| Carel du Plessis | |
| Birth Name: | Carel Johan du Plessis |
| Birth Place: | Somerset East, Eastern Cape, South Africa |
| Birth Date: | 24 June 1960 |
| Height: | 1.84m |
| Weight: | 85kg |
| Ru Position: | Wing, Centre |
| Province1: | Western Province |
| Province2: | Transvaal |
| Provinceyears1: | 1980–1986, 1988–1989 |
| Provinceyears2: | 1987 |
| Repteam1: | South Africa |
| Repyears1: | 1982–1989 |
| Repcaps1: | 12 |
| Reppoints1: | 16 |
| Coachteams1: | South Africa |
| Coachyears1: | 1997 |
| Children: | Jean-Luc du Plessis |
| School: | Paarl Boys High |
Carel Johan du Plessis (born 24 June 1960)[1] is a former South African rugby union coach and player.
Du Plessis played for Western Province and the Springboks, his skills earning him the nickname the Prince of Wings.[2] Capped 12 times, he scored 4 tries for the Springboks, but his international career was curtailed by the sports boycott against apartheid South Africa.[3]
| No. | Opposition | Result (SA 1st) | Position | Tries | Date | Venue | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | 50–18 | 1 | 27 March 1982 | Loftus Versveld, Pretoria | |||
| 2. | South American Jaguars | 12–21 | Wing | 3 April 1982 | Free State Stadium, Bloemfontein | ||
| 3. | 33–15 | Wing | 1 | 2 June 1984 | Boet Erasmus Stadium, Port Elizabeth | ||
| 4. | England | 35–9 | Wing | 9 June 1984 | Ellis Park, Johannesburg | ||
| 5. | South American Jaguars | 32–15 | Wing | 20 October 1984 | Loftus Versfeld, Pretoria | ||
| 6. | South American Jaguars | 21–13 | Wing | 1 | 27 October 1984 | Newlands, Cape Town | |
| 7. | New Zealand Cavaliers | 21–15 | Wing | 1 | 10 May 1986 | Newlands, Cape Town | |
| 8. | New Zealand Cavaliers | 18–19 | Wing | 17 May 1986 | Kings Park, Durban | ||
| 9. | New Zealand Cavaliers | 33–18 | Wing | 24 May 1986 | Loftus Versfeld, Pretoria | ||
| 10. | New Zealand Cavaliers | 24–10 | Wing | 31 May 1986 | Ellis Park, Johannesburg | ||
| 11. | World XV | 20–19 | Wing | 26 Aug 1989 | Newlands, Cape Town | ||
| 12. | World XV | 22–16 | Wing | 2 Sep 1989 | Ellis Park, Johannesburg |
In late February 1997, du Plessis was appointed coach of the Springboks, succeeding Andre Markgraaff, despite a lack of coaching experience.[4] [5] He led the team to defeat in both the British and Irish Lions' 1997 tour and the 1997 Tri-Nations, before being sacked and replaced by Nick Mallett, his last game as coach being a 61–22 win over Australia.[6] He was subsequently an assistant coach for Western Province and the Stormers, with Gert Smal.[2]
Du Plessis is the brother of Michael du Plessis and Willie du Plessis, both former Springboks, father of Jean-Luc du Plessis, who plays for the Stormers, and uncle of Daniël du Plessis, a former South Africa U20 player.[2]
He has undergone three major surgeries after a brain tumour was discovered in January 2019.[2] [7]