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Former Wallabies, rugby world unites in sadness as tributes flood in for Dan Vickerman

AN emotional Jeremy Paul has led the tributes to his former Wallabies teammate Dan Vickerman as the rugby world reacts to the 37-year-old’s devastating death.

Staff writers
3 min read
February 20, 2017 - 9:48AM
Dan Vickerman in 2011.
Dan Vickerman in 2011.

AN emotional Jeremy Paul has led the tributes to his former Wallabies teammate Dan Vickerman as the rugby world reacts to the 37-year-old’s devastating death.

Paul was one of many to pause to reflect on the impact Vickerman had on and off the field, after news emerged of the lock’s shock death on Saturday night.

Vickerman started his Super Rugby career alongside Paul, with the pair also suiting up together in Wallaby gold for a period of about five years.

Speaking to Fox Sports News 500 on Sunday afternoon, Paul remembered fondly their time together both on and off the field.

“He’s going to be sorely missed, and at 37 years of age it’s just really shocking and it’s pretty hard to take in actually,” Paul said.

“He was one of those great characters and you could always count on Vick saying something really dry with his humour because that’s just the kind of guy that he was.”

Paul was joined by 124-game Wallaby Phil Waugh in sharing his memories about Vickerman.

“We all have huge admiration for the guy that he was,” Waugh told Fairfax Media.

“He was one of those players when you’re standing next to him in the change room and he’s running out next to you, you had so much confidence.

“He’s a guy that necessarily wasn’t the loudest in the team, but had the most respect from everyone playing with him. There’s so many positive memories of him on and off the field.

“He was an uncompromising competitor. Nothing came easy to him and he worked hard for what he got out of the game. He was a very good friend of mine and we caught up frequently and it’s a huge loss to all of us.

“Everyone’s deeply shocked and saddened by it. It’s just a terrible, terrible tragedy that has rocked everyone.”

After moving to Australia from his birth country of South Africa, Vickerman made a name for himself as a fierce, tenacious competitor as he rose the ranks of a powerful Brumbies side before establishing himself as one of the world’s best locks in the early and mid 2000s.

Paul describes him as “a guy who would go into the trenches with you”.

“He was six foot eight and he was such an angry guy on the field and as a teammate that’s what you wanted,” Paul said.

“You wanted a guy who would go into the trenches with you and he always played consistently well, Dan.

“He always strived to be as good as he possibly could and he came through in the Eddie Jones mould.

Dan Vickerman applauds the crowd after a quarter final win at the 2007 World Cup.
Dan Vickerman applauds the crowd after a quarter final win at the 2007 World Cup.

“I remember back in the early days, Eddie used to ride him, oh god he used to give it to Dan. Dan took it on and he turned into a Wallaby and a great Wallaby.”

Vickerman’s competitive spirit also features strongly in former Wallabies fullback Matt Burke’s recollections.

“Very abrasive as a player but a good bloke, though,” Burke told Fairfax Media.

“Great lad, great tourist, a very good player who came across from South Africa as a young bloke, played Waratahs, played Brumbies, played Wallabies. He could really play and was just one of the good lads that you enjoyed his company.”

Few Test rugby players tangled with Vickerman as often as Springboks great Victor Matfield who tweeted with sadness his reaction to the news:

Vickerman won 63 caps for the Wallabies and was an integral member of two World Cup squads.

He was forced to prematurely retire in 2012 due to persistent problems with stress fractures in his right leg.

Vickerman had remained involved in the game as part of the Sydney Rugby Business Network and helping at Sydney University Rugby club until last year.

MORE TRIBUTES TO VICKERMAN

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Originally published as Former Wallabies, rugby world unites in sadness as tributes flood in for Dan Vickerman

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Original URL: https://www.heraldsun.com.au/sport/rugby/former-wallaby-jeremy-paul-pays-tribute-to-teammate-dan-vickerman-after-shock-death/news-story/e0f8a4a53c95f72ed8a579fc9500119f