Willie Britz
Willem Stephanus "Willie" Britz is a South African former professional rugby union player. He played as a flanker, number eight, and lock. Britz had an extensive career across South Africa, Japan, and the United States, and was known for his athleticism, versatility, and leadership on the field.
Early life
Britz was born in Cape Town, South Africa. He attended Diamantveld High School in Kimberley, where he represented the Griquas (rugby union) at youth level, including appearances at the Under-18 Craven Week tournaments in 2005 and 2006. He also played in the Under-19 Currie Cup competition in 2006 before moving to the Free State Cheetahs. He later enrolled at the University of the Free State, where he represented the university team, the, in the Varsity Cup from 2008 to 2012.Career
South Africa
Britz began his professional career with the Free State Cheetahs in the 2009 Vodacom Cup, making his debut in a match against the Mighty Elephants.He moved to the in 2010 and became a regular over the next three seasons. During this time, he also played four more matches for the Cheetahs in the 2011 Vodacom Cup. In parallel, he represented the in the Varsity Cup from 2008 to 2012.
In mid-2012, Britz joined the ahead of the 2012 Currie Cup Premier Division, making his debut in their opening match against his former team, the Cheetahs.
In 2013, he featured in both legs of the ' 2013 [Super Rugby season#Promotion/relegation play-offs|promotion/relegation play-offs] following the 2013 Super Rugby season, which resulted in the Lions regaining their Super Rugby status.
He was subsequently named in the Lions’ squad for the 2014 Super Rugby season, and made his Super Rugby debut in a 21–20 victory over the in Bloemfontein.
Britz later returned to the, joining them for the 2015 Super Rugby season and continuing into 2016 Super Rugby season before moving abroad to join the Sunwolves in 2017.
Japan
From 2015 to 2021, Britz played for the NTT Communications Shining Arcs in Japan's Top League, making 46 appearances and scoring 30 points. He was also a key player for the Sunwolves in Super Rugby between 2016 and 2018, serving as team captain during the 2018 season.Later in 2022, Britz joined the NTT DoCoMo Red Hurricanes Osaka in Division 3 of Japan Rugby League One. He played 9 matches in the 2022–2023 season, helping the team win the division and secure promotion to Division 2.
Major League Rugby
In 2022, Britz signed with the Houston SaberCats in the United States’ Major League Rugby competition.Representative Rugby
In 2017, Britz was selected to represent the Barbarians in two high-profile international fixtures during their European tour.He started at number eight in the Barbarians' 27–24 victory over Tonga on 10 November 2017 at Thomond Park in Limerick, as part of the "Tonga in Europe" series.
Earlier that month, on 5 November 2017, Britz featured off the bench wearing jersey 19 in the Barbarians’ 22–31 defeat to the All Blacks at Twickenham Stadium in the 2017 Killik Cup fixture.