| Full name | Megiel Burger Odendaal | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Born | (1993-04-15)15 April 1993 (age 32) Bloemfontein, South Africa | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Height | 1.87 m (6 ft1+1⁄2 in) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Weight | 95 kg (14 st 13 lb; 209 lb) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| School | Monument High School, Krugersdorp | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| University | University of Pretoria | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Rugby union career | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Megiel Burger Odendaal (born 15 April 1993) is a South Africanrugby union player.[1] His regular position is inside centre.
Odendaal played his high school rugby forMonument High School inKrugersdorp, which led to his inclusion inGolden Lions teams for youth week tournaments; he played for their Under-16 side at the 2009 Grant Khomo Week and for their Under-18 side at the 2011Craven Week.
After the 2011 season, he then crossed theJukskei River to joinPretoria-based side theBlue Bulls. He played for theBlue Bulls U19 side in the2012 Under-19 Provincial Championship (scoring three tries in eight starts) and in the same year made the step up to Under-21 level, playing for theBlue Bulls U21 side in the2012 Under-21 Provincial Championship. He also played at that level in the2013 Under-21 Provincial Championship.
He also made solitary appearances for theUP Tuks in each of the2013 and2014 editions of theVarsity Cup.
His first class debut came two days before his 20th birthday; he started for theBlue Bulls in their2013 Vodacom Cup match against theFalcons inSprings, helping them to a 74–14 victory in his only appearance of the season.[2]
He returned to theBlue Bulls side for their2014 Vodacom Cup campaign. He made six appearances for them, all of them in the run-on side. He scored his first senior try in the third match of the season, a 49–10 win over theGriffons inWelkom.[3] In his next match, he scored the first brace of his career, scoring two tries in the first 20 minutes of their match against the whipping boys of the competition, theLimpopo Blue Bulls, in a 114–0 win inPretoria.[4]
His first involvement atCurrie Cup level came in 2014, when he was named in the Blue Bulls squad for the2014 Currie Cup Premier Division season[5] and he was named in the starting line-up for their opening match of the season against theGolden Lions.[6]
It was announced on the 13th of July 2020 that Odendaal would be departing theBulls and would be joining theLions.
On the 22nd February 2022, it was announced that he had signed forWasps Rugby on their official website ahead of the 2022/23 season.[7] He was made redundant along with every other Wasps player and coach when the team entered administration on 17 October 2022.[8]
On 10 January 2023, Odendaal was signed by Premiership rivalsNorthampton Saints following Wasps administration from the 2023-24 season.[9]
On 22 July 2025, Odendaal would return to Japan to sign forHanazono Kintetsu Liners in theJapan Rugby League One competition from the 2025-26 season.[10]