Jan Boland Coetzee
South African rugby union footballer (1945–2025)
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Johannes Hermanus Hugo "Jan Boland" Coetzee (20 January 1945 – 12 September 2025) was a South African rugby union player and wine maker.[1] He was a wine farmer and winemaker at his farm Vriesenhof, in the Stellenbosch region.[2]
20 January 1945
| Born | Johannes Hermanus Hugo Coetzee 20 January 1945 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Died | 12 September 2025 (aged 80) South Africa | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Height | 1.80 m (5 ft 11 in) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Weight | 90 kg (198 lb) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| School | Swartland High School | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| University | Stellenbosch University | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Rugby union career | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Playing career
Coetzee enrolled at Stellenbosch University in 1963 for a degree in Oenology and started playing rugby for the university's under 18 team, of which he was also captain. He continued to play for the Maties rugby club and was also their captain on a regular basis until 1979. Coetzee made his provincial debut for Western Province in 1967 and played in 127 matches, scoring 37 tries for the union.[3]
Coetzee made his test debut for the Springboks in the first test against the 1974 British Lions at Newlands in Cape Town. He was dropped from the team after the first test and his second test for the Springboks was as a replacement for Moaner van Heerden in the second half of the second test against France in 1975. Coetzee then played in all four tests in the 1976 series against the All Blacks.[4]
Death
Coetzee died on 12 September 2025, at the age of 80.[5]
Test history
| No. | Opponents | Results (RSA 1st) | Position | Tries | Dates | Venue |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. |  British Lions | 3–12 | Flank | 8 June 1974 | Newlands, Cape Town | |
| 2. |  France | 33–18 | Replacement | 28 June 1975 | Loftus Versfeld, Pretoria | |
| 3. |  New Zealand | 16–7 | Flank | 24 July 1976 | Kings Park Stadium, Durban | |
| 4. | New Zealand | 9–15 | Flank | 14 August 1976 | Free State Stadium, Bloemfontein | |
| 5. | New Zealand | 15–10 | Flank | 4 September 1976 | Newlands, Cape Town | |
| 6. | New Zealand | 15–14 | Flank | 18 September 1976 | Ellis Park Stadium, Johannesburg |
See also
- List of South Africa national rugby union players – Springbok no. 463