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Van den Berg leaves the Sharks
Monday, February 08
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Albert van den Berg’s contract with the Sharks has come to an end and the experienced Springbok will leave the Durban to take up a contract with the CANON side in Japan. Van den Berg's contract with the Sharks came to an end in 2009.
He has had an outstanding career with The Sharks, during which time he has accumulated a huge fan base amongst the supporters for his exceptional line out play, both on his own ball and in disrupting opposition throw-ins. He is an athletic lock who is equally able both in the tight & loose phases of the game, having scored his fair share of tries.
He has achieved an incredible milestone in his rugby career, becoming the most capped Sharks players with a combined tally of 171 caps, joining a select, elite group of players. This has now given him the edge over Hugh Reece-Edwards and Steve Atherton, who have both held the record on 165 caps since 1995 and 1999 respectively.
He gets serious though and points out that “It was very special for me playing in my 171st game, in the semi-final of the Absa Currie Cup last year against the Cheetahs. It’s always something to aspire to, and players get judged by how many games they’ve played. There are a lot of legends out there and I am just happy to be part of that group."
Highlights in his career include being a member of the Springbok World Cup squad who won the trophy in 2007, winning the Tri-Nations in 2004, The Absa Currie Cup in 2008 and was the player that scored the try to put The Sharks in the lead, in the dying moments of fulltime, during that momentous clash against the Bulls in the 2007 Super 14 Final in Durban.
Sharks CEO, Brian van Zyl, “We would like to wish Albert and his family the very best for the future. His humble and calm manner has had a great influence on the players around him. On behalf of everyone at The Sharks, I want to thank him for his massive contribution to our rugby, our brand and province throughout his playing career.”
Stats
# Position: Lock Physical: 2.01m; 110kg
# Born: 26.01.74, Hoopstad
# Province Caps: 146 (15 Vaal Triangle, 55 Griquas, 76 Sharks)
# Province Debut: 1994 Vaal Triangle v Western Transvaal
# Super 14 Caps: 102 (95 Sharks, 7 Cats)
# Super 14 Debut: 1999 Cats v Highlanders
# Test Caps: 51
# Test Debut: 1999 v Italy
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- > Changes to Sharks pack
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- > Alberts gets Sharks start
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It still puzzles me as to how a guy like him managed to get 51 caps for the Springboks. I think if you were to actually assess all of those games he might have only played about 20 tests worth of rugby.