Damian de Allende

Damian de Allende (born 25 November 1991) is a South African professional rugby union player who currently plays for the South Africa national team and Japanese club Saitama Wild Knights. His usual position is either centre or wing. He was a member of the Springboks team that won a third Rugby World Cup in 2019^[4] and again that won a fourth Rugby World Cup in 2023. De Allende is a part of a few elite players to have won two world cup titles.

Damian de Allende

de Allende playing in 2023
Date of birth	(1991-11-25) 25 November 1991 (age 33)
Place of birth	Cape Town, South Africa
Height	1.89 m (6 ft 2 in)[1]
Weight	101 kg (15.9 st; 223 lb)[1]
School	Milnerton High School
University	University of Cape Town
Rugby union career
Position(s) Centre, Wing Youth career 2010–2012 Western Province Amateur team(s) Years Team Apps (Points) 2012 UCT Ikey Tigers 6 (5) Senior career Years Team Apps (Points) 2012–2018 Western Province 27 (30) 2013–2019 Stormers 91 (75) 2015–2017 Hanazono Kintetsu Liners 4 (5) 2019–2020 Saitama Wild Knights 5 (10) 2020–2022 Munster 37 (25) 2022– Saitama Wild Knights 36 (50) Correct as of 3 March 2025 International career Years Team Apps (Points) 2014– South Africa 88 (55) 2015 Springboks[a] 1 (10) 2021– South Africa A 2 (0) Correct as of 1 September 2024
Medal record Men's Rugby union Representing  South Africa Rugby World Cup 2015 England Squad 2019 Japan Squad 2023 France Squad

Club career

Damian Allende made his first team debut for Western Province during the 2012 Vodacom Cup, in their game against Pampas XV.^[5] He made a total of three appearances in that campaign, scoring one try. He was then also included in the squad for the 2012 Currie Cup Premier Division.

In August 2013, he signed a two-year contract that kept him at Western Province and the Stormers until 2015.^[6] He further extended his contract with the Stormers in July 2017 which saw him remain until the end of the 2019 season.^[7] De Allende represented the Ikey Tigers in the 2012 Varsity Cup.^[8]

After the 2019 Rugby World Cup, where de Allende was a member of the victorious South African team, he joined Japanese Top League side Saitama Wild Knights. De Allende joined Irish United Rugby Championship side Munster, whose head coach was former Springboks forwards coach Johann van Graan. Though de Allende's two-year contract didn't officially commence until 1 July 2020, he arrived in Ireland in May 2020 after the cancellation of the remainder of the 2019–20 Top League and completed two weeks of isolation due to the COVID-19 pandemic.^[9][10]

De Allende made his debut for Munster in their 27–25 defeat against Leinster on 22 August 2020,^[11] and scored his first try for the province in their 52–3 win against Italian side Zebre in round 8 of the 2020–21 Pro14 on 30 November 2020.^[12] He made his Champions Cup debut for the province in their opening fixture of the 2020–21 competition against English side Harlequins on 13 December 2020, starting in Munster's 21–7 home win.^[13] De Allende was named in the 2020–21 Pro14 Dream Team in his first season with Munster.^[14]

De Allende left Munster at the end of the 2021–22 season,.^[15] and returned to Japan to rejoin League One club Saitama Wild Knights, for whom de Allende had previously played for during 2019–20.^[16]

International career

In May 2014, De Allende was one of eight uncapped players that were called up to a Springbok training camp prior to the 2014 mid-year rugby union tests.^[17] He was subsequently named in the final squad,^[18] but suffered a medial knee ligament injury and had to withdraw from the squad.^[19]

However, he was once again selected in the Springboks' next squad for the 2014 Rugby Championship^[20] and was named in the starting line-up for their opening match of this competition against Argentina in Pretoria.^[21]

In 2015, he was selected in the starting XV of a South African side against the World XV for a game held on 11 July 2015.^[22] He scored two tries in the game, earning praise from the World XV and former Australia coach Robbie Deans, who commented that "Damian has been playing remarkable rugby the whole year and he keeps doing the right things. He can add a new dimension to the Boks".^[23]

Having only been on the field for 13 minutes, De Allende was controversially red-carded in the 75th minute of New Zealand's 25–24 win against South Africa on 8 October 2017 for a late hit on first-five Lima Sopoaga, intending to charge down Sopoaga's attempted drop goal. De Allende was not suspended, as SANZAAR stated he should not have received red for the attempted charge down.^[24][25]

De Allende was named in South Africa's squad for the 2019 Rugby World Cup.^[26] South Africa went on to win the tournament, defeating England in the final.^[4] De Allende started in all three tests for South Africa during the 2021 British & Irish Lions tour to South Africa, earning his 50th cap for the Springboks during their third test victory that sealed a series win for the home team,^{[27][28][29][30]} and garnering widespread praise for his performances during the series.^[31][32]

Statistics

Super Rugby statistics

As of 23 August 2021^[33]

Season	Team	Games	Starts	Sub	Mins	Tries	Cons	Pens	Drops	Points	Yel	Red
2013	Stormers	14	8	6	737	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
2014	Stormers	14	14	0	1,109	4	0	0	0	20	0	0
2015	Stormers	16	16	0	1,171	4	0	0	0	20	0	0
2016	Stormers	11	9	2	785	2	0	0	0	10	0	0
2017	Stormers	6	5	1	382	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
2018	Stormers	16	16	0	1,238	3	0	0	0	15	1	0
2019	Stormers	14	13	1	1,026	2	0	0	0	10	0	0
Total		91	81	10	6,523	15	0	0	0	75	1	0

Springboks test match record

Against	Played	Won	Lost	Drawn	Tries	Points	% Won
Argentina	14	12	2	0	2	10	85.71
Australia	8	2	5	1	1	5	25
British and Irish Lions	3	2	1	0	0	0	66.67
Canada	1	1	0	0	1	5	100
England	8	5	3	0	0	0	62.5
France	3	2	1	0	1	5	66.67
Ireland	8	3	5	0	1	5	37.5
Italy	3	2	1	0	1	5	66.67
Japan	2	2	0	0	0	0	100
Namibia	1	1	0	0	0	0	100
New Zealand	18	6	11	1	2	10	33.33
Samoa	1	1	0	0	0	0	100
Scotland	4	4	0	0	0	0	100
United States	1	1	0	0	1	5	100
Wales	9	7	2	0	1	5	77.78
Total	84	51	31	2	11	55	60.71

Correct as of 16 September 2024^[34]

Notes

1. In addition to playing in test matches, De Allende featured in a match against a World XV in Cape Town in July 2015.^[2] This match has an equivalent status to international tour matches, but was played on home soil.^[3]