Ashwin Willemse, Date of Birth, Place of Birth
TweetAshwin Willemse
South African rugby union player
Date of Birth: 08-Sep-1981
Place of Birth: Caledon, Western Cape, South Africa
Profession: rugby union player
Nationality: South Africa
Zodiac Sign: Virgo 
About Ashwin Willemse
- Ashwin Willemse (born 8 September 1981 in Caledon, Cape Province) is a retired South African rugby union player.
- He played at wing for the national team, the Springboks. After winning an IRB Under-21 World Cup gold medal for South Africa in 2002, the hard-working wing set about gaining much needed Super 12 experience with the Cats (now called the Lions).
- Willemse's pace, speed and power contributed to him being selected for his test debut against Scotland and he did not look back.
- He was included in the South Africa 2003 Rugby World Cup squad and scored a spectacular solo try against Samoa.
- Willemse's achievements of 2003 were topped by scooping up the top three awards at the annual SA Rugby function - Player of the Year, Most Promising Player of the Year and Players' Player of the Year. Willemse was badly injured for most of the 2004-2006 seasons.
- However, he was selected for the Springbok squad during the 2007 international season and Tri nations, and was selected for the 2007 Rugby World Cup squad.
- He then signed a two-year contract with Biarritz Olympique, joining a host of other top Springboks choosing to continue their careers abroad after RWC 2007.
- [1] Willemse subsequently retired from international rugby stating "there are no controversial issues around my decision at all.
- I love the team, and the guys are exceptional.
- It was such a breath of fresh air being able to return to the Lions after some time overseas last year, and it has been so exciting.
- I have been able to play the best rugby of my career with the Lions, and I will miss each and every one of my teammates.
- The time, however, has come for me to move onto the next phase of my life".In 2012, Willemse launched the GreenSmile Foundation.
- It is dedicated to helping educate and create better opportunities for children from socio-economic hardships.In May 2018, Willemse walked off the set while providing live analysis for Supersport, as a result of conflicts with his co-presenters, Nick Mallett and Naas Botha.
- Willemse insinuated that his actions were a result of racism on the part of Mallett and Botha.
- These allegations were subsequently disproved by an independent enquiry into the incident.
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