McNeil Hendricks
Encyclopedia
McNeil Hendricks also known as "Maccie", is a former South Africa
n rugby union
player who played primarily as a wing. He starred in the movie Invictus
, in which he played the role of Chester Williams
.
. He attended St Thomas Primary School and finally matriculated at Schoonspruit Senior Secondary. Hendricks rose to prominence in the 1997 Currie Cup
as a wing playing for Boland. This Boland team was coached by Nick Mallet and caused numerous upsets. Hendricks moved to the Blue Bulls
rugby team in 1998 after impressing with Boland for three seasons. Hendricks however played during a dark time of Bulls rugby and therefore his talents were not fully exposed.
After the emergence of numerous other young wings Hendricks was forced to look elsewhere for regular first team rugby. He was snapped up by the Bloemfontein
based Cheetahs in the 2003 season. After a disappointing season with the Cheetahs Hendricks signed with the Kimberly based Griquas team. He played for one season which was hampered by injury.
In a bid to rejuvenate his ailing career Hendricks signed with Western Province
in 2004. He had a mediocre Vodacom Cup in which he was again hampered with injuries. He retired after the end of his contract came up.
Hendricks made his debut for the Springbok team against as a reserve in 1998. In total he played in two tests scoring one try.
South Africa
The Republic of South Africa is a country in southern Africa. Located at the southern tip of Africa, it is divided into nine provinces, with of coastline on the Atlantic and Indian oceans...
n rugby union
Rugby union
Rugby union, often simply referred to as rugby, is a full contact team sport which originated in England in the early 19th century. One of the two codes of rugby football, it is based on running with the ball in hand...
player who played primarily as a wing. He starred in the movie Invictus
Invictus (film)
Invictus is a 2009 biographical sports drama film directed by Clint Eastwood starring Morgan Freeman and Matt Damon.The story is based on the John Carlin book Playing the Enemy: Nelson Mandela and the Game That Changed a Nation about the events in South Africa before and during the 1995 Rugby World...
, in which he played the role of Chester Williams
Chester Williams
Chester Mornay Williams is a former South African rugby union rugby player. He played as a winger for the Springboks from 1993 to 2000...
.
Life and career
Hendricks was born in MalmesburyMalmesbury, Western Cape
Malmesbury is a town with 37,529 inhabitants in the Western Cape province of South Africa, about 65 km north of Cape Town.The town is the largest in the Swartland due to the dark "Renosterbos" , an indigenous plant that turns black in the warm, dry summers...
. He attended St Thomas Primary School and finally matriculated at Schoonspruit Senior Secondary. Hendricks rose to prominence in the 1997 Currie Cup
Currie Cup
The Currie Cup tournament is South Africa's premier domestic rugby union competition, played each winter and spring , featuring teams representing either entire provinces or substantial regions within provinces...
as a wing playing for Boland. This Boland team was coached by Nick Mallet and caused numerous upsets. Hendricks moved to the Blue Bulls
Blue Bulls
The Blue Bulls, for sponsorship reasons known as the Vodacom Blue Bulls, or more popularly by their Afrikaans name die Blou Bulle, are a South African rugby union team that participates in the annual Currie Cup tournament...
rugby team in 1998 after impressing with Boland for three seasons. Hendricks however played during a dark time of Bulls rugby and therefore his talents were not fully exposed.
After the emergence of numerous other young wings Hendricks was forced to look elsewhere for regular first team rugby. He was snapped up by the Bloemfontein
Bloemfontein
Bloemfontein is the capital city of the Free State Province of South Africa; and, as the judicial capital of the nation, one of South Africa's three national capitals – the other two being Cape Town, the legislative capital, and Pretoria, the administrative capital.Bloemfontein is popularly and...
based Cheetahs in the 2003 season. After a disappointing season with the Cheetahs Hendricks signed with the Kimberly based Griquas team. He played for one season which was hampered by injury.
In a bid to rejuvenate his ailing career Hendricks signed with Western Province
Western Province
Western Province or West Province may refer to:*Western Province, Cameroon*Western Province, Rwanda*Western Province *Western Province *Western Province *Western Province, Sri Lanka...
in 2004. He had a mediocre Vodacom Cup in which he was again hampered with injuries. He retired after the end of his contract came up.
Hendricks made his debut for the Springbok team against as a reserve in 1998. In total he played in two tests scoring one try.