Read about Damian Willemse net worth, age, wife, children, height, family, parents, salary, and rugby career as well as other information you need to know.
Introduction
Damian Willemse is a South African rugby union player for the South African national team and the Stormers in the United Rugby Championship and Western Province in the Currie Cup. His regular position is fullback, but he can also play as a fly-half, winger, or inside center.
Early life
Name | Damian Willemse |
Net Worth | $5 million |
Occupation | Rugby player |
Age | 25 years |
Height | 1.87m |
Damian Willemse was born on M ay 7, 1998 (age 25 years) in Strand, South Africa. He is the son of South African parents. Willemse is the younger brother of Ramone Samuels, also a professional rugby union player. Both brothers were members of the Western Province squad that won the 2017 Currie Cup Premier Division.
Willemse grew up in Strand, Western Cape a resort and working-class town on the outskirts of Cape Town, noted for its white sandy beaches. Strand was negatively affected by apartheid’s spatial planning, which targeted and displaced the areas of black, mixed race, Cape Coloured, and Cape Malay communities, leading to precarious housing conditions and high unemployment.
As a result, like other low-income areas of greater Cape Town such as the Cape Flats and parts of Helderberg, Strand is increasingly affected by crime, drug use, and gangsterism. In response, Willemse has taken a strong interest in environmentalism and social advocacy, working to lead clean-up efforts on Strand Beach and to plant over 500 trees in the local community.
Career
Damian Willemse attended and played rugby for Paul Roos Gymnasium in nearby Stellenbosch. In 2014, he was selected to represent Western Province at the Under-16 Grant Khomo Week held in Pretoria. He started all three of their matches, helping them to three victories, scoring a try in the final match of the tournament, a 26–11 win over hosts the Blue Bulls.
Willemse was selected in 2015 in the Western Province squad for South Africa’s premier high school rugby tournament, the Under-18 Craven Week. He started all three of their matches in the tournament held in Stellenbosch, scoring tries in a 65–5 victory over the Griffons and in the unofficial final, helping his team to a 95–0 victory over Eastern Province.
After the tournament, he was included in the South Africa Schools squad for the Under-18 International Series, involving their counterparts from Wales, France, and England. He came on as a replacement in their 42–11 victory over Wales, before starting their 12–5 win over France. He was named on the bench for their final match against England but remained unused as the hosts completed a whitewash in the competition, winning 23–16.
The year 2016 again saw Willemse selected for the Western Province Craven Week side for the tournament in Durban and he again started all three of their matches. He scored two tries in their first match against Boland and helped the team to a 27–20 victory in the final match against the Golden Lions. He earned a second call-up to the South African Schools team, this time starting all three of their matches in the fly-half position. South Africa beat Wales in their first match and Willemse scored a try in their match against the France Under-19s in a 42–3 win. South Africa again completed a clean sweep, beating England 13–12 in their final match.
After Willemse’s international involvement, Willemse also appeared for the Western Province U19 team in the 2016 Under-19 Provincial Championship. He appeared as a replacement in three of their final four matches of the regular season, scoring a try on his debut at this level against the Sharks U19s and kicking conversions in matches against the Leopards U19s and the Blue Bulls U19s in the other two, to help Western Province finish top of the log to qualify for the playoffs.
He was promoted to the starting line-up for their 30–15 victory over Free State U19 in the semi-finals and also started the final, where his team lost 19–60 to the Golden Lions U19s. Only months after finishing school, Willemse was included in the Stormers squad for the 2017 Super Rugby season. He was included in a matchday squad for their Round Three match against the Southern Kings on 4 March, and he made his Super Rugby debut – aged just 18 years, 301 days – by coming on for the final four minutes of the match.
Damian Willemse made his international debut for South Africa in the 2018 Rugby Championship against Argentina at Kings Park Stadium in a 34–21 victory, coming off of the bench and substituting André Esterhuizen. He was not initially named in South Africa’s squad for the 2019 Rugby World Cup. However, he was called up to replace the injured Jesse Kriel in the pool stage. He also scored his first test try against Canada. South Africa went on to win the tournament, defeating England in the final.
By partnering with the non-profit, One Tree Planted and sponsors such as Vida e Caffe and Adidas, Damian Willemse has worked to make an environmental and social impact in South Africa, while also supporting the global reforestation movement to address climate change through nature-based solutions. Willemse, along with teammate, Siya Kolisi, is also a global ambassador for Adidas’ Run for the Oceans campaign.
Wife
Is Damian Willemse married? Damian Willemse is currently in a relationship with girlfriend Mia du Toit, who is an accounting student. The two haven’t shared their wedding plans with the public. However, Willemse has been described as an unusual athlete, with many interests and ambitions beyond rugby.
Damian Willemse net worth
How much is Damian Willemse worth? Damian Willemse’s net worth is estimated at around $5 million. His main source of income is from his primary work as a Rugby player. Damian Willemse’s salary per month and other career earnings are over $368,000 dollars annually. His remarkable achievements have earned him some luxurious lifestyles and some fancy car trips. He is one of the richest and most influential Rugby players in South Africa. He stands at an appealing height of 1.87m and has a good body weight which suits his personality.