| Thys Lourens | |
| Birth Name: | Matthys Johannes Lourens |
| Birth Place: | Vryheid, KwaZulu-Natal |
| Birth Date: | 15 May 1943 |
| Height: | 1.83m |
| Weight: | 90 kg |
| Ru Position: | Flank |
| Ru Province1: | Northern Transvaal |
| Ru Provinceapps1: | 168 |
| Ru Nationalteam1: | South Africa |
| Repyears1: | 1968 |
| Repcaps1: | 3 |
| Reppoints1: | 3 |
| School: | Vryheid High School |
Matthys Johannes 'Thys' Lourens (born 15 May 1943) is a former South African rugby union Rugby player.[1]
Lourens played 168 first class provincial matches for Northern Transvaal, 91 of which were in the Currie Cup competition. He captained the team on 84 occasions and scored 63 tries.[2]
Only Louis Moolman (171), Naas Botha (179) and Burger Geldenhuys (184) have played in more matches than Lourens. His usual position was as a flanker, where he also played for the national team, the Springboks.[3]
He represented South Africa thrice, the first on 22 June 1968, when he played at flanker in a match against the British & Irish Lions at the Boet Erasmus Stadium in Port Elizabeth, which resulted in a six-all draw. He played in the subsequent test at Newlands in which he scored a try in the 11–6 win. He earned a third cap in the third match of the test series, at Ellis Park, which the Springboks won 19–6.
| No. | Opposition | Result (RSA 1st) | Position | Tries | Date | Venue | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | 6–6 | 22 June 1968 | Boet Erasmus, Port Elizabeth | ||||
| 2. | British Lions | 11–6 | Flank | 1 | 13 July 1968 | Newlands, Cape Town | |
| 3. | British Lions | 19–6 | Flank | 27 July 1968 | Ellis Park, Johannesburg |