ACHIEVEMENTS & MILESTONES
Discover the remarkable achievements of our featured athletes. From record-breaking performances to prestigious awards, each milestone tells a story of dedication and perseverance.
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Gallagher English Premiership Winner (Northampton Saints)
2024
POSITION:
Centre
CLUB TEAM:
Hanazono Kintetsu Liners (Japan)
HOMETOWN:
Krugersdorp
DOB:
April 15, 1993
CATEGORY:
Star
SPORTING CODE:
Rugby
Megiel “Burger” Odendaal’s rugby journey is a story of precocious talent, relentless leadership, and a nomadic professionalism that has carried him from the sunbaked fields of Monument High School to the floodlit stages of Super Rugby, the English Premiership, and now the rising sun of Japan League One.
Born on 15 April 1993 in Bloemfontein and raised in Krugersdorp, Odendaal first made his name at Monument High, the same school that produced Springbok great Jacques Fourie. A powerfully built inside centre with explosive acceleration and a tackle-busting fend, he earned Golden Lions colours at U16 Grant Khomo Week in 2009 and again at U18 Craven Week in 2011. By 2012 he had crossed provinces to Pretoria, joining the Blue Bulls academy and scoring three tries in eight starts for the U19 side that lifted the provincial title.
His senior debut arrived on 13 April 2013 in the Vodacom Cup, starting at No. 12 in a 74–14 rout of the Valke. A year later he announced himself with a brace in the Bulls’ record 114–0 demolition of Limpopo Blue Bulls, and by 2015 he was a regular in the Bulls’ Super Rugby midfield. Over six seasons at Loftus Versfeld he amassed 59 Super Rugby caps and seven tries, but it was his leadership that truly distinguished him. In 2017 he was named Bulls Senior Player of the Year; in 2019 he captained the Blue Bulls to the Currie Cup semi-finals; and in the truncated 2020 Super Rugby season he skippered the franchise outright.
Off-season stints in Japan with Kubota Spears (2018–19) and Toshiba Brave Lupus (2022–23) honed his game in a faster, more expansive environment, yielding 21 appearances and seven tries. When the Lions lured him back to Johannesburg in July 2020, he inherited the captaincy and steered the union through the turbulence of the Covid era, adding 22 United Rugby Championship appearances to his ledger.
The collapse of Wasps in October 2022—after just four games—could have derailed lesser characters, but Odendaal signed with Northampton Saints in January 2023 and wrote the most glittering chapter of his career. He started the 2024 Premiership final at Twickenham, helping Saints to a 25–21 victory over Bath and claiming a champions medal despite rupturing his ACL in the dying minutes. Earlier that season he had scored a crucial semi-final try against Saracens and captained the side against Newcastle. A broken arm in 2024–25 limited him to 17 Premiership appearances, yet his influence in the Saints’ engine room remained undeniable.
At 32, Odendaal declined a contract extension and, in July 2025, joined Hanazono Kintetsu Liners in Japan League One Division 2. Reunited with Springbok fly-half Manie Libbok and coached by Wallaby legends Will Genia and Quade Cooper, he begins another chapter in a career that has already spanned four countries, five professional clubs, and more than 200 senior appearances.
Though Springbok recognition eluded him—perhaps a consequence of playing in an era stacked with world-class centers—Odendaal’s legacy is secure: a try-scoring midfielder who led by example, collected silverware on two continents, and embodied the South African tradition of exporting hardened, versatile professionals to the global game.
Born on 15 April 1993 in Bloemfontein and raised in Krugersdorp, Odendaal first made his name at Monument High, the same school that produced Springbok great Jacques Fourie. A powerfully built inside centre with explosive acceleration and a tackle-busting fend, he earned Golden Lions colours at U16 Grant Khomo Week in 2009 and again at U18 Craven Week in 2011. By 2012 he had crossed provinces to Pretoria, joining the Blue Bulls academy and scoring three tries in eight starts for the U19 side that lifted the provincial title.
His senior debut arrived on 13 April 2013 in the Vodacom Cup, starting at No. 12 in a 74–14 rout of the Valke. A year later he announced himself with a brace in the Bulls’ record 114–0 demolition of Limpopo Blue Bulls, and by 2015 he was a regular in the Bulls’ Super Rugby midfield. Over six seasons at Loftus Versfeld he amassed 59 Super Rugby caps and seven tries, but it was his leadership that truly distinguished him. In 2017 he was named Bulls Senior Player of the Year; in 2019 he captained the Blue Bulls to the Currie Cup semi-finals; and in the truncated 2020 Super Rugby season he skippered the franchise outright.
Off-season stints in Japan with Kubota Spears (2018–19) and Toshiba Brave Lupus (2022–23) honed his game in a faster, more expansive environment, yielding 21 appearances and seven tries. When the Lions lured him back to Johannesburg in July 2020, he inherited the captaincy and steered the union through the turbulence of the Covid era, adding 22 United Rugby Championship appearances to his ledger.
The collapse of Wasps in October 2022—after just four games—could have derailed lesser characters, but Odendaal signed with Northampton Saints in January 2023 and wrote the most glittering chapter of his career. He started the 2024 Premiership final at Twickenham, helping Saints to a 25–21 victory over Bath and claiming a champions medal despite rupturing his ACL in the dying minutes. Earlier that season he had scored a crucial semi-final try against Saracens and captained the side against Newcastle. A broken arm in 2024–25 limited him to 17 Premiership appearances, yet his influence in the Saints’ engine room remained undeniable.
At 32, Odendaal declined a contract extension and, in July 2025, joined Hanazono Kintetsu Liners in Japan League One Division 2. Reunited with Springbok fly-half Manie Libbok and coached by Wallaby legends Will Genia and Quade Cooper, he begins another chapter in a career that has already spanned four countries, five professional clubs, and more than 200 senior appearances.
Though Springbok recognition eluded him—perhaps a consequence of playing in an era stacked with world-class centers—Odendaal’s legacy is secure: a try-scoring midfielder who led by example, collected silverware on two continents, and embodied the South African tradition of exporting hardened, versatile professionals to the global game.
