Damian Willemse

ABOUT DAMIAN WILLEMSE

South African rugby union player who has played for the South Africa national team, the Stormers in the United Rugby Championship and Western Province in the Currie Cup. He has 310,000 followers on Instagram.

He played schoolboy rugby for Western Province against other South African school teams, and also internationally for the South African School squad. He debuted for the Stormers of the Super Rugby league only months after finishing school at Paul Roos Gymnasium, Stellenbosch.

He and his older brother Ramone Samuels were members of the Western Province squad that won the 2017 Currie Cup Premier Division. An environmental activist, he has a partnership with One Tree Planted in support of global reforestation to address climate change through nature-based solutions.

He was born in Strand, Western Cape. His older brother Ramone Christie Samuels also plays for the Stormers. Samuels' birth was registered under his mother's maiden name.

He and teammate Siya aq Kolisi serve as global ambassadors for Adidas' Run for the Oceans campaign.