Franco van der Merwe

Profile Paragraph: Van der Merwe made his Super Rugby debut in 2007 and has impressed with his high work ethics, dedication and ability to face any challenge. Van der Merwe played for the Emerging Springboks against the British & Irish Lions in 2008 where he proved that he is a valuable asset to South African Rugby. Van der Merwe was put to the test in 2010 when Super Rugby captain Cobus Grobbelaar sustained a long term injury, and Van der Merwe was called to captain the team for the remainder of the year. As with anything he puts his mind to, he excelled in his new leadership role and earned much deserved respect – both on and off the field. In 2011, Van der Merwe decided to step down from the captaincy role to focus solely on his own performance and has since grown in strength and stature. 2012 should be another big year for Franco who a workhorse who is not afraid to put in the hard yards.