Christian Stewart

{{Short description|Canada & South Africa international rugby union player}} {{About|the rugby player|the baseball player|Christin Stewart}} {{Use dmy dates|date=April 2022}} {{Infobox rugby biography | name = Christian Stewart | image = | caption = | birth_name = Jan Christian Stewart | birth_date = {{birth date and age|1965|10|17|df=y}} | birth_place = [[Toronto]], [[Ontario]], Canada | height = {{convert|183|cm|ftin|abbr=on}} | weight = {{convert|93.5|kg|stlb|abbr=on}} | position = [[Centre (rugby union)|Centre]], [[Fullback (rugby union)|Fullback]], [[Flyhalf (rugby union)|Flyhalf]] | amatyears1 = 1987–1988 | amatteam1 = [[Maties]] | amatyears2 = 1989– | amatteam2 = [[Villager Football Club|Villagers]] | years1 = | clubs1 = [[Rugby Rovigo Delta|Rovigo]] | apps1 = | points1 = | province1 = {{rut|Western Province}} | province2 = | province3 = | provinceyears1 = 1987–1998 | provinceyears2 = | provinceyears3 = | provinceapps1 = 136 | provinceapps2 = | provinceapps3 = | provincepoints1 = | provincepoints2 = | provincepoints3 = | super1 = {{rut|Stormers}} | superyears1 = 1998 | superapps1 = 9 | superpoints1 = | repteam1 = {{nrut|Canada}} | repyears1 = 1991–1995 | repcaps1 = 14 | reppoints1 = 10 | repteam2 = {{nrut|South Africa}} | repyears2 = 1998 | repcaps2 = 3 | reppoints2 = 0 | repupdate = | school = [[Woodridge College]] | university = [[Stellenbosch University]] }}

'''Jan Christian Stewart''' (born October 17, 1965)<ref>[http://www.espnscrum.com/scrum/rugby/player/10991.html Christian Stewart player profile] Scrum.com</ref> is a former [[rugby union]] centre, who played internationally for [[Canada national rugby union team|Canada]] and the [[South Africa national rugby union team|South Africa Springboks]]. Stewart earned 17 caps, 15 with Canada and 2 for South Africa.

==Career== Stewart matriculated at [[Woodridge College]] in the [[Eastern Cape]] and in 1987 he enrolled at the University of Stellenbosch. He made his senior provincial debut for {{rut|Western Province}} in 1987 as a [[Fullback (rugby union)|fullback]] and in 1988 he was selected at [[Centre (rugby union)|centre]] for Western Province, forming a very successful partnership with [[Faffa Knoetze]]. In 1989 he joined [[Villager Football Club|Villagers]], within the Western Province club system.<ref name=":0">{{Cite book|title=Matieland is rugbyland, 1980-2006|last=Van der Merwe|first=Floris|date=2007|publisher=SUN Press|isbn=9781920109790|location=Stellenbosch|pages=180–181|oclc=190836768}}</ref> At the end of his career with Western Province in 1998, he played 136 games for the province and scored 31 tries.<ref>{{Cite book|title=The South African Rugby Annual 1999|last=Colquhoun|first=Andy|publisher=MWP Media Sport|year=1999|isbn=0958423148|location=Cape Town|pages=335}}</ref>

Having dual nationality, Stewart represented Canada in two rugby world cups in [[1991 Rugby World Cup|1991]] and in [[1995 Rugby World Cup|1995]] when he was not eligible for selection for the Springboks of South Africa. He played four world cup matches in 1991 and three in 1995.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Rugby Union - ESPN Scrum - Statsguru - Player analysis - Christian Stewart - Test matches|url=http://www.espnscrum.com/statsguru/rugby/player/10991.html|url-status=live|access-date=2021-01-17|website=ESPN scrum|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140106125524/http://www.espnscrum.com/statsguru/rugby/player/10991.html |archive-date=2014-01-06 }}</ref>

In 1998 when Christian was finally available to represent the Springboks of South Africa he was selected and played 3 test matches.<ref>{{Cite book|title=The South African Rugby Annual 1999|last=Colquhoun|first=Andy|publisher=MWP Media Sport|year=1999|isbn=0958423148|location=Cape Town|pages=102–106}}</ref> Unfortunately, in his 3rd and final test (the now famous test where South Africa needed to beat England at Twickenham to break the New Zealand All Blacks world record of 17 consecutive wins), he suffered a serious neck injury which ended his rugby playing career at the age of 33. After the [[1995 Rugby World Cup]], Christian Stewart was named in the all time Dream Team chosen by the rugby press.<ref name=":0" />

Stewart also played for the [[Stormers]] in South Africa, Rovigo in Italy and [[rugby league]] for the [[Sydney Bulldogs]] in Australia.

=== Test history === {| class="wikitable sortable" |- !colspan=7|{{ru|CAN}} |- ! No. !! Opposition !! Result<br />(Can 1st) !! Position !! Tries !! Date !! Venue |- | 1. || {{ru|SCO}} XV || align="center"|24–19 || [[Centre (rugby union)|Centre]] || || 25 May 1991 || [[Saint John, New Brunswick|Saint John]] |- style="background: #D0E6FF;" | 2. || {{ru|USA}} || align="center"|34–15 || Centre || || 8 Jun 1991|| [[Calgary]] |- | 3. || {{ru|FIJ}} || align="center"|13–3 || Centre || || 5 Oct 1991|| [[Stade Jean Dauger]], Bayonne |- style="background: #D0E6FF;" | 4. || {{ru|ROM}} || align="center"|19–11|| Centre || || 9 Oct 1991|| [[Stade Ernest-Wallon]], Toulouse |- | 5. || {{ru|FRA}} || align="center"|13–19 || Centre || || 13 Oct 1991|| [[Stade Armandie]], Agen |- style="background: #D0E6FF;" | 6. || {{ru|NZL}} || align="center"|13–29 || Centre || || 20 Oct 1991 || [[Stadium Lille Métropole]], Villeneuve-d'Ascq |- | 7. || {{ru|ENG}} || align="center"|19–60 || Centre || ||10 Dec 1994 || [[Twickenham Stadium|Twickenham]], Edinburgh |- style="background: #D0E6FF;" | 8. || {{ru|FRA}} || align="center"|9–28 || Centre || || 17 Dec 1994 || [[Stade Léo Lagrange]], Besançon |- | 9. || {{ru|SCO}} || align="center"|6–22 || Centre || || 21 Jan 1995 || [[Murrayfield Stadium|Murrayfield]], Edinburgh |- style="background: #D0E6FF;" | 10. || {{ru|FIJ}} || align="center"|22–10|| Centre || align="center"|1 || 8 Apr 1995|| [[Prince Charles Park]], Nadi |- | 11. || {{ru|NZL}} || align="center"|7–73 || Replacement || align="center"|1 || 22 Apr 1995|| [[Eden Park]], Auckland |- style="background: #D0E6FF;" | 12. || {{ru|ROM}} || align="center"|34–3 || Centre || || 26 May 1995 || [[Boet Erasmus Stadium]], Port Elizabeth |- | 13. || {{ru|AUS}} || align="center"|11–27 || Centre || ||31 May 1995 || Boet Erasmus Stadium, Port Elizabeth |- style="background: #D0E6FF;" | 14. || {{ru|RSA}} || align="center"|0–20 || Centre || || 3 Jun 1995 || Boet Erasmus Stadium, Port Elizabeth |- ! colspan=7| {{ru|RSA}} |- ! No. !! Opposition !! Result<br />(SA 1st) !! Position !! Tries !! Date !! Venue |- | 1. || {{ru|SCO}} || align="center"|35–10 || Centre || || 21 Nov 1998 || [[Murrayfield Stadium|Murrayfield]], Edinburgh |- style="background: #D0E6FF;" | 2. || {{ru|IRE}} || align="center"|27–13 || Centre || || 28 Nov 1998 || [[Lansdowne Road]], Dublin |- | 3. || {{ru|ENG}} || align="center"|7–13 || Centre || || 5 Dec 1998 || [[Twickenham Stadium|Twickenham]], London |}

==Accolades== In 1988, Stewart was one of the five SA Young Players of the Year, along with [[Kobus Burger]], Jacques du Plessis, [[Andre Joubert]] and JJ van der Walt.<ref>{{Cite book|title=S.A. Rugby Writers Annual 1989|last=Van Rooyen|first=Quintus|publisher=SA Rugby Writers' Society|year=1989|isbn=0620132469|location=|pages=11}}</ref>

==See also== *[[List of Canada national rugby union players]] – no. 205 *[[List of South Africa national rugby union players#List|List of South Africa national rugby union players]] – Springbok no. 642

==References== {{Reflist}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Stewart, Christian}} [[Category:1966 births]] [[Category:Living people]] [[Category:Canadian expatriates in South Africa]] [[Category:Canadian rugby union players]] [[Category:Canadian people of British descent]] [[Category:Canadian people of Afrikaner descent]] [[Category:Alumni of Diocesan College, Cape Town]] [[Category:Rugby union players from Toronto]] [[Category:Canadian people of South African descent]] [[Category:South African rugby union players]] [[Category:South Africa international rugby union players]] [[Category:South African people of Canadian descent]] [[Category:Canada international rugby union players]] [[Category:Stormers players]] [[Category:Villager FC players]] [[Category:Rugby union centres]] [[Category:1991 Rugby World Cup players]] [[Category:1995 Rugby World Cup players]] [[Category:Stellenbosch RFC players]] [[Category:20th-century South African sportsmen]] [[Category:20th-century Canadian sportsmen]]