Andrew Aitken (rugby union)
Andrew Douglas Aitken (born 10 June 1968) is a South African former rugby union player.[1]
| Birth name | Andrew Douglas Aitken | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Date of birth | 10 June 1968 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Place of birth | Durban, KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Height | 1.85 m (6 ft 1 in) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Weight | 99 kg (218 lb) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| School | Durban High School | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| University | University of Natal University of Cape Town University of Oxford | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Rugby union career | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Playing career
Aitken made his senior provincial debut for Natal in 1988 and in 1990 was part of the Currie Cup winning team. From 1991 to 1994 he played for Western Province and also captained the team.[2] During 1993 he had the opportunity to further his studies at the University of Oxford and during his time there, he played in the annual varsity match against University of Cambridge. After also playing for Watsonian in Edinburgh he returned to Western Province in 1997, helping the team to win the 1997 Currie Cup.[3]
Aitken made his test debut for the Springboks as a replacement, against France at Parc des Princes in Paris. His first start for the Springboks, was the following week against England at Twickenham. He played a further five Test matches for the Springboks and was on the winning side each time. He also played in two tour matches.[4]
Test history
| No. | Opposition | Result (SA 1st) | Position | Tries | Date | Venue |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. |  France | 52–10 | Replacement | 22 Nov 1997 | Parc des Princes, Paris | |
| 2. |  England | 29–11 | Flank | 29 Nov 1997 | Twickenham, London | |
| 3. |  Ireland | 33–0 | Replacement | 20 Jun 1998 | Loftus Versfeld, Pretoria | |
| 4. |  Wales | 96–13 | Replacement | 27 Jun 1998 | Loftus Versfeld, Pretoria | |
| 5. |  New Zealand | 13–3 | Flank | 25 Jul 1998 | Athletic Park, Wellington | |
| 6. | New Zealand | 24–23 | Replacement | 15 Aug 1998 | Kings Park, Durban | |
| 7. | .svg.png.webp){kind=small} Australia | 29–15 | Replacement | 22 Aug 1998 | Ellis Park, Johannesburg |
Accolades
Aitken was voted as one of the five SA Young Players of the Year for 1990, along with Jannie Claassens, Bernard Fourie, Ian MacDonald and Theo van Rensburg.[5]
See also
- List of South Africa national rugby union players – Springbok no. 658
References
- "Andrew Aitken". ESPN scrum. Retrieved 10 January 2021.
- Van Rooyen, Quintus (1995). Bankfin Annual 1995. Verwoerdburg: SA Rugby Writers' Society. p. 239. ISBN 0620189223.
- Colquhoun, Andy (1999). The South African Rugby Annual 1999. Cape Town: MWP Media Sport. pp. 209–211. ISBN 0958423148.
- Heath, Duane (2019). South African Rugby Annual 2019. Cape Town: South African Rugby. p. 192. ISBN 978-0620818087. OCLC 1089860189.
- Van Rooyen, Quintus (1993). Bankfin Annual 1993. Verwoerdburg: SA Rugby Writers' Society. p. 14. ISBN 0620172940. 1990 Currie Cup Winner, 1997 Currie Cup Winner.