Adriaan Jacobus van Heerden

Attie van Heerden
Full names: Adriaan Jacobus
Date of birth: 10 Mar 1898
Place of birth: Boshof
Schools: Paarl Gimnasium Paul Roos Gymnasium
Springbok no: 152
Debut test province: Transvaal
Physical: 1.87m, 83.9kg
Date of death: 14 Oct 1965 (Age 67)

Test summary: Tests: 2 Tries: 1
First Test: 13 Aug 1921 Age:23 Left Wing against New Zealand at Carisbrook, Dunedin
Last Test: 17 Sep 1921 Age:23 Right Wing against New Zealand at Athletic Park, Wellington

Test history:
Date Age Position Opponent Result Score Venue Prov
13 Aug 1921 23 Left Wing New Zealand Lose: 5-13 1 try Carisbrook, Dunedin Tvl
17 Sep 1921 23 Right Wing New Zealand Draw: 0-0 Athletic Park, Wellington Tvl

An Olympic Wing : Wim van der Berg
Attie van Heerden, who represented Western Province and Transvaal in the Currie Cup competitions and played two Test matches for the Springboks on the first tour by the Boks to Australasia in 1921, was the only Springbok rugby player to also represent his country at the Olympics.

He was a member of the South African Olympic team to the 1920 Games in Antwerp, where he was eliminated in the first round of the 440-yards hurdles heats when he failed to finish. He had won the 440-yards hurdles at the South African National Championships that year to qualify for Olympic selection and also won the national 120-yards hurdles title.

Van Heerden was also an outstanding rugby league player and played for "Other Nationalities" in a rugby league Test against Great Britain, where he was a member of the great Wigan rugby league club and also the Leigh club.