The Springboks unforgettably won the Rugby World Cup for the first time in 1995 thanks in part to one of heroes of the day, flyhalf Joel Stransky.
The final will of course be remembered for a host of different reasons, but one of the most iconic moments was his famous match-winning drop goal in extra-time against the All Blacks at Ellis Park.
Stransky also wrote his name in the history books in the opening match of the 1995 World Cup when he became the first Springbok to score all four possible ways in a Test as he scored a try, a conversion, four penalties and a drop goal to guide South Africa to a 27-18 win over defending champions, Australia.
His heroics at the 1995 World Cup – and particularly in the final – is undoubtedly the central highlight of a career that saw Stransky rack up 240 points in 22 Tests.
Stransky turns 58 today, Tuesday, 16 July.
Joel Stransky factfile
| Full names: Joel Theodore Stransky |
| Date of birth: 16 July 1967 |
| Place of birth: Johannesburg |
| Schools: Maritzburg College Rondebosch |
| Springbok: #592 |
| Physical: 1.77m, 85.7kg |
| Test summary: Tests: 22 Tries: 6 |
| First Test: 31 July 1993 – Flyhalf against Australia at Sydney Football Stadium, Sydney |
| Last Test: 31 August 1996 – Reserve against New Zealand at Ellis Park, Johannesburg |
WHAT IS JOEL STRANSKY DOING NOW?
After briefly dabbling in some coaching after retirement, Stransky successfully moved into the corporate world, which included roles with Altech Netstar, Hertz SA and the Pivotal Group.
He is also currently an owner at Paperlogic Hygiene, a company focused on the manufacturing and distribution of paper products and cleaning/hygiene solutions.
Besides having held executive positions in the technology, finance, and corporate sectors, he is also well known as a regular analyst and commentator on SuperSport.
Stransky also occasionally serves as a motivational speaker on leadership, performance, and mental resilience.
According to LinkedIn: “Joel Stransky is a successful entrepreneur with firm roots in marketing. With over 10 years’ experience in senior management in the corporate world, he co-founded Pivotal in 2012. Joel spearheaded growth strategies for the Pivotal group of companies, a sustainable group of synergistic businesses that are game changers in their respective fields.
“After a successful rugby career, Joel’s business acumen and natural leadership ability led him into the corporate sports marketing world, where he became an Executive Director at Megapro, South Africa’s leading sports marketing company. Joel looked after the commercial affairs of the South African Rugby Union, headed up hospitality at the 2003 Cricket World Cup and consulted to the Bid Book that won the rights to the 2010 FIFA Football World Cup.
“He quickly gained a strong reputation and joined Altech Netstar as Director of Sales and Marketing, which saw the company grow significantly, promoting Joel to the role of Altech Netstar Group Managing Director. This results-driven initiative piqued the interest of the Steinhoff Group, where he took up a management position and then became responsible for the turnaround strategy for Hertz Rent-a-Car group.
“Joel’s entrepreneurial nature and drive prompted his departure from the corporate world. As a Director at Pivotal Capital/Group, he has played a major role in the successfully growing of the group which now includes seven companies that are leaders in their respective fields.”
Where were you that day Joel Stransky won the 1995 Rugby World Cup for SA?
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