Johannes Jonker

Johannes Jonker

Full name	Johannes Gideon Andries Jonker
Date of birth	(1994-08-22) 22 August 1994 (age 30)
Place of birth	East London, South Africa
Height	1.84 m (6 ft 1⁄2 in)
Weight	118 kg (18 st 8 lb; 260 lb)
School	Hudson Park High School, East London
Rugby union career
Position(s) Prop Current team Lions / Golden Lions / Golden Lions XV Youth career 2007–2014 Border Bulldogs Senior career Years Team Apps (Points) 2014–2016 Border Bulldogs 43 (25) 2016–present Lions 37 (0) 2017–present Golden Lions XV 2 (0) 2017–present Golden Lions 16 (0) 2017–2018 → Montpellier 9 (0) Correct as of 8 September 2019

Johannes Gideon Andries Jonker (born 22 August 1994 in East London, South Africa) is a South African rugby union player for the Lions in Super Rugby, the Golden Lions in the Currie Cup and the Golden Lions XV in the Rugby Challenge.^[1] His regular position is prop.

Career

Youth

Jonker was selected to represent Border in several youth tournaments. In 2007, he played for them in the Under-13 Craven Week competition, in 2010 he played at the Under-16 Grant Khomo Week and in 2012 he played at the Under-18 Craven Week competition.

He subsequently joined their academy and played for the Border U19 side in the 2012 and the 2013 Under-19 Provincial Championships. He helped them win promotion from Division B to Division A in 2012, but was also part of the side that got relegated back to Division B in 2013.

Border Bulldogs

His first class debut came during the 2014 Vodacom Cup competition. With the Border Rugby Football Union in financial strife,^[2] they only had eleven contracted players on their books and gave opportunities to some of their academy players, with Jonker being one of those.^[3] He made his debut in their Round One match against the Sharks XV in East London.^[4] He started all seven of their matches in the competition and also scored his first try in their final match against the Boland Cavaliers in Piketberg.^[5]

His performances in that competition also led to his inclusion in the Border Bulldogs squad for the 2014 Currie Cup qualification series^[6] and he made his Currie Cup debut in the opening match of that competition by coming on as a second-half substitute in their match against Griquas in Kimberley.^[7]

Montpellier

In November 2017, Jonker joined French Top 14 side Montpellier Hérault Rugby as a medical joker replacement for the injured Jannie du Plessis.^[8]

References

1. "SA Rugby Player Profile – Johannes Jonker". South African Rugby Union. Retrieved 29 May 2016.
2. "Bankrupt BRFU can't pay staff". Daily Dispatch. 16 January 2014. Archived from the original on 29 January 2014. Retrieved 17 January 2014.
3. "Nuwe era vir Bulldogs begin vandag" (in Afrikaans). Die Burger. 7 March 2014. Archived from the original on 22 June 2015. Retrieved 13 June 2014.
4. "SA Rugby Match Centre – Border Bulldogs 24–46 Cell C Sharks XV". South African Rugby Union. 7 March 2014. Retrieved 27 July 2016.
5. "SA Rugby Match Centre – Regent Boland Cavaliers 41–17 Border Bulldogs". South African Rugby Union. 26 April 2014. Retrieved 27 July 2016.
6. "SA Rugby Squad – Border : 2014 Absa Currie Cup Qualifiers". South African Rugby Union. Retrieved 3 June 2016.
7. "SA Rugby Match Centre – GWK Griquas 52–5 Border". South African Rugby Union. 6 June 2014. Retrieved 27 July 2016.
8. (in French) "Joker Médical : Johannes Jonker s'engage avec le MHR". Montpellier Hérault Rugby. 2 November 2017. Retrieved 26 January 2018.