Ruben Kruger

Ruben Jacobus Kruger (30 March 1970 – 27 January 2010) was a South African rugby union player. He played as a flanker. He had two daughters Zoë (b. 2002) and Isabella (b. 2005). Isabella played quarter final on the junior tournament at the 2022 Wimbledon Championships.

Provincial
A product of Grey College in Bloemfontein, Kruger played for the schools team at the annual Craven Week tournament in 1987 and 1988 and gained selection for the South African Schools team in both years. After representing the Free State under-20 team in 1989 and 1990, he made his senior provincial debut for the Free State in 1991. During 1993, Kruger moved to and played for the union until 2000. In 1995 Ruben Kruger was named South African Rugby Football Union's player of the year.

International
Kruger played for the South Africa national rugby union team between 1993 and 1999. He played his first test match for the Springboks on 6 November 1993 against Argentina at the Ferro Carril Oeste Stadium in Buenos Aires.

In 1995, he played in the Rugby World Cup. During this tournament, he made 5 starts, and scored 1 try, in the controversial semi-final against the France national rugby union team. Kruger also played in the 1999 World Cup and in addition to his 36 test matches, he also played in 20 tour matches and scored 14 tries.

Test history
World Cup Final

World Cups

 * 1995 : world champions, 5 selections (Wallabies, Romania, Samoa, France, All Blacks).
 * 1999 : 2 selections (Spain, All Blacks).

Later career
At the end of his rugby career, he became a camera salesman. He owned a Minolta franchise in Pretoria. He was portrayed in Invictus, a film about Nelson Mandela and the 1995 Springboks, by Grant Roberts.

Death
Kruger died in Pretoria on 27 January 2010 after battling brain cancer for 10 years. He was two months short of his 40th birthday.