Hanco Jacobus Germishuys (born August 24, 1996)[1] is a South African born American rugby union player who plays as a flanker for the Houston SaberCats in Major League Rugby (MLR) and for the United States national rugby union team internationally.

Hanco Germishuys
Full nameHanco Jacobus Germishuys
Date of birth (1996-08-24) August 24, 1996 (age 28)
Place of birthKimberley, Northern Cape, South Africa
Height6 ft 2 in (1.88 m)
Weight224 lb (16.0 st; 224 lb; 102 kg)
SchoolStrand High School
Rugby union career
Position(s) Flanker
Number 8
Hooker
Current team Houston SaberCats
Youth career
2014–2015 Gloucester Academy
2015 Sharks Academy
Amateur team(s)
Years Team Apps (Points)
2014–2015 West Omaha ()
2015–2016 Glendale Raptors ()
2017 Austin Huns ()
Senior career
Years Team Apps (Points)
2016 Denver Stampede 9 (30)
2018 Austin Elite 6 (30)
2019 Glendale Raptors 5 (0)
2020–2021 Rugby United New York 16 (25)
2022 LA Giltinis 12 (40)
2023– Houston SaberCats 7 (5)
Correct as of 26 June 2023
International career
Years Team Apps (Points)
2011–2014 United States U19
2014–2016 United States U20 7 (50)
2016– USA Selects 8 (10)
2016– United States 26 (70)
Correct as of 3 October 2021

He previously played for Rugby United New York (RUNY) and the LA Giltinis in MLR.

Germishuys has also represented the United States at the international level with multiple age-grade sides and with the USA Selects.

Germishuys also previously played professionally for the Denver Stampede of PRO Rugby.

Early life

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Hanco Germishuys was born on August 24, 1996, in South Africa.[2] There, he began playing rugby at a young age and attended school in Newton.[3] Germishuys relocated to the United States with his father in 2004 and attended Westside High School in Omaha, Nebraska.[2] Germishuys played club rugby for West Omaha and was selected to a Nebraska All-Star team.[2] In late 2014, Germishuys joined the Gloucester Academy, scoring a try in his second appearance for the U18 squad.[4] In June 2015, Germishuys also spent four weeks with the Sharks Academy.[3] Germishuys joined the Glendale Raptors (since renamed the Glendale Merlins) midway through the 2015 season,[5] winning that season's Pacific Rugby Premiership championship.[6]

Club career

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Denver Stampede

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Ahead of PRO Rugby's inaugural season in 2016, Germishuys joined the Denver Stampede.[7] Germishuys made his debut with the Stampede on May 15, 2016, starting at flanker and scoring two tries, in Denver's 36–13 victory over Sacramento.[8] Germishuys scored six total tries for the Stampede across nine total appearances for the club.[9]

Austin Huns

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Germishuys joined the Austin Huns in January 2017.[10] Germishuys was named Most Valuable Player (equivalent to man of the match) in the Huns' 23–20 Division 1 national championship victory over the New York Athletic Club in June 2017.[11]

Austin Elite

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Prior to the inaugural Major League Rugby season in 2018, Germishuys joined the Austin Elite in the newly formed league.[12] Germishuys made his debut for the Elite in the team's first regular season match on April 21, 2018, starting at flanker and scoring a try, in a 41–26 defeat to Glendale.[13][14] Over just five appearances for the Elite during the season,[15] Germishuys scored six total tries, putting him in a tie for tenth place among league leaders in individual scoring[16] and a tie for second place among league leaders in individual tries scored.[17] At season's end, Germishuys was named to the All-MLR First Team at flanker.[17]

International career

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USA High School All-Americans

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Germishuys was first named to the United States men's national under-19 team (High School All-Americans) at the age of 14[3] and was with the team for four years.[2]

USA Junior All-Americans

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In March 2014, it was announced that Germishuys had been selected to the roster of the United States men's national under-20 team (Junior All-Americans) for the 2014 IRB Junior World Rugby Trophy.[18] At the time, Germishuys and teammate Ben Cima were so young that they required waivers in order to be allowed to play in the tournament.[19] Germishuys also represented the Junior All-Americans in qualifying matches for the 2015 World Rugby Under 20 Trophy against Canada.[20] Germishuys played in both matches of the two-legged tie,[21][22] with the Junior All-Americans losing on an aggregate score of 65–29.[22] Germishuys played for the Junior All-Americans for a third consecutive year in 2016, leading the team as captain at the 2016 World Rugby Under 20 Trophy.[23] Germishuys led the team with eight total tries, including at least one in each of the Junior All-American's four matches,[24] and was named Player of the Tournament.[25]

USA Selects

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Germishuys was first named to the USA Selects roster in advance of the 2016 Americas Pacific Challenge.[26] He has subsequently been named to the Selects' roster for the Americas Pacific Challenge in 2017[27] and 2018.[28]

USA Eagles

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Germishuys made his debut for the United States men's national team on February 27, 2016, coming on as a substitute, in the Eagles' 24–23 defeat to Brazil in the 2016 Americas Rugby Championship.[29] On February 10, 2018, against Canada in a 29–10 victory in the 2018 Americas Rugby Championship, Germishuys made his first start at flanker and scored his first try for the Eagles.[30] Since his debut in 2016, he has become a regular in the Eagles starting lineup and is known for his strength with the ball in hand and his strong tackling.[citation needed]

International tries

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As of 20 November 2021 [31]
Try Opposing team Location Venue Competition Date Result Score
1   Canada Sacramento, United States Papa Murphy's Park 2018 Americas Rugby Championship 10 February 2018 Win 29 – 10
2   Brazil São José dos Campos, Brazil Estádio Martins Pereira 2018 Americas Rugby Championship 24 February 2018 Win 16 – 45
3
4   Uruguay Montevideo, Uruguay Estadio Charrúa 2018 Americas Rugby Championship 3 March 2018 Win 19 – 61
5   Scotland Houston, United States BBVA Compass Stadium 2018 June rugby union tests 16 June 2018 Win 30 – 29
6   Samoa San Sebastián, Spain Anoeta Stadium 2018 end-of-year rugby union internationals 10 November 2018 Win 30 – 29
7   Chile Maipu, Chile Estadio Santiago Bueras 2019 Americas Rugby Championship 2 February 2019 Win 8 – 71
8   Brazil Round Rock, United States Dell Diamond 2019 Americas Rugby Championship 23 February 2019 Win 33 – 28
9   Japan Suva, Fiji ANZ National Stadium 2019 World Rugby Pacific Nations Cup 10 August 2019 Loss 20 – 34
10   England London, England Twickenham Stadium 2021 July rugby union tests 4 July 2021 Loss 43 – 29
11   Canada St. John's, Canada Swiler's Rugby Park 2023 Rugby World Cup – Americas qualification 4 September 2021 Loss 34 – 21
12   Canada Glendale, United States Infinity Park 2023 Rugby World Cup – Americas qualification 11 September 2021 Win 38 – 16
13
14

References

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  1. ^ "Hanco Germishuys". espn.co.uk. ESPN. Retrieved October 4, 2018.
  2. ^ a b c d "Hanco Germishuys". USA Rugby. Retrieved October 12, 2018.
  3. ^ a b c "Brian Nault and Hanco Germishuys Selected as the 2015 Graham Downes Rugby Scholarship Recipients". San Diego, California: United States Rugby Foundation. June 17, 2015. Retrieved October 12, 2018.
  4. ^ Goff, Alex (December 30, 2014). "Germishuys Makes Instant Impact At Gloucester". Goff Rugby Report. Retrieved October 12, 2018.
  5. ^ Goff, Alex (May 20, 2015). "Nault, Germishuys to Durban on Scholarship". Goff Rugby Report. Retrieved October 15, 2018.
  6. ^ "Raptors are 2015 PRP Champs". Colorado Community Media. Glendale, Colorado. May 18, 2015. Retrieved October 12, 2018.
  7. ^ "Ngwenya in PRO Rugby roster reveal". Americas Rugby News. March 16, 2016. Retrieved October 12, 2018.
  8. ^ "Denver leave Sacramento with win". Americas Rugby News. May 15, 2016. Retrieved October 12, 2018.
  9. ^ "PRO Rugby 2016 – By the Numbers". Americas Rugby News. August 18, 2016. Retrieved October 12, 2018.
  10. ^ "Austin Huns Sign 3 High Caliber Rugby Players including a USA Eagle". Austin Huns. January 20, 2017. Retrieved October 12, 2018.
  11. ^ Lyttle, Kevin (June 4, 2017). "Austin Huns grab club's 1st U.S. rugby championship". Austin American-Statesman. Retrieved October 12, 2018.
  12. ^ Lyttle, Kevin (May 4, 2018). "Major League Rugby, Elite bring their show to Round Rock". Austin American-Statesman. Retrieved October 15, 2018.
  13. ^ Lyttle, Kevin (April 22, 2018). "Austin Elite drop rough, raw Major League Rugby opener". Austin American-Statesman. Retrieved October 15, 2018.
  14. ^ "Glendale wins battle over Austin". Americas Rugby News. April 22, 2018. Retrieved October 15, 2018.
  15. ^ "2018 Major League Rugby Dream Team". Americas Rugby News. July 12, 2018. Retrieved October 15, 2018.
  16. ^ "2018 Major League Rugby". Americas Rugby News. Retrieved October 15, 2018.
  17. ^ a b "Major League Rugby Announces First and Second All-MLR Teams". Major League Rugby. July 3, 2018. Retrieved October 15, 2018.
  18. ^ Wise, Chad (March 13, 2014). "AIG MJAA squad announced for IRB Junior World Rugby Trophy 2014". USA Rugby. Retrieved October 6, 2018.
  19. ^ Goff, Alex (February 17, 2016). "U20 Accomplishment Sets Up New Challenge". Goff Rugby Report. Retrieved October 6, 2018.
  20. ^ Wise, Chad (March 23, 2015). "Match-day squad selected for AIG MJAAs' first World Rugby U20 Trophy qualifier". USA Rugby. Retrieved October 6, 2018.
  21. ^ "All-Americans Fall To Canada In Leg One". This is American Rugby. March 23, 2015. Retrieved October 6, 2018.
  22. ^ a b "All-Americans Fall To Canada, Miss Out On JWRT". This is American Rugby. March 27, 2015. Retrieved October 6, 2018.
  23. ^ "U20s Named to Face Namibia". Goff Rugby Report. April 18, 2016. Retrieved October 6, 2018.
  24. ^ Goff, Alex (May 2, 2016). "USA U20s Win 5th in OT". Goff Rugby Report. Harare, Zimbabwe. Retrieved October 6, 2018.
  25. ^ "Germishuys named top U20 Trophy Player". Americas Rugby News. May 18, 2016. Retrieved October 6, 2018.
  26. ^ "USA Selects named for Pacific Challenge". Americas Rugby News. October 1, 2016. Retrieved October 12, 2018.
  27. ^ "USA Selects named for Americas Pacific Challenge". Americas Rugby News. September 20, 2017. Retrieved October 12, 2018.
  28. ^ "USA Selects named for Americas Pacific Challenge". Americas Rugby News. September 13, 2018. Retrieved September 20, 2018.
  29. ^ "Americas Rugby Championship - Sao Paulo, 27 February 2016, 20:00 local, 23:00 GMT". espn.co.uk. ESPN. Retrieved October 4, 2018.
  30. ^ "Americas Rugby Championship - Sacramento, 10 February 2018, 15:00 local, 23:00 GMT". espn.co.uk. ESPN. Retrieved October 4, 2018.
  31. ^ "HANCO GERMISHUYS". November 20, 2021.