| Born | André Neal Vos (1975-01-09)9 January 1975 (age 51) East London, South Africa | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Height | 1.90 m (6 ft 3 in) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Weight | 98 kg (15 st 6 lb; 216 lb) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| School | Selborne College | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| University | University of Port Elizabeth | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Rugby union career | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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André Neal Vos (born 9 January 1975) is a former South Africanrugby union player who played as a loose forward forEastern Province (South Africa),Queensland Reds (Australia),[1]The Cats,The Lions andHarlequins (England) until his retirement in 2007.
He also captained theSpringboks.
Vos attendedSelborne College inEast London, South Africa (he represented Border at the 1992 Craven Week) and the thenUniversity of Port Elizabeth.
He represented South Africa at theU21 and at under 23 level.
He made his senior provincial debut for Eastern Province (then coached by Alex Wyllie) in 1995, and played 35 matches for that province in 1995 and 1996.
He played for the Golden Lions in 1997.
In 1998 he wore theQueensland Reds' jersey in theSuper 12[1] earning 11 full caps for the Australian franchise.[1]
He returned to South African shores in 1998 to play for theCats in the Super 12 and for theGolden Lions in the South AfricanCurrie Cup.
He made his international debut against Italy inPort Elizabeth on 12 June 1999 as a replacement. The final score was 74-3 in favour of theSpringboks.He was in the starting 15 for the next match inDurban. He was in and out of the starting 15 for the next eight test matches, starting in only three.
After theIRBRugby World Cup in 1999 he took over the captaincy of South Africa fromJoost van der Westhuizen.[2]
He went on to earn 33 test caps for South Africa (6 as substitute), 16 as captain.[2] He scored 5 tries for South Africa. His international career record is: played 33, won 18, drew 1, lost 14.
Vos retired from international rugby in 2002, saying, "Physically I am no longer up to Springbok rugby."[2]
Vos signed forHarlequins in 2002. In 2004, he captained the side to theirEuropean Challenge Cup victory, beatingClermont Auvergne, at the time known as Montferrand, 27-26 in the final.[3][4]
In 2006, he captained the side as they won promotion from theRFU Championship back to thePremiership.[4] He captained the side for three years until he resigned at the end of the 2005/6 season, whenPaul Volley took over.[5]
André Neal Vos was born inEast London,South Africa, and pursued his education atSelborne College followed by theUniversity of Port Elizabeth.[6][7][8] Off the field, he has been a practisingChristian throughout his life, underpinning his reputation as calm, warm, and approachable.[8]
In 2002, early in his stint withHarlequins, Vos married Caroline, who was born in the UK and holds a British passport; helping him secure a free transfer to England.[8][9][10] The couple settled first inLondon, living nearRichmond Bridge in a house previously occupied by a predecessor, before later relocating toCape Town, where Vos now resides.[8][9][11]
AsHarlequins’ captain in the early to mid-2000s, he was deeply involved in community outreach and charity work, particularly with schools and HopeHIV, earning praise for his humility, constant presence, and positivity; "always there to have a chat, sign an autograph…always with a smile".[6]
After retiring from professional rugby in 2007, Vos shifted his focus to the financial sector in Cape Town, maintaining a low public profile while staying connected to the sport and his community through occasional coaching and mentorship roles.[7][9][11]
| Sporting positions | ||
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| Preceded by | Springbok Captain 1999 - 2001 | Succeeded by |
