a marketing and promotional capacity. He founded Pivotal Capital in 2012.
In film
[edit]In the 2009 movieInvictus,he is portrayed byScott Eastwood.
See also
[edit]- List of select Jewish rugby union players
- List of South Africa national rugby union players– Springbok no.592
References
[edit]- ^"Joel Stransky".jewishsports.net.Archivedfrom the original on 11 March 2010.
- ^The Telegraph, Alex Harris webmaster@jewishtelegraph - Jewish."A JEWISH TELEGRAPH NEWSPAPER".jewishtelegraph.Archivedfrom the original on 25 March 2012.
- ^"A Boot Against Apartheid".Archivedfrom the original on 15 March 2012.
- ^"BBC News | Rugby Union | Stransky's England dream over".news.bbc.co.uk.Retrieved18 October2018.
- ^"Historie českého ragby devadesátá léta (1990 - 1999)".České ragby.SPORT ONLINE MEDIA s.r.o.Retrieved27 October2023.
- ^"BBC SPORT | Rugby Union | English | Bristol to pay Stransky damages".11 December 2002.Archivedfrom the original on 4 February 2004.Retrieved19 November2006.BBC Report on court case
External links
[edit]- "SA Rugby Player Profile – Joel Stransky".South African Rugby Union.Retrieved10 March2016.
- Sporting heroes
- Altech Netstar homepage
- Joel Stranksy bio at Jewish Sports Hall of Fame
- Joel Stransky bioat Jewsinsports
- Book review: The Glory of the Game,about the Ten Jewish Springboks.
- 1967 births
- Living people
- Alumni of Maritzburg College
- University of Natal alumni
- Jewish rugby union players
- Jewish South African sportspeople
- Leicester Tigers coaches
- Leicester Tigers players
- Rugby union fly-halves
- Rugby union players from Pietermaritzburg
- Sharks (Currie Cup) players
- South Africa international rugby union players
- South African people of Czech descent
- South African people of English descent
- South African people of Jewish descent
- South African rugby union players
- Villager FC players
- Western Province (rugby union) players
- 1995 Rugby World Cup players
- South African expatriate rugby union players in England
- South African rugby union coaches
- Expatriate rugby union coaches
- Stormers players