Corra_Dirksen
Corra Dirksen
South African former rugby player (1938–2020)
Cornelius Wilhelmus "Corra" Dirksen (22 January 1938 – 10 July 2020) was a South African rugby player.[1] He won 10 caps and scored three tries.[2]
| Birth name | Cornelius Wilhelmus Dirksen | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Date of birth | 22 January 1938 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Place of birth | Vereeniging, Union of South Africa | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Date of death | 10 July 2020(2020-07-10) (aged 82) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Place of death | Krugersdorp, South Africa | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Height | 1.84 m (6 ft 0 in) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Weight | 84 kg (185 lb) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| School | Vereeniging High | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Notable relative(s) | Hanno Dirksen (nephew) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Rugby union career | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Dirksen made his international debut against Australia in 1963. The 1967 series against France was probably his finest hour, scoring all three of his test tries against them.[3] The French were understandably quite wary of him throughout that series, dubbing him Le Monster (The Monster).[1]
He played for the then Northern Transvaal (now Blue Bulls) and the Oostelikes (Easterns) club in Pretoria, which later merged with Adelaars to form Naka Bulls. After retiring from playing he qualified as a medical practitioner, and moved to Krugersdorp.[4]
He died from COVID-19 complications during the COVID-19 pandemic in South Africa on 10 July 2020.[1]
Test history
| No. | Opponents | Results (SA 1st) | Position | Tries | Dates | Venue |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. |  Australia | 22–6 | Wing | 7 Sep 1963 | Boet Erasmus Stadium, Port Elizabeth | |
| 2. |  Wales | 24–3 | Wing | 23 May 1964 | Kings Park, Durban | |
| 3. |  Ireland | 6–9 | Wing | 10 Apr 1965 | Lansdowne Road, Dublin | |
| 4. |  Scotland | 5–8 | Wing | 17 Apr 1965 | Murrayfield Stadium, Edinburgh | |
| 5. |  France | 26–3 | Wing | 2 | 15 Jul 1967 | Kings Park, Durban |
| 6. | France | 16–3 | Wing | 1 | 22 Jul 1967 | Free State Stadium, Bloemfontein |
| 7. | France | 14–19 | Wing | 29 Jul 1967 | Ellis Park, Johannesburg | |
| 8. | France | 6–6 | Wing | 12 Aug 1967 | Newlands, Cape Town | |
| 9. |  British Lions | 25–20 | Wing | 8 Jun 1968 | Loftus Versfeld, Pretoria | |
| 10. | British Lions | 6–6 | Wing | 22 Jun 1968 | Boet Erasmus Stadium, Port Elizabeth |
- List of South Africa national rugby union players – Springbok no. 393
- "Former Springbok wing dies of Covid-19 complications". Sport. Retrieved 10 July 2020.
- "Cornelis Wilhelmus Dirksen". ESPN scrum. Retrieved 13 June 2020.
- Jooste, Graham K. (1995). South African rugby test players 1949-1995. Johannesburg: Penguin. pp. 46–50, 57–62. ISBN 0140250174. OCLC 36916860.
- "Dr. Corra Dirksen(Telehealth Consult Enabled) — General Practitioner in Krugersdorp, Johannesburg". www.recomed.co.za. Retrieved 13 June 2020.[permanent dead link]
- Corra Dirksen at the Springbok Rugby Hall of Fame