It was seven minutes into Sale Sharks’ 38-0 hammering of Bristol when, as Rob du Preez lined up a conversion, a graphic showed he’d made history. 64 consecutive starts in one of the most brutal, physically challenging sports, four clear of his former Sale captain Jono Ross. 64 games of unwavering fitness, quality, and, in 46 of them, winning.
It’s an astounding statistic, encapsulating a run, which doesn’t include the 20 European games he has started (missing just two), that dates all the way back to January 1st 2022 when Rob du Preez lined up at outside centre against Wasps.
Not even announced during the game he broke the record against Bath months earlier, the achievement slipped under the radar, much like du Preez does as one of the Premiership’s finest, and one of few players ever to play both fly half and outside centre at an elite level. Now at 71 consecutive starts, few could’ve imagined du Preez would reach such heights when he joined Sale permanently in 2019, after fellow South African Faf de Klerk convinced the club to sign him on loan the season before.
“I wasn’t aware of it”, says du Preez. “I knew Jono had the most, and I had an idea that I’d played a lot in a row, just not the exact number. Jono messaged me to congratulate me, so it’s nice taking the record from an old teammate and friend.”
Naturally, du Preez’s consistent fitness is to be marvelled, as is his consistent quality that ensures he’s Director of Rugby Alex Sanderson’s “first name on the team sheet”. Pertinently, it’s no coincidence that the run started with du Preez playing centre, having previously played all but 12 of his professional games at fly half in a career that began in 2014.
Change in position
Du Preez’s move to 13 was the initial brainchild of Steve Diamond, with the South African lining up there four times the season before Alex Sanderson’s arrival. The first time, however, that Sanderson named him at 13 was the also the first game of the record-breaking run, a change which required an element of patience given its unfamiliarity.
“It was a conversation with Eddie Jones three years ago that inspired it,” recalls Sanderson. “Eddie did some work with him when Rob helped out in the 2019 World Cup, and because of his foot speed, skills, communication, and the way the game was going with second receivers attacking the line with the run, kick, pass triple threat, it was a good idea.
“With George Ford’s arrival [in July 2022], and before that AJ MacGinty, it was about getting the best players on the field, and we had to play him through a series of games at 13 where we lost a couple just to get the cohesion. So we had a bit of a teething period at first, but through that we’ve got an understanding.”
Sale won that first game with du Preez at 13, but would go on to lose six of the next 18. In that bedding in period, it was especially important for du Preez to play well given who he was replacing.
“I’m grateful for the coaches sticking it through,” says du Preez, “so my job is to not give them a reason to not pick me. The spot’s not mine, I have to earn it every week and I hate losing. I kind of moved my best mate, Sam James, out of the position, and that was a big driver for me – I didn’t want to take his spot and not be as good as he was.
“I saw it as very similar to fly half with the ball. Then when I’m at 10 I tend to find myself on edges anyway on defence, because I like to defend aggressively and get high.”
Consistent quality
Having established himself as Premiership-quality at 13, du Preez has had to split his time across both positions over the 71-match run owing to Ford’s injuries and international absences. His form has remained consistent though, with the now 31-year-old leading Sale to a Premiership final at 10 in 2023, and a semi-final at 13 in 2024.
“It’s not about keeping faith in Rob,” says Sharks kicking coach Warren Spragg, “he’s always been exceptional. The big thing has been developing his combination with Fordy, because he’s got the physical attributes to play wherever he wants.”
“Having played mostly at 10, I know what I demand from my centres”, says du Preez. “So now I know what Fordy would like in terms of communication, and I like to think I can deliver. Together we do a lot of analysis”.
Owing to his varied skillset and natural ability, the attacking aspect of the game was never too much in doubt. The big differences come defensively, with 13 renowned as the toughest place to defend on a rugby pitch. It’s where you get a gauge of how much work du Preez has put in to string so many starts together.
“Most of my defensive work and conversation is weekly with Byron McGuigan. It always has been, because I loved the way he defended when he played. He’s very passionate about the game and brings a different level of detail, he’s always open and honest with me.
“Myself, Fordy, Tom Curtis, and the nines are probably the last off the field doing extras after training. It’s kicking mostly, but it can also be a defensive or attacking thing where I grab a coach and do some ‘sharpeners’.”
“He doesn’t care where he plays, as long as he plays”
There’s an intrinsic, unwritten contract for players at any level of rugby that come game day, your body will be feeling somewhere below 100%. The willingness to play through that pain is a key tenet in du Preez’s record and is the first thing Sanderson mentions when asked about the South African, who is just one of nine current players to remain in the senior setup since Sanderson took over in January 2021.
“He’s robust, dependable, and always up for the fight”, says Sanderson. “Players end up taking a dip or coming to you and saying ‘I’m a bit tired here’, needing a break. That’s never even a question for Rob, he doesn’t care where he plays, as long as he plays.”
That commitment has seen du Preez play through two broken thumbs – one of which he didn’t realise was broken, and the other coming in the 2024 semi-final defeat to Bath. Beyond that, he has stayed largely injury free, citing the lessons he learned from aggravating a knee injury in 2016 for knowing when to let something recover.
It speaks to his quality that he’s escaped anything major across the 40 month streak, especially given his unquestionable physicality on the pitch, evident in the resolute carrying that helped him score a second try against Leicester on Friday. Across the Premiership season, he’s made 105 tackles at an 81% success rate.
“Jono’s record is probably more impressive,” says du Preez. “He was putting his head in some dark places. I wouldn’t shirk those things, I still get stuck in and cover loads more metres, he banged hard, so it’s very impressive from a forward’s point of view.”
No secret sauce
Over rugby’s 30-year history, there are occasional stories of players who go above and beyond to keep their bodies right. Jonny May’s rigorous stretching routines come to mind, or Bevan Rodd’s daily hyperbaric chamber habit more recently. You’d be wrong, however, to assume du Preez is one of those given his remarkable run of fitness.
“There’s no secret sauce. I think I break all the moulds of sport science in terms of my gym-work and diet,” says du Preez, as he tucks into a salmon and lettuce bagel. “I’ve got no idea what it is. I do what needs to be done, if there’s something that feels tight, I’ll do extras, but sometimes less is more.
“Everyone’s got their different approaches, and I’d say mine’s a little more laid back. I’m always intense on the field, but off the field I’m calm. My brothers, especially Dan, guys like Fordy stretch every day, although Jono was similar in terms of gym work.
That’s not to say du Preez doesn’t put the hours in – “I’m never skipping team things” – but he knows his body well and has been putting in the same hours as he was in his mid-twenties at a level of consistency which translates to the pitch.
It’s a body that has forever been accustomed to the rigours of rugby, dating back to his upbringing with his younger brothers, the behemoth twins Dan and Jean-Luc.
“He never trains poorly,” says Sanderson, counteracting du Preez’s humility. “He’s an ultimate pro in his application to training, and I’m sure that it continues with his rest and recovery.
“It’s cliché, but the best ability is availability,” says Spragg, “and Rob’s out there every session, leading from the front. This afternoon we’ll be doing a kick chase session, and it can be pretty dull, but Rob will fly around with 100% energy, barking orders at people.
“Rob’s tough, genuinely tough. Imagine growing up with Dan and JL as your two little brothers! There’s a mental and physical robustness that’s just within him. If you’re a du Preez, then you’re a different animal.”
