 Libbok in 2023 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Full name | Immanuel Libbok | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Born | (1997-07-15)15 July 1997 (age 28) Humansdorp, South Africa | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Height | 1.82 m (5 ft11+1⁄2 in)[1] | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Weight | 82 kg (181 lb)[1] | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| School | HTS Daniël Pienaar,Uitenhage Hoërskool Outeniqua,George | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Occupation | Professional rugby player | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Rugby union career | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Medal record
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Immanuel "Manie" Libbok (born 15 July 1997) is a South African professionalrugby union player. His current club is the Japanese-basedHanazono Kintetsu Liners. He previously played for theStormers in theUnited Rugby Championship andWestern Province in theCurrie Cup. Internationally, he representsSouth Africa.[2]
Libbok was born inHumansdorp. He attended HTS Daniël Pienaar inUitenhage, and earned his first provincial selection in 2013, representing Eastern Province at the Under-16 Grant Khomo Week, scoring tries in matches against the Blue Bulls[3] and the Golden Lions.[4]
Libbok moved toGeorge for 2014, where he attended Hoërskool Outeniqua. He represented the George-basedSWD Eagles at the premier South African high schools rugby union tournament, the Under-18Craven Week, in both 2014 and 2015. In the first match at the 2015 tournament held inStellenbosch, Libbok scored two tries, four conversions and one penalty for a personal points haul of 21 points in his side's 31–41 defeat to former side Eastern Province.[5] He followed this up with a try and four conversions against the Golden Lions[6] and a third try and two conversions against KwaZulu-Natal in their final match.[7] He scored a total of 43 points in three matches, making him the top scorer at the competition,[8] while his four tries were the joint-second most in the competition, one behind Western Province's Nico Leonard.[9]
At the conclusion of the tournament, Libbok was included in aSouth Africa Schools team that played in the 2015 Under-18 International Series on home soil against their counterparts from Wales,France andEngland. He started on the left wing in their 42–11 victory over Wales in their first match,[10] but dropped to the bench for match against France, not getting any game time in their 12–5 victory.[11] He returned to the starting line-up for their final match against England, helping them to a 23–16 victory to finish the series with a 100% record.[12]
After high school, Libbok moved toPretoria to join theBlue Bulls academy. In March 2016, he was included in aSouth Africa Under-20 training squad,[13] and made the cut to be named in a reduced provisional squad a week later.[14]
Libbok was also named in theBlue Bulls squad for the2016 Currie Cup qualification series and he made his first class debut on 8 April 2016, starting as a fullback in their 16–30 defeat toWestern Province in Round One of the competition.[15] He also started their match against aFree State XV a week later, scoring his first senior points by slotting a penalty in the 15th minute of the match, and scoring his first try in the final ten minutes which proved decisive as the Blue Bulls won the match 20–17.[16] He also started their next match againstGauteng rivals theGolden Lions[17] and played off the bench in their defeat to theEastern Province Kings inPort Elizabeth.[18]
On 10 May 2016, Libbok was included in the final South Africa Under-20 squad for the2016 World Rugby Under 20 Championship tournament to be held inManchester inEngland.[19] He started their opening match in Pool C of the tournament in the fly-half position, scoring a try as South Africa came from behind to beatJapan 59–19.[20] He switched positions with fullbackCurwin Bosch for their second pool match, a 13–19 defeat toArgentina,[21] but reverted to fly-half as South Africa bounced back to secure a 40-31 bonus-point victory overFrance in their final pool match, with Libbok scoring his second try of the competition just after the hour mark.[22] The result meant South Africa secured a semi-final place as the best runner-up in the competition, and Libbok started their semi-final match as they faced three-time championsEngland. The hosts proved too strong for South Africa, knocking them out of the competition with a 39–17 victory,[23] and they also lost the third-place play-off match against Argentina, with the South American side beating South Africa for the second time in the tournament, convincingly winning 49–19[24] to condemn South Africa to fourth place in the competition. Libbok scored his third try of the competition in the defeat, to finish the competition with three tries, the joint-most by a South African player withZain Davids andEdwill van der Merwe.[25]
Libbok returned to domestic action for theBlue Bulls U19 team in the2016 Under-19 Provincial Championship. He made seven starts in the competition, scoring three tries during the season – one againstLeopards U19[26] and two againstEastern Province U19[27] – as well as 35 points with the boot through 16 conversions and one penalty. He finished the competition as the Blue Bulls' second-highest points scorer,[28] and helped them to second place on the log[29] to secure a semi-final spot, at which stage they lost toGolden Lions U19.[30] He also made a single start for theBlue Bulls U21 team in the2016 Under-21 Provincial Championship, scoring a try in a 52–38 victory overLeopards U21.[31]
In November 2016, he was named in theBullsSuper Rugby team's extended training squad during the team's preparations for the2017 Super Rugby season.[32]
Libbok debuted for theStormers in 2021, inItaly facingBenetton in a losing effort after the home side made a second half comeback. He went on to feature prominently for the Cape outfit after impressing coach,John Dobson. TheStormers, only lost 4 games leading into the knockout stages for that season. During a semi-final clash against Irish side,Ulster, where the visitors were leading by 5 points after the hooter already sounded. Libbok made a skip pass assistingWarrick Gelant to score a try leveling the scoreboard. Libbok made the conversion from the touchline sending his team into the finals of the inauguralUnited Rugby Championship. In the final, he faced his former club theBulls, and kicked a drop goal to extend a small lead and ultimately clinching the title. He was the leading point scorer, accumulating 171 points. A feat he replicated the following season, scoring 217 points.[citation needed]
2025-:Hanazono kintetsu liners
On July 22nd, Libbok's signing was officially announced by the Japanese outfit after reports had been making rounds since March. Initial reports hinted at aSabbatical request, but it turned out to be a long-term endeavor after Libbok announced his departure from theStormers. He was signed with the Cape outfit until 2027 and according to coach,John Dobson, wanted to honour his contract.Dobson, whom had been very vocal about having bothLibbok andSacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu, said that it was impossible for both of them to coexist at the franchise. He also mentioned the latter's request one year prior to only play fly-half and mentioned that he doesn't desire to play from the bench. Therefore, Libbok's offer couldn't have come at a more opportune time.Dobson, declared that Manie leaves with their blessing and an open invitation to return in the future.
In October 2022, he was included in the squad for theSpringboks' year-end tour.[33] He made his debut for the national team againstFrance on November 12th, receiving 4 minutes from the bench inMarseille. A fixture they lost. The following week he was once again named in the team to faceItaly. He replacedCheslin Kolbe early in the second half due to injury. He kicked 5 successful conversions in a 63-21 victory. He played his third test againstEngland, also from the bench which they also won.
In July 2023, with long time pivotHandré Pollard still injured, Libbok was selected by then coach,Jacques Nienaber, to make his first start for theSpringboks againstAustralia in their opening match for theThe Rugby Championship atLoftus Versfeld opposingQuade Cooper. The young pivot delivered a masterclass performance marshaling his team to a 43-12 victory. He made his debut againstNew Zealand from the bench atMount Smart Stadium whereDamian Willemse started at fly-half. A test they lost. Libbok found himself again in the starting team for the final fixture of their campaign againstArgentina, where he scored his first try in a close encounter, winning the test, 22-21. He then featured in another test againstLos Pumas includingWales, both of which they won. On August 25th, Libbok made his first start against theAll Blacks atTwickenham opposingRichie Mo'unga. With heavy criticism in regards to his goalkicking, Libbok kicked 5 successful conversions and showed excellent game management in a then record breaking victory against the men in black, 35-7.
In September of that year, he made hisRugby World Cup debut againstScotland opposingFinn Russell in what was his 10th cap. The inexperienced pivot was inconsistent from the boot only managing to land two penalties but he managed to prevent an otherwise definite try almost scored by wingerDarcy Graham after a great cover tackle. And he delivered an outrageous no-look kick pass toKurt-Lee Arendse who scored the Boks' second and final try of the day. He received the Man of the Match award on his debut in the 18-3 victory. So far undefeated as a starting fly-half for the national team and against marquee fly-halves, Libbok faced veteran pivot andIreland captain,Johnny Sexton. After landing the opening penalty, Libbok missed a long-range attempt and a conversion forCheslin Kolbe's try that he assisted with. The Boks went on to lose the match, 13-8, bagging a losing bonus point. He came under immense scrutiny being blamed for the loss singlehandedly. With the return of Handré, Manie was selected on the bench for their final pool game againstTonga where both him and Handré kicked at 100%. In the quarter-final againstFrance, he was back in the starting team.South Africa went on to win the match by a single point. A trend they replicated in both the semi-final againstEngland, which Libbok started in but was unceremoniously substituted early in the first half, as well as in the final against their southern hemisphere counterpart,New Zealand, where Libbok did not feature.
South Africa
| Opponent | P | W | D | L | Try | Pts | %Won |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 Argentina | 6 | 5 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 34 | 83.33 |
 Australia | 3 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 16 | 66.67 |
 England | 3 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 7 | 100 |
 France | 3 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 4 | 66.67 |
 Ireland | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 50 |
 Italy | 3 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 22 | 100 |
 Japan | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 8 | 100 |
 New Zealand | 3 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 23 | 66.67 |
 Portugal | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 100 |
 Scotland | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 6 | 100 |
 Tonga | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 6 | 100 |
 Wales | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 10 | 100 |
| Total | 28 | 23 | 0 | 5 | 2 | 143 | 82.14 |
| Try | Opposing team | Location | Venue | Competition | Date | Result | Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Argentina | Johannesburg, South Africa | Ellis Park Stadium | 2023 Rugby Championship | 29 July 2023 | Win | 22–21 |
| 2 | Argentina | Durban, South Africa | Kings Park Stadium | 2025 Rugby Championship | 27 September 2023 | Win | 67–30 |
