Schalk Burger

His father, also called Schalk Burger, was an international lock, being capped for South Africa during the "isolation years" of the 1980s.

Burger attended high school at Paarl Gimnasium, along with future teammate and Springbok captain Jean de Villiers, and enjoyed success in many sports.

Burger attended Stellenbosch University and stayed in Eendrag Men's Residence before leaving in order to pursue a full-time rugby career.

Schalk Willem Petrus Burger Jr. (born 13 April 1983) is a South African former professional rugby union player.

He played as a flanker for Saracens in the English Premiership and has won 86 caps for South Africa.

After playing for the Under 21 Springbok side that won the U21 Rugby World Cup in 2002 and then captaining it in 2003, Burger was selected for the senior Springbok squad.

He made his debut against Georgia in 2003 at the Rugby World Cup and has since carved out a name as one of the best flankers in the world with solid performances in the Super 12, Tri-Nations and Currie Cup.

In 2004, Burger was selected as part of a rejuvenated Springbok squad which, under the guiding hand of new coach Jake White, went on to win the Tri-Nations trophy for the first time since Nick Mallett's team managed the feat in 1998.

To cap off a magnificent year, Burger was also awarded the most prestigious rugby player's award, the IRB International Player of the Year award in the 2004 season.

In addition, he claimed the 2004 ABSA SA Rugby Player of the Year award.

Despite the loss, Burger did show flashes of the brilliance that took him to the peak of world rugby in 2004–05.

After an indifferent 2006 Super 14 season, during which Burger showed only flashes of the brilliance that took him to the peak of world rugby, he was to once again start in his favoured number 6 shirt ( openside flanker in South African rugby) in the national team for the upcoming expanded Tri-Nations test series against Australia and New Zealand.

However, in the Springboks' Test match against Scotland on 17 June, Burger suffered a serious neck injury.

The following day, it was confirmed that he would require cervical fusion surgery and would be out of action for at least the remainder of 2006.

The injury and the required surgery were serious enough for White to tell the media, "I don't want to jump to conclusions – but there is a chance he may never play again."

Burger's father told a Cape Town radio program that the injury was between his sixth and seventh cervical vertebrae, adding, "Although the operation is difficult the fact that the injury is lower down his neck is good for a future prognosis of making a full recovery."

The South African Rugby Union released a statement on 24 June, the date of the surgery, indicating that the surgery was successful and that Burger would undergo six to eight months of rehabilitation, with plans to return him to the game.

He was a member of the 2007 Rugby World Cup-winning team, has twice been named South African Rugby Player of the Year (in 2004 and 2011), and was named IRB Player of the Year in 2004, among other accolades.

He also holds the record for the most appearances (84) and most tries scored (13) by a Springbok flanker.

Following successful surgery and rehabilitation, Burger returned to the Vodacom Stormers line-up on 13 January 2007, playing 55 minutes as the Stormers lost to the Bulls.

After a shaky start to the 2007 Super 14 season, Burger inspired the Stormers to their first win of the campaign against the Chiefs as the Stormers recorded their first points of the season in a tense 21–16 victory at the Newlands Stadium.

In mid-2007 he was picked in the Springboks squad for the 2007 Rugby World Cup.

He was linked with a move to Harlequins of the English Premiership after the cup.

During the Springboks' first match of the Rugby World Cup against Samoa, Burger was cited for a high tackle on Junior Polu, and on 11 September was given a four-match suspension which would have in theory kept him out of the team until the semi-final.

However, this was reduced to a two-match suspension on appeal.

Burger would return to play a key role in South Africa's World Cup triumph as the Springboks defeated England 15–6 to lift the Webb Ellis trophy for the second time in four attempts.

In March 2008, Burger was banned for openly abusing a touch judge in a Super 14 game for the Stormers against the Sharks in Durban.

The touch judge in question had suggested the referee send Burger to the sin-bin for an offense that the referee hadn't seen.

Upon leaving the field, Burger was seen to be gesticulating and shouting at the touch judge.

The citing commissioner decided that Burger be banned for two weeks for his actions.

After another great season which saw the Stormers finish just short of making the play-offs, Burger was selected by new coach Peter de Villiers for the Springboks' 2008 Tri Nations campaign.

Burger was selected for the Springboks' to play the British & Irish Lions, not having played since injuring his calf muscle in April while playing for the Stormers.

During the opening minute of the second British & Irish Lions test at Loftus Versfeld, Pretoria, Burger made contact with the eyes of Lions winger Luke Fitzgerald.

The incident was seen by touch judge Bryce Lawrence who reported it to match referee Christophe Berdos, who awarded a yellow card.

Burger was subsequently cited by the commissioning officer for "making contact with the eye area" and then handed an eight-week ban.

A later investigation by judicial officer Alan Hudson concluded that contact with the face was made but there was no intention to gouge Fitzgerald's eyes, but that Burger acted "contrary to good sportsmanship by making contact with the face in the eye area."

However, Burger's physical approach has also resulted in him being shown a yellow card six times in international rugby, second only to Italy's Marco Bortolami (7 times) as of June 2014.

Burger has also suffered injuries, especially to his neck and knee, which have sidelined him for considerable periods at a time.

He has also played four times for the Barbarians.

Burger is one of a handful of second-generation Springboks.