Flip van der Merwe
Phillip Rudolph van der Merwe is a South African rugby union rugby player who plays in the lock position for French Top 14 side.
Career
Free State Cheetahs / Cheetahs
Van der Merwe attended Grey College in Bloemfontein before joining the Bloemfontein-based provincial side the. He made his first class debut for them in the 2006 Vodacom Cup – eventually starting eleven matches and playing off the bench on two occasions – and also made his Currie Cup debut in the second half of 2006, three times appearing as a replacement during the competition.In 2007, he got his first taste of Super Rugby, starting two matches for the during the 2007 Super 14 season. He made five appearances in the 2007 Vodacom Cup, but his only Currie Cup involvement in 2007 came in one match on loan at the.
He made three appearances for the Cheetahs during the 2008 Super 14 season and also scored his first try in Super Rugby. He played a bigger part in their Currie Cup campaign in 2008, making seven appearances.
Blue Bulls / Bulls
In 2009, Van der Merwe moved to Pretoria to join the. He immediately established himself as a first-choice player for them, making eleven starts and two substitute appearances in the 2009 Currie Cup Premier Division. He also featured for the in the 2010 Super 14 season before being called up to the South African national team for the first time.He became an important part of the Bulls side over the next few years, making 75 appearances for the side in Super Rugby competitions between 2010 and 2015. He also featured in 39 first class matches for the Blue Bulls between 2009 and 2012, with national team call-ups and injury preventing him from playing for them in 2013 and 2014.