Jean-Luc du Plessis

He represented Western Province at youth level, represented them at the 2007 Under-13 Craven Week competition and at the 2012 Under-18 Craven Week competition. However, at the end of 2012, despite being offered a spot in the Western Province Rugby Institute and receiving a contract with Western Province, he moved to Durban instead to join the Sharks Academy.^[2][3]

Du Plessis was the third-highest scorer in the 2013 Under-19 Provincial Championship Division A competition for the Sharks U19,^[4] scoring 116 points in eleven starts.

In April 2014, Du Plessis was named in the South Africa Under-20 squad for the 2014 IRB Junior World Championship.^[5]

Du Plessis' first class debut came for the Sharks XV during the 2014 Vodacom Cup competition. He came on as a substitute in their 40–3 victory over Kenyan side Simba XV at City Park Stadium, Athlone. Within five minutes of coming on, Du Plessis scored a try and kicked the subsequent conversion.^[6] His first start came in the following match, a 27–11 defeat to the Eastern Province Kings in Durban, with Du Plessis scoring two penalties.^[7]

He returned to Cape Town in 2015, joining Western Province for the 2015 Vodacom Cup competition.

Du Plessis is the son of former Springbok player and head coach, Carel du Plessis. Two of his uncles, Michael du Plessis and Willie du Plessis, are former Springboks. His cousin Daniël du Plessis is also a rugby player that represented the South Africa Under-20 team in 2015. He went to Kenridge Primary School and to Paarl Boys' High School.