Ockie Oosthuizen Bio, Wiki

Ockert Wessel “Ockie” Oosthuizen was born on April 1st, 1955 and died on December 4th, 2019 in Johannesburg, South Africa. He was a South African rugby player. He was capped nine times, scoring one try.

Ockie Oosthuizen Rugby career

Oosthuizen’s rugby career started in 1975 when he was 20 playing for Western Transvaal. He moved on to play for Northern Transvaal and was a member of the team that won the Currie Cup in 1981. The tenacious front-ranker captained Transvaal before his retirement.

He made his international debut against Ireland in 1981 and was part of the ill-fated 1981 South Africa rugby union tour of New Zealand during the famous “Meelblom Toer” in the same year. In all, he played nine Tests, with his final international coming against England at Ellis Park in 1984.

In 1985, Oosthuizen quit rugby as he was unhappy with the rugby administration at the time. Along with former Transvaal centre Dries Maritz, he tried to negotiate better financial advantages for their fellow players, which inevitably led to numerous clashes with the powers that be.

He later had to appear in front of disciplinary committee after allegations of receiving payment for playing from the Rand Afrikaanse Universiteit (Rand Afrikaans University, now the University of Johannesburg). Although he won the case after an appeal, he was never selected for Transvaal again. He then briefly served as chairman of the now-defunct Randburg RFC, before getting fed up with the politics of the game.

Ockie Oosthuizen Business Ventures

Following his retirement from rugby, he went on to become an extremely successful business career specialising in financial services, corporate event management, and winery. He served as executive director of Ocsan Investment Enterprises from 2009.

Ockie’s Oosthuizen Family Wines established the 5-star, award-winning Molenvliet Wine Estate, managed by his son, Ockie jnr. Molenvliet is an international award-winning wedding venue and home to the Annual White Celebration, a spectacular festive occasion.

Ockie Oosthuizen Wife

Oosthuizen was married to his wife, Susan and the two had been married for 41 years. Susan was his childhood sweetheart who he referred to affectionately as “Bouts.” Following Oosthuizen’s death, his wife said that he will always be remembered as a dignified and humble man who unfailingly put others before him.

“His emphasis and devotion to the importance of family, friends and togetherness made him a wonderful and proud father and family man”.

Susan played a very significant and actively supportive role as a business partner to her husband. Oosthuizen was privileged to be in the company of his deeply treasured wife, children and close friends at his bedside. Blessed to be able to say goodbye with dignity, Oosthuizen said: “I’ve played my last game, I’m retiring in peace”.

Ockie Oosthuizen Children

Oosthuizen is also survived by his three children. They are Ockie jnr, Mirinda, Karin and their partners Rudi snr and Melissa and two grandchildren, Rudi jnr and Gitte-Mari.

Ockie Oosthuizen Death & Cause

Oosthuizen died on Tuesday night December 4th, 2019 in Johannesburg, South Africa after courageously waging war against colon cancer. He was 64 years old.

Some of the Tributes that have poured in on social media are as follows:

Rip Ockie Oosthuizen one of the Boks on our 81 tour of NZ land and the states after a fight with the big C love to Susan and family!

— Rob Louw (@roblouw6) December 4, 2019

Ockie Oosthuizen sadly passed away this morning, “Mooi loop Ockie?”

— Kobus Wiese (@4KobusWiese) December 4, 2019