{{Short description|South African rugby union player}} {{Use South African English|date=June 2014}} {{Use dmy dates|date=April 2026}} {{Infobox rugby biography | name = Tinus Linee | birth_name = Marthinus Linee | nickname = | birth_date = {{birth date|df=yes|1969|08|23}} | birth_place = [[Paarl]], [[Cape Province]] (now [[Western Cape]]), [[South Africa]] | death_place = [[Paarl]], [[Western Cape]], [[South Africa]] | death_date = {{death date and age|2014|11|03|1969|08|23|df=yes}} | height = {{height|m=1.80}} | weight = {{convert|92|kg|stlb|abbr=on}} | ru_position = [[Centre (rugby union)|Centre]] | years1 = | clubs1 = SA Defense (Cape Town) RFC | apps1 = | points1 = | ru_clubupdate = | repteam1 = [[South Africa national rugby union team|South Africa]] ''(tour)'' | repteam2 = [[South Africa A national rugby union team|South Africa 'A']] | repyears1 = 1993–1994 | repyears2 = 1994–1996 | repcaps1 = 9 | repcaps2 = 5 | reppoints1 = 0 | reppoints2 = 10 | ru_ntupdate = | super1 = [[Stormers|Western Province]] | super2 = [[Stormers]] | superapps1 = | superapps2 = 1 | superpoints1 = | superpoints2 = 0 | superyears1 = 1996 | superyears2 = 1999 | super14update = | province1 = [[Western Province (rugby team)|Western Province]] | provinceyears1 = 1992–2001 | provinceapps1 = 112 | provincepoints1 = 140 | ru_provinceupdate = | coachyears1 = 2012 | coachteams1 = [[RC Timişoara|RCM Universitatea Timişoara]] (assistant coach) | school = Paulus Joubert Senior Secondary School }}
'''Marthinus "Tinus" Linee''' (23 August 1969 – 3 November 2014) was a South African [[rugby union]] player. Linee played predominantly at [[Centre (rugby union)|centre]]. He played all his provincial rugby for [[Western Province (rugby team)|Western Province]]. He represented Western Province and the [[Stormers]] in [[Super Rugby]]. He played nine tour games for the [[South African national rugby union team|Springboks]] between 1993 and 1994, but never played in a test for South Africa.
==Youth== Linee attended Nederburg Primary School along with his future wife, Diana. Both former Springbok player [[Chester Williams]] and former Springbok coach [[Peter de Villiers]] attended Nederburg Primary.<ref name="Stabilised">{{cite web | url=http://www.sport24.co.za/Rugby/Ex-Bok-stabilised-Wife-20140617 | title=Ex-Bok stabilised – wife | publisher=News24.com | date=17 June 2014 | accessdate=18 June 2014}}</ref>
==Playing career==
===Provincial=== Linee made his debut for Western Province in 1992 and played 112 games for the province until his retirement in 2001. Renowned as a hard-hitting centre, he was a regular starter in the midfield for Western Province. In 2001, future Springbok captain [[Jean de Villiers]] made his Western Province debut alongside Tinus Linee.<ref name="iol">{{cite web | url=http://www.iol.co.za/sport/rugby/stormers-give-linee-winning-tribute-1.1522467 | title=Stormers give Linee winning tribute | publisher=iol.co.za | date=27 May 2013 | accessdate=10 June 2014 | last=Bester | first=Junior}}</ref>
On 14 October 1995 Linee played in his first [[Currie Cup]] final, against the {{Rut|Sharks (Currie Cup)}} at [[Kings Park Stadium]] in [[Durban]]. Linee played alongside Springbok and Western Province legends such as [[Pieter Rossouw (rugby player)|Pieter Rossouw]], [[Chester Williams]], [[Justin Swart]], [[Joel Stransky]] and [[Tiaan Strauss]] as well as [[France national rugby union team|French]] legend [[Laurent Cabannes]]. The Sharks won the game 25–17.<ref>{{cite web | url=http://www.rugby365.com/article/50328-currie-cup-finals-sharks-v-wp | title=Currie Cup Finals: Sharks v WP | publisher=Rugby 365 | date=25 October 2012 | accessdate=10 June 2014}}</ref> Linee was also part of the Western Province squad when they won Currie Cup titles in 1997, 2000 and 2001.
===Super Rugby=== In [[1996 Super 12 season|1996]] Tinus Linee was part of the Western Province team that competed in the [[Super Rugby|Super 12]]. Western Province failed to qualify for the [[1997 Super 12 season]] and Linee was not part of the squad when the Stormers played in the [[1998 Super 12 season]]. In [[1999 Super 12 season|1999]], he returned to the [[Cape Town]] based Super Rugby team's squad, but failed to make the Stormers' Super Rugby squads in [[2000 Super 12 season|2000]] and [[2001 Super 12 season|2001]].<ref name="SARU Player Profile Tinus Linee">{{SA Rugby Player Profile | id=18398 | name=Tinus Linee | date=2 June 2016}}</ref>
===South Africa=== In 1993 Linee was picked for the Springboks on their tour to Australia. He made his debut for the Springboks in a tour match against the Victoria national rugby union team in [[Melbourne]] on 21 July 1993. At the time, [[Heinrich Füls]] and [[Pieter Muller]] were the preferred centres for the test matches, so Linee played only in tour games and failed to make the team for the test matches.<ref name="Springbok Rugby Hall of Fame">{{cite web | url=http://www.genslin.us/bokke | title=Springbok Rugby Hall of Fame | publisher=Grundlingh Enslin | accessdate=10 June 2014}}</ref>
In 1994 Linee again made the Springbok squad for both the [[Argentina national rugby union team|Argentinean]] tour to South Africa as well as the Springbok tour to {{nrut|Wales}}, {{nrut|Scotland}} and {{nrut|Ireland}}. He again did not feature in any of the test matches and on 22 November 1994, he played his last tour match for the Springboks against [[Pontypridd RFC|Pontypridd]] in [[Pontypridd]], [[Wales]].<ref name="SARU Player Profile Tinus Linee"/>
==Coaching career== In 2008 Linee formed part of Western Province's [[Vodacom Cup]] team management.<ref name="SARU Player Profile Tinus Linee"/><ref name="Ex-Bok, WP centre Tinus Linee dies">{{cite web | url=http://www.sport24.co.za/Rugby/Ex-Bok-WP-centre-Tinus-Linee-dies-20141103 | title=Ex-Bok, WP centre Tinus Linee dies | publisher=Sport24 | date=3 November 2014 | accessdate=3 November 2014}}</ref> In 2012 he was assistant coach at [[RC Timişoara|RCM Universitatea Timişoara]] in [[Romania]] alongside head coach and former Springbok teammate, [[Chester Williams]]. While being the assistant coach in 2012, RCM Universitatea Timişoara won the [[SuperLiga (rugby)|SuperLiga CEC Bank]], Romania's main domestic rugby competition.<ref name="Rugby saddened by the passing of Tinus Linee">{{cite web | url=http://www.sanzarrugby.com/therugbychampionship/news/rugby-saddened-by-the-passing-of-tinus-linee/ | title=Rugby saddened by the passing of Tinus Linee | publisher=SANZAR | date=3 November 2014 | accessdate=3 November 2014}}</ref><ref name="Veste TRISTĂ. Un fost antrenor al lui RCM Timișoara a trecut în neființă">{{cite web | url=http://www.sport9.ro/veste-trista-un-fost-antrenor-al-lui-rcm-timisoara-a-trecut-in-nefiinta/ | title=Veste TRISTĂ. Un fost antrenor al lui RCM Timișoara a trecut în neființă | publisher=Sport9.ro | date=3 November 2014 | accessdate=3 November 2014 | language=Romanian}}</ref>
==Honours==
===Playing career=== ;[[Western Province (rugby team)|Western Province]] *[[Currie Cup]]: 1997, 2000, 2001
===Coaching career=== ;[[RC Timişoara|RCM Universitatea Timişoara]] *[[SuperLiga (rugby)|SuperLiga CEC Bank]]: 2012
==Health and death== In April 2013, Linee was diagnosed with [[motor neurone disease]].<ref>{{cite web | url=http://www.rugby-talk.com/2013/04/former-bok-tinus-linee-has-same-disease-as-joost | title=Former Bok, Tinus Linee has same disease as Joost | publisher=rugby-talk.com | date=30 April 2013 | accessdate=10 June 2014}}</ref>
His deteriorating health resulted in him having financial difficulties in an attempt to cover his medical costs. This resulted in him auctioning off his Springbok and Western Province blazers to raise money.<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.sarugbymag.co.za/blog/details/linee-in-financial-strife | title=Linee in financial strife | publisher=sarugbymag.co.za | date=30 April 2014 | accessdate=10 June 2014}}</ref> South African fans organised and contributed to several fundraisers to assist him and his family financially.<ref name="iol"/><ref>{{cite web | url=http://www.sarugbylegends.com/content/legends-supporting-tinus-linee-his-time-need-0 | title=LEGENDS SUPPORTING TINUS LINEE IN HIS TIME OF NEED | publisher=Rugby Legends South Africa | accessdate=10 June 2014 | url-status=dead | archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20141103094955/http://www.sarugbylegends.com/content/legends-supporting-tinus-linee-his-time-need-0 | archivedate=3 November 2014 | df=dmy-all }}</ref> The introduction of a ventilator in April 2014, meant that his condition remained stable without deteriorating. His hands, however, remained virtually paralysed.<ref name="Stabilised"/> Linee died on 3 November 2014, aged 45 in his family home in Paarl.
He was survived by his wife Diana, her two sons, and a daughter from his first marriage.<ref name="Ex-Bok, WP centre Tinus Linee dies"/>
==See also== *[[List of South Africa national rugby union players#List|List of South Africa national rugby union players]] – Springbok no. '''591'''
==References== {{Reflist|colwidth=30em}}
==External links== * {{SA Rugby Player Profile | id=18398 | name=Tinus Linee | date=2 June 2016}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Linee, Tinus}} [[Category:1969 births]] [[Category:2014 deaths]] [[Category:Deaths from motor neuron disease in South Africa]] [[Category:Rugby union players from Paarl]] [[Category:South African rugby union coaches]] [[Category:South African rugby union players]] [[Category:South Africa international rugby union players]] [[Category:Rugby union centres]] [[Category:Stormers players]] [[Category:20th-century South African sportsmen]]