| Full name | Jozua Francois Malherbe |
| Date of birth | 14 March 1991 |
| Place of birth | Bredasdorp, South Africa |
| Gender | Male |
| Nationality | South African |
| Height | 190 cm |
| Weight | 143 kg |
| Education | Paarl Boy’s High School |
| Profession | Rugby player |
| Position | Tighthead prop |
| Team | Stormers, Spingbocks |
| Marital status | Married |
| Spouse | lngrid van Huyssteen |
| Social Media |
BRIEF BACKGROUND.
The professional Springbok rugby player Jozua Francois Malherbe was born on 14 March 1991 in Bredasdorp. He attended Paarl Boys’ High School in South Africa, where he captained the first rugby team and moulded his skills in sport. Malherbe weighs 143 kilograms, and he stands at a height of 190 centimeters. His body physique is one of the factors that favor his productivity in this position.
He is married to Ingrid van Huyssteen. The duo tied the knot on 4 February 2023, and they have three children. Ingrid van Huyssteen was born on 3 February 1994 in Swakopmund, Namibia. She is graduate from Stellenbosch University with a Bachelor of Arts in Humanities. The couple first crossed paths in 2015, and Frans proposed to Ingrid in July of 2022.
CAREER.
Malherbe debuted his senior club in 2011 but did not secure a regular spot on either team until 2012. He played in all of the Stormers’ Super Rugby 2012 matches and appeared in all except one Western Province’s Currie Cup Premier Division title games that year. He replaced an injured member of the South African national team during their 2012 tour of Australasia. In his first season, he led Province to a 25-18 triumph over the Sharks in Durban, and at the tender age of 21, he became the Currie Cup winner.
Malherbe continued to play a vital role as the Stormers’ starting tighthead in 2013. He played in eleven Super Rugby Sevens matches in 2013 before becoming hurt, which prevented him from playing in the rest of the season and the Currie Cup. In four substitute appearances during his late-season return, he helped Province reach their second consecutive Currie Cup final.
Malherbe has been a part of many South African squads since Heyneke Meyer was named head coach in 2012, but he has yet to appear for his country. He got a chance to make his test debut on November 9, 2013, in Cardiff, against Wales, due to an injury to Jannie du Plessis. He managed to keep his position and participated in Scotland’s match in Edinburgh the following week. However, he had to withdraw from the game due to an injury just before halftime, cutting short his tour.
Frans was part of the South Africa 2019 Rugby World Cup squad. Coming off the bench for the final Springbok pool match against Canada, he scored the team’s first Test try. After that, South Africa beat England in the final to claim the title.
SA Rugby’s Player of the Year, Frans Malherbe, is an unlikely but well-deserved winner, consistently performing well for both the DHL Stormers and the Springboks. He also played for South Africa in the 2023 Rugby World Cup.