The 33-year-old looseforward, who played 23 Tests for the Springboks between 2008 and 2015 – which included the British & Irish Lions Tour of 2009 and the 2011 Rugby World Cup – started his career at the Toyota Cheetahs, playing in the Vodacom Super Rugby and Currie Cup competitions, before joining the NTT Docomo Red Hurricanes in Japan, and then the Northampton Saints in England.
During his rewarding career, Brüssow racked up over 200 appearances in 11 years across top league competitions, scoring 39 tries in total. He made his Test debut at the end of 2008 as a replacement against England, and played his last Test in 2015 against Argentina.
He rose to prominence thanks to his world-class breakdown skills and high work-rate on the field, with these skills earning him a spot in the Springbok team for all three Tests against the British & Irish Lions and all the matches at the 2011 Rugby World Cup in New Zealand.
Brüssow represented the Springboks for the last time in 2015, featuring in Tests against the All Blacks and Argentina. He also played for the SA Schools and Blitzboks sides. In 2009, he was named SA Rugby's Young Player of the Year.
