Manie Libbok

Manie Libbok

Libbok in 2022
Full name	Immanuel Libbok
Date of birth	(1997-07-15) 15 July 1997 (age 27)
Place of birth	Humansdorp, South Africa
Height	1.82 m (5 ft 11+1⁄2 in)[1]
Weight	76 kg (12 st 0 lb; 168 lb)[1]
School	HTS Daniël Pienaar, Uitenhage Hoërskool Outeniqua, George
Rugby union career
Position(s) Fly-Half/Fullback Current team Stormers / Western Province Youth career 2013 Eastern Province Kings 2014–2015 SWD Eagles 2016–2018 Blue Bulls Senior career Years Team Apps (Points) 2016–2018 Blue Bulls XV 7 (17) 2016–2019 Blue Bulls 16 (129) 2018–2020 Bulls 35 (67) 2020–2021 Sharks 11 (18) 2020–2021 Sharks (Currie Cup) 7 (0) 2021– Stormers 61 (570) Correct as of 1 November 2023 International career Years Team Apps (Points) 2015 South Africa Schools 2 (0) 2016–2017 South Africa Under-20 10 (42) 2022– South Africa 16 (91) Correct as of 1 November 2023
Medal record Men's Rugby union Representing  South Africa Rugby World Cup 2023 France Squad

Immanuel Libbok (born 15 July 1997) is a South African professional rugby union player. He plays internationally for the Springboks, as well as for the Stormers in United Rugby Championship and Western Province in the Currie Cup.^[2]

Libbok was born in Humansdorp. He attended HTS Daniël Pienaar in Uitenhage, and earned his first provincial selection in 2013, representing Eastern Province at the Under-16 Grant Khomo Week, scoring tries in matches against the Blue Bulls^[3] and the Golden Lions.^[4]

Libbok moved to George for 2014, where he attended Hoërskool Outeniqua. He represented the George-based SWD Eagles at the premier South African high schools rugby union tournament, the Under-18 Craven Week, in both 2014 and 2015. In the first match at the 2015 tournament held in Stellenbosch, Libbok scored two tries, four conversions and one penalty for a personal points haul of 21 points in his side's 31–41 defeat to former side Eastern Province.^[5] He followed this up with a try and four conversions against the Golden Lions^[6] and a third try and two conversions against KwaZulu-Natal in their final match.^[7] He scored a total of 43 points in three matches, making him the top scorer at the competition,^[8] while his four tries were the joint-second most in the competition, one behind Western Province's Nico Leonard.^[9]

At the conclusion of the tournament, Libbok was included in a South Africa Schools team that played in the 2015 Under-18 International Series on home soil against their counterparts from Wales, France and England. He started on the left wing in their 42–11 victory over Wales in their first match,^[10] but dropped to the bench for match against France, not getting any game time in their 12–5 victory.^[11] He returned to the starting line-up for their final match against England, helping them to a 23–16 victory to finish the series with a 100% record.^[12]

After high school, Libbok moved to Pretoria to join the Blue Bulls academy. In March 2016, he was included in a South Africa Under-20 training squad,^[13] and made the cut to be named in a reduced provisional squad a week later.^[14]

Libbok was also named in the Blue Bulls squad for the 2016 Currie Cup qualification series and he made his first class debut on 8 April 2016, starting as a fullback in their 16–30 defeat to Western Province in Round One of the competition.^[15] He also started their match against a Free State XV a week later, scoring his first senior points by slotting a penalty in the 15th minute of the match, and scoring his first try in the final ten minutes which proved decisive as the Blue Bulls won the match 20–17.^[16] He also started their next match against Gauteng rivals the Golden Lions^[17] and played off the bench in their defeat to the Eastern Province Kings in Port Elizabeth.^[18]

On 10 May 2016, Libbok was included in the final South Africa Under-20 squad for the 2016 World Rugby Under 20 Championship tournament to be held in Manchester in England.^[19] He started their opening match in Pool C of the tournament in the fly-half position, scoring a try as South Africa came from behind to beat Japan 59–19.^[20] He switched positions with fullback Curwin Bosch for their second pool match, a 13–19 defeat to Argentina,^[21] but reverted to fly-half as South Africa bounced back to secure a 40-31 bonus-point victory over France in their final pool match, with Libbok scoring his second try of the competition just after the hour mark.^[22] The result meant South Africa secured a semi-final place as the best runner-up in the competition, and Libbok started their semi-final match as they faced three-time champions England. The hosts proved too strong for South Africa, knocking them out of the competition with a 39–17 victory,^[23] and they also lost the third-place play-off match against Argentina, with the South American side beating South Africa for the second time in the tournament, convincingly winning 49–19^[24] to condemn South Africa to fourth place in the competition. Libbok scored his third try of the competition in the defeat, to finish the competition with three tries, the joint-most by a South African player with Zain Davids and Edwill van der Merwe.^[25]

Libbok returned to domestic action for the Blue Bulls U19 team in the 2016 Under-19 Provincial Championship. He made seven starts in the competition, scoring three tries during the season – one against Leopards U19^[26] and two against Eastern Province U19^[27] – as well as 35 points with the boot through 16 conversions and one penalty. He finished the competition as the Blue Bulls' second-highest points scorer,^[28] and helped them to second place on the log^[29] to secure a semi-final spot, at which stage they lost to Golden Lions U19.^[30] He also made a single start for the Blue Bulls U21 team in the 2016 Under-21 Provincial Championship, scoring a try in a 52–38 victory over Leopards U21.^[31]

In November 2016, he was named in the Bulls Super Rugby team's extended training squad during the team's preparations for the 2017 Super Rugby season.^[32]

In October 2022, he was included in the squad for the Springboks' year-end tour.^[33]

As of 28 September 2024

Opponent	P	W	D	L	Try	Pts	%Won
Argentina	4	3	0	0	1	29	75
Australia	2	2	0	0	0	9	100
England	2	2	0	0	0	3	100
France	2	1	0	1	0	4	50
Ireland	1	0	0	1	0	3	0
Italy	1	1	0	0	0	10	100
New Zealand	2	1	0	1	0	10	50
Portugal	1	1	0	0	0	4	100
Scotland	1	1	0	0	0	6	100
Tonga	1	1	0	0	0	6	100
Wales	1	1	0	0	0	10	100
Total	18	14	0	3	1	94	77.78

As of 6 August 2023

Try	Opposing team	Location	Venue	Competition	Date	Result	Score
1	Argentina	Johannesburg, South Africa	Ellis Park Stadium	2023 Rugby Championship	29 July 2023	Win	22–21

• Manie Libbok at ESPNscrum
• Manie Libbok at ItsRugby.co.uk

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