From Standerton to Springbok: a career in numbers

Jacobus Albertus Kriel was born in Standerton in 1989. He was head boy of Hoërskool Standerton, captained the school's first team, and played at Craven Week before joining the Lions academy.

He made his Springbok debut as a reserve against Ireland on 25 June 2016 at Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium, the 874th player to wear the green and gold. He went on to earn 11 Test caps for South Africa.

At franchise level Jaco was a cornerstone of the Lions side that reached three consecutive Super Rugby finals, before a stint in England with Gloucester. He returned to Johannesburg and retired in April 2023 after a final game for the Lions.