Veteran lock departs the Sharks
February 08 2010
Albert van den Berg's contract with the Sharks has come to an end and the experienced Springbok will leave Durban to take up a contract with the CANON side in Japan.
Van den Berg's contract with the Sharks came to an end in 2009.
He has had an outstanding career with the Sharks, during which time he has accumulated a huge fan base amongst the supporters for his exceptional line-out play, both on his own ball and in disrupting opposition throw-ins.
Albert van den Berg is an athletic lock who is equally able both in the tight and loose phases of the game, having scored his fair share of tries.
He has achieved an incredible milestone in his rugby career, becoming the most capped Sharks players with a combined tally of 171 caps, joining a select, elite group of players.
This has now given him the edge over Hugh Reece-Edwards and Steve Atherton, who have both held the record on 165 caps since 1995 and 1999 respectively.
He gets serious though and points out that "It was very special for me playing in my 171st game, in the semi-final of the Currie Cup last year against the Cheetahs.
It's always something to aspire to, and players get judged by how many games they've played. There are a lot of legends out there and I am just happy to be part of that group."
Highlights in his career include being a member of the Springbok World Cup squad who won the trophy in 2007, winning the Tri-Nations in 2004, the Currie Cup in 2008 and was the player that scored the try to put the Sharks in the lead, in the dying moments of full-time, during that momentous clash against the Bulls in the 2007 Super 14 final in Durban.