{{short description|South African rugby union footballer}} {{Use dmy dates|date=April 2022}} {{Infobox rugby biography | name = Cobus Visagie | image = | caption = | birth_name = Izak Jacobus Visagie | birth_date = {{Birth date and age|1973|10|31|df=y}} | birth_place = [[Stellenbosch]], [[Western Cape]], South Africa | height = 1.85m | weight = 118kg | position = [[Tighthead prop]] | years1 = 2003–2009 | clubs1 = [[Saracens F.C.|Saracens]] | apps1 = 121 | points1 = 0 | province1 = {{rut|Western Province}} | province2 = | provinceyears1 = 1997–2003 | provinceyears2 = | provinceapps1 = 42 | provinceapps2 = | provincepoints1 = | provincepoints2 = | ru_provinceupdate1 = | ru_provinceupdate2 = | super1 = {{rut|Stormers}} | superyears1 = 1998–2003 | superapps1 = 46 | superpoints1 = 5 | repteam1 = [[South Africa national rugby union team|South Africa]] | repyears1 = 1999–2003 | repcaps1 = 29 | reppoints1 = 0 | school = [[Paul Roos Gymnasium]], Stellenbosch | university = [[Stellenbosch University]] }}
'''Izak Jacobus''' "'''Cobus'''" '''Visagie''' (born 31 October 1973) is a South African former [[rugby union]] footballer who played at [[tighthead prop]].<ref>{{Cite web |title=Izak Jacobus Visagie |url=http://www.espnscrum.com/southafrica/rugby/player/13173.html |access-date=2020-07-20 |website=ESPN scrum}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Cobus VISAGIE - International rugby matches. - South Africa |url=http://www.sporting-heroes.net/ |access-date=2020-07-20 |website=Sporting Heroes}}</ref>
==Early life== Visagie attended the [[Paul Roos Gymnasium]] in [[Stellenbosch, Western Cape|Stellenbosch]] and then studied auditing and accounting at [[Stellenbosch University]], where he also played for Maties (Stellenbosch University) and [[Western Province (rugby team)|Western Province]] Rugby representing the under–20 and under–21 teams.
Visagie finished his Bachelor of Commerce, majoring in accounting and audit at [[Stellenbosch University]] in 1996.<ref>{{Cite book |title=Matieland is rugbyland, 1980-2006 |last=Van der Merwe |first=Floris |date=2007 |publisher=SUN Press |isbn=9781920109790 |location=Stellenbosch |pages=181–182 |oclc=190836768}}</ref> He worked seven years for [[PricewaterhouseCoopers]] as a [[chartered accountant]], whilst playing professional [[rugby union|rugby]].<ref name=":0">{{Cite web |last=Team |first=The Editorial |date=2019-07-08 |title=Exclusive Interview: Cobus Visagie, Chief Executive Officer, Africa Merchant Capital Limited |url=https://www.capitalmarketsinafrica.com/exclusive-interview-cobus-visagie-chief-executive-officer-africa-merchant-capital-limited/ |access-date=2020-07-21 |language=en-US}}</ref>
==Playing career== Visagie made his provincial rugby debut for {{rut|Western Province}} in 1997 and continued to represent the union as well as the [[Super Rugby]] team, the {{rut|Stormers}} until 2003.
Visagie won three Currie Cups with [[Western Province (rugby team)|Western Province]] Rugby, the last in 2001 with a home win (at [[Newlands, Cape Town|Newlands]], Cape Town) over the Natal Sharks. He also earned 46 Super 12 caps with the Stormers.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Cobus VISAGIE - Player statistics - It's rugby |url=http://www.itsrugby.co.uk/players/cobus-visagie-1243.html |access-date=2020-07-20 |website=www.itsrugby.co.uk}}</ref> He earned 29 caps for his country and was part of the [[South African national rugby union team|Springbok]] team that reached the [[1999 Rugby World Cup]] Semi Final. He was selected to the team of the tournament with fellow Springbok frontrow [[Os du Randt]].
Visagie moved to the United Kingdom to play for the English Premiership club [[Saracens F.C.|Saracens]] after being passed over for the 2003 World Cup Springbok squad.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Saracens sign Cobus Visagie |url=https://www.premiershiprugby.com/2003/11/26/saracens-sign-cobus-visagie/ |access-date=2020-07-21 |website=Premiership Rugby |language=en-US}}</ref> He played 121 games for Saracens and was voted into the Guinness Premiership team of the season for three consecutive years. He also represented the Barbarians (8 caps), World XV (3 caps) and the Southern Hemisphere XV that played in the [[Rugby Aid|Tsunami Relief game]] at Twickenham, before retiring from professional rugby in May 2009.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2005-03-06 |title=Gregan and Co make serious point |url=http://www.independent.co.uk/sport/rugby/rugby-union/gregan-and-co-make-serious-point-527393.html |access-date=2020-07-22 |website=The Independent |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Cobus Visagie to hang up his boots |url=https://www.premiershiprugby.com/2009/04/08/cobus-visagie-to-hang-up-his-boots/ |access-date=2020-07-22 |website=Premiership Rugby |language=en-US}}</ref>
===Test history=== {| class="wikitable sortable" |- ! No. !! Opposition !! Result (SA 1st) !! Position !! Tries !! Date !! Venue |- | 1. || {{ru|ITA}} || 74–3 || [[Tighthead prop]] || || 12 Jun 1999 || [[Boet Erasmus Stadium]], Port Elizabeth |- style="background: #D0E6FF;" | 2. || {{ru|WAL}} || 19–29 || Tighthead prop || || 26 Jun 1998 || [[Millennium Stadium]], Cardiff |- | 3. || {{ru|NZL}} || 0–28 || Tighthead prop || || 10 Jul 1999 || [[Carisbrook]], Dunedin |- style="background: #D0E6FF;" | 4. || {{ru|AUS}} || 6–32 || Tighthead prop || || 17 Jul 1999 || [[Suncorp Stadium]], Brisbane |- | 5. || {{ru|NZL}} || 18–34 || Tighthead prop || || 7 Aug 1999 || [[Loftus Versfeld]], Pretoria |- style="background: #D0E6FF;" | 6. || {{ru|AUS}} || 10–9 || Tighthead prop || || 14 Aug 1999 || [[Newlands Stadium|Newlands]], Cape Town |- | 7. || {{ru|SCO}} || 46–29 || Tighthead prop || || 3 Oct 1999 || [[Murrayfield Stadium|Murrayfield]], Edinburgh |- style="background: #D0E6FF;" | 8. || {{ru|URU}} || 39–3 || Tighthead prop || || 15 Oct 1999 || [[Hampden Park]], Glasgow |- | 9. || {{ru|ENG}} || 44–21 || Tighthead prop || || 24 Oct 1999 || [[Stade de France]], Paris |- style="background: #D0E6FF;" | 10. || {{ru|AUS}} || 21–27 || Tighthead prop || || 30 Oct 1999 || [[Twickenham Stadium|Twickenham]], London |- | 11. || {{ru|NZL}} || 22–18 || Tighthead prop || || [[1999 Rugby World Cup#Third-place play-off|4 Nov 1999]] || [[Millennium Stadium]], Cardiff |- style="background: #D0E6FF;" | 12. || {{ru|CAN}} || 51–18 || Tighthead prop || || 10 Jun 2000 || [[Basil Kenyon Stadium]], East London |- | 13. || {{ru|ENG}} || 22–27 || Tighthead prop || || 24 Jun 2000 || [[Free State Stadium]], Bloemfontein |- style="background: #D0E6FF;" | 14. || {{ru|AUS}} || 23–44 || Tighthead prop || || 8 Jul 2000 || [[Colonial Stadium]], Melbourne |- | 15. || {{ru|NZL}} || 12–25 || Tighthead prop || || 22 Jul 2000 || [[Jade Stadium]], Christchurch |- style="background: #D0E6FF;" | 16. || {{ru|AUS}} || 6–26 || Tighthead prop || || 29 Jul 2000 || [[Stadium Australia]], Sydney |- | 17. || {{ru|NZL}} || 46–40 || Tighthead prop || || 19 Aug 2000 || [[Ellis Park Stadium|Ellis Park]], Johannesburg |- style="background: #D0E6FF;" | 18. || {{ru|AUS}} || 18–19 || Tighthead prop || || 26 Aug 2000 || [[Kings Park Stadium|Kings Park]], Durban |- | 19. || {{ru|NZL}} || 3–12 || Tighthead prop || || 21 Jul 2001 || Newlands, Cape Town |- style="background: #D0E6FF;" | 20. || {{ru|AUS}} || 20–15 || Tighthead prop || || 28 Jul 2001 || Loftus Versfeld, Pretoria |- |21. || {{ru|AUS}} || 14–14 || Tighthead prop || || 18 Aug 2001 || [[Subiaco Oval]], Perth |- style="background: #D0E6FF;" |22. || {{ru|NZL}} || 15–26 || Tighthead prop || || 25 Aug 2001 || [[Eden Park]], Auckland |- | 23. || {{ru|FRA}} || 10–20 || Tighthead prop || || 10 Nov 2001 || [[Stade de France]], Paris |- style="background: #D0E6FF;" | 24. || {{ru|ITA}} || 54–26 || Substitute || || 17 Nov 2001 || [[Stadio Marassi]], Genova |- | 25. || {{ru|ENG}} || 9–29 || Substitute || || 24 Nov 2001 || Twickenham, London |- style="background: #D0E6FF;" | 26. || {{ru|USA}} || 43–20 || Tighthead prop || || 1 Dec 2001 || [[Robertson Stadium]], Houston |- | 27. || {{ru|SCO}} || 29–25 || Substitute || || 7 Jun 2003 || Kings Park, Durban |- style="background: #D0E6FF;" | 28. || {{ru|SCO}} || 28–19 || Substitute || || 14 Jun 2003 || Ellis Park, Johannesburg |- |29. || {{ru|ARG}} || 26–25 || Tighthead prop || || 28 Jun 2003 || Boet Erasmus Stadium, Port Elizabeth |}
==Later career== Visagie joined Premier Team Holdings Limited as Commercial Director of the Group of four companies based in the United Kingdom. In 2011, he was appointed Principal for Africa at Templewood Merchant Bank.<ref name=":0"/> The following year, he co-founded Africa Merchant Capital, based in London to focus exclusively on investment, corporate finance advisory, private equity deal origination and syndication in Sub-Saharan Africa.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Big-tackling ex-Springbok rugby player Cobus Visagie starts Africa fund |url=https://www.africanbusinesscentral.com/2015/03/03/big-tackling-ex-springbok-rugby-player-cobus-visagie-starts-africa-fund/ |access-date=2020-07-22 |website=African Business Central |language=en-US}}</ref>
==Accolades== Visagie was one of the five South African Rugby players of the Year for 1999, along with [[Breyton Paulse]], [[Joost van der Westhuizen]], [[Hennie le Roux]] and the eventual winner of Player of the Year, [[Andre Venter]].<ref>{{Cite book |title=The South African Rugby Annual 2001 |last=Colquhoun |first=Andy |publisher=SARFU & MWP Media Sport |year=2001 |isbn=0958423180 |location=Cape Town |page=41}}</ref>
==See also== *[[List of South Africa national rugby union players#List|List of South Africa national rugby union players]] – Springbok no. '''683'''
==References== {{Reflist}}
==External links== * {{SA Rugby Player Profile | id=18435 | name=Cobus Visagie | date=10 March 2016}} * [https://web.archive.org/web/20080127002556/http://www.saracens.com/players/view.php?Id=75 Saracens profile] * Vrydagaand/Saterdagaand (2008) * http://www.sporting-heroes.net/rugby/south-africa/cobus-visagie-3057/international-rugby-matches_a04571/
{{South Africa 1999 Rugby World Cup squad}}
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Visagie, Cobus}} [[Category:South African rugby union players]] [[Category:Afrikaner people]] [[Category:South Africa international rugby union players]] [[Category:Stormers players]] [[Category:Saracens F.C. players]] [[Category:Barbarian F.C. players]] [[Category:Living people]] [[Category:1973 births]] [[Category:Place of birth missing (living people)]] [[Category:Doping cases in rugby union]] [[Category:Alumni of Paul Roos Gymnasium]] [[Category:Stellenbosch University alumni]] [[Category:Rugby union players from the Western Cape]] [[Category:Rugby union props]] [[Category:1999 Rugby World Cup players]] [[Category:South African expatriate rugby union players in England]] [[Category:Stellenbosch RFC players]] [[Category:20th-century South African sportsmen]]