François Steyn is a South African rugby union player who competes in the Pro 14 for the Cheetahs and the national side of South Africa. His primary positions are inside centre, fullback, and wing. He is renowned for both his powerful tackling and long-distance kicking skills.
In 2009, the Springboks team that defeated the British and Irish Lions featured Steyn as a crucial player. Having accomplished these feats twelve years apart, Steyn is one of just two South African rugby players to have won the Rugby World Cup twice. Os Du Randt (1995 and 2007) was the first player to achieve this. Steyn played a significant role in both the South African teams that won the 2007 and 2019 Rugby World Cups.
Steyn became the youngest South African to earn his 50th test cap against Argentina in Cape Town in 2012. He had an injury during the 2012 Rugby Championship, missing the Currie Cup, the final tour of the year to the UK, and the final two games. After a three-year sabbatical from international rugby, Steyn was recalled by South Africa for the 2017 series against France due to the injuries to Pat Lambie and Handre Pollard. He became one of the select few athletes to have won two World Cups in 2019 when South Africa emerged victorious from the Rugby World Cup in Japan.
