Willie Britz

Willem Stephanus "Willie" Britz (born 31 August 1988) is a South African former professional rugby union player. He played as a flanker, number eight, and lock. Britz had an extensive career across South Africa, Japan, and the United States, and was known for his athleticism, versatility, and leadership on the field.

Early life

Britz was born in Cape Town, South Africa. He attended Diamantveld High School in Kimberley, where he represented the Griquas (rugby union) at youth level, including appearances at the Under-18 Craven Week tournaments in 2005 and 2006. He also played in the Under-19 Currie Cup competition in 2006 before moving to the Free State Cheetahs. He later enrolled at the University of the Free State, where he represented the university team, the , in the Varsity Cup from 2008 to 2012.

Career South Africa Britz began his professional career with the Free State Cheetahs in the 2009 Vodacom Cup, making his debut in a match against the Mighty Elephants.

He moved to the in 2010 and became a regular over the next three seasons. During this time, he also played four more matches for the Cheetahs in the 2011 Vodacom Cup. In parallel, he represented the in the Varsity Cup from 2008 to 2012.

In mid-2012, Britz joined the ahead of the 2012 Currie Cup Premier Division, making his debut in their opening match against his former team, the Cheetahs.

In 2013, he featured in both legs of the ' promotion/relegation play-offs following the 2013 Super Rugby season, which resulted in the Lions regaining their Super Rugby status.

He was subsequently named in the Lions’ squad for the 2014 Super Rugby season, and made his Super Rugby debut in a 21–20 victory over the in Bloemfontein.

Britz later returned to the , joining them for the 2015 Super Rugby season and continuing into 2016 Super Rugby season before moving abroad to join the Sunwolves in 2017.

Japan From 2015 to 2021, Britz played for the NTT Communications Shining Arcs in Japan's Top League, making 46 appearances and scoring 30 points. He was also a key player for the Sunwolves in Super Rugby between 2016 and 2018, serving as team captain during the 2018 season.

Later in 2022, Britz joined the NTT DoCoMo Red Hurricanes Osaka in Division 3 of Japan Rugby League One. He played 9 matches in the 2022–2023 season, helping the team win the division and secure promotion to Division 2.

Major League Rugby In 2022, Britz signed with the Houston SaberCats in the United States’ Major League Rugby competition.

Representative Rugby

In 2017, Britz was selected to represent the Barbarians in two high-profile international fixtures during their European tour.

He started at number eight in the Barbarians' 27–24 victory over Tonga on 10 November 2017 at Thomond Park in Limerick, as part of the "Tonga in Europe" series.

Earlier that month, on 5 November 2017, Britz featured off the bench wearing jersey 19 in the Barbarians’ 22–31 defeat to the All Blacks at Twickenham Stadium in the 2017 Killik Cup fixture.

Retirement Britz officially announced his retirement from professional rugby in April 2023, marking the end of a 14-year playing career. In interviews and social media, he expressed gratitude for his rugby journey and credited his faith as a sustaining force throughout his career.

Playing style Britz was known for his dynamic ball-carrying, lineout strength, and positional flexibility. He was effective as a linking forward in open play and often contributed as a leader on and off the field.

Career statistics Years Team Apps Points 2009 Free State Cheetahs 1 0 2010–2012 Griffons / Cheetahs 28 40 2012–2014 Golden Lions / Lions 32 20 2013 Cheetahs (Super Rugby) 7 5 2015–2016 Cheetahs (Super Rugby) 12 0 2015–2021 NTT Communications Shining Arcs 46 30 2017 Barbarians 2 0 2017–2018 Sunwolves 22 15 2017–2018 World 15 2022-2023 Houston SaberCats 10 7 2022–2023 Red Hurricanes Osaka 9 0

Personal life Britz has publicly credited his Christian faith as foundational to his rugby career. After retiring from professional rugby, he turned his focus to entrepreneurial ventures.