Bismarck du Plessis’ illustrious career made its final tackle in Cape Town on Saturday and the adamantine hooker will be remembered as one of South Africa’s very best.
The Vodacom Bulls’ quarter-final loss against the DHL Stormers in the Vodacom United Rugby Championship marked the end of Du Plessis’ 18 years at the top echelons of rugby, as he is unlikely to feature in the Currie Cup and will retire in June.
With his incredible strength, athleticism, and ferocity, he played the game with an unyielding spirit and warrior-like determination that inspired his teammates and struck fear into his opponents.
MORE: Stormers are the benchmark – Jake
A product of the famed Grey College in Bloemfontein, Du Plessis made his mark on the international stage with the Springboks, winning the Rugby World Cup in 2007 and earning a staggering 79 Test caps. He was a key figure in the Bok squad for over a decade, known for his physicality at the breakdown and his precision at lineout time.
His defining moment came in 2008 when Bok coach Peter de Villiers moved skipper John Smit to tighthead prop to make space for the fiery hooker in the starting lineup.
Du Plessis’ career was not without controversy – a prime example being the red card he conceded for a bone-crunching tackle on All Blacks icon Dan Carter in 2013. However, the red card was later expunged from his record, with a disciplinary hearing ruling that the tackle was legal.
ALSO: Rugby must not copy soccer – Bismarck
He started his career playing for the Cheetahs in the Free State before moving to Durban, where he helped the Sharks to two Currie Cup titles. He enjoyed 10 years at the Shark Tank, where he often packed down alongside his brother and fellow Bok, Jannie.
About to walk away from rugby before Jake White called him with a last-minute offer, Du Plessis arrived in Pretoria from Montpellier in 2021 after six successful years in France. The abrasive front-ranker played 108 games for Montpellier, scoring 27 tries, and was part of the squad that twice won the European Challenge Cup (2016, 2021).
WATCH: Bismarck sent off after WWE shocker
Despite his tenure with the Sharks and Montpellier being the most significant part of his time in the sport, his short stint with the Bulls showed that he was still a force to be reckoned with, featuring prominently in the URC, Champions Cup, and Currie Cup.
His leadership and mentorship to young rakes Jan-Hendrik Wessels and Johan Grobbelaar was invaluable to the team, and the 38-year-old’s presence in the Bulls’ squad will be sorely missed.
Bismarck will be remembered among the best in the business, and his legacy as one of the greatest to ever grace the game will live on.
Bismark scores, but it’s too late.
DHL @THESTORMERS win and will face @connachtrugby next weekend in the Semi-Final of the @Vodacom #URC in Cape Town ???#STOvBUL | @Vodacom #URC | #UnitedWeRise pic.twitter.com/mHseaYV8lT
— vodacomrugby (@VodacomRugga) May 6, 2023
Bismarck charging in with venom ??#TrueToTheBlue pic.twitter.com/QxWqZw5ghO
— Official Blue Bulls (@BlueBullsRugby) October 11, 2021
Bismarck du Plessis’s one-handed offload is a work of art ? pic.twitter.com/nrmouEDAZF
— Official Blue Bulls (@BlueBullsRugby) March 6, 2022
Photo: Sandra Mu/Getty Images