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Francois Pienaar

World Rugby Champion

World Rugby Champion

Travels From Travels From:
South Africa
Speaking Fee Speaking Fee:
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Francois Pienaar Biography

The film Invictus is based on Nelson Mandela’s pursuit to unite racially divided South Africa with the Rugby World Cup, enlisting François Pienaar to spearhead the effort. Morgan Freeman stars as President Nelson Mandela and Matt Damon as François, both earning Academy Award nominations for their roles.

François, with twenty-nine international caps to his name, reached the highest peak in rugby union: he captained his country South Africa, to World Cup victory in 1995 on home turf and was presented the Webb Ellis Trophy by Nelson Mandela.

In winning rugby’s ultimate prize, François not only helped put South Africa back on the sporting map but also, having been named the country’s “Newsmaker of the Year,” he is the nation’s most celebrated icon after Nelson Mandela. Indeed, the two men forged a friendship during the World Cup when Mandela appeared on the presentation rostrum wearing a Springbok jersey with François’ number on the back.

In 1993, François was appointed captain on his first international appearance, against France, and is now the most capped South African captain and arguably the world’s most popular one. Alongside François’ playing talents, his debt management skills, charisma and leadership abilities have enabled him to achieve God-like status in a country where rugby is a religion. He has proved himself an inspirational leader and is one of the few men on earth who can genuinely claim to have united South Africa behind a common cause.

François’ skills in diplomacy were a clear feature in South Africa’s passage from isolation to acclamation on the world rugby stage. A trained lawyer, François is an eloquent and articulate spokesman who is often quoted on a wide range of issues from rugby to business and from journalism to politics.

Having played a vital role for both his province and his country, François became player-coach of the struggling north London club Saracens. With him at the helm, Saracens’ form underwent a dramatic transformation. Pienaar eventually retired as a player and took over as Saracens CEO in 2000. The club ended the 2000 – 2001 Premiership season in fifth place, but the following year was less successful and with Saracens facing relegation François stepped down as coach and CEO, sensing that the club would benefit from a fresh perspective.

Away from rugby, Pienaar published an autobiography, Rainbow Warrior in 1999, and regularly speaks on leadership, motivation and teamwork.

He has also been consistently involved in charity work with organizations such as Sargent Cancer Care for Children at the Royal Marsden Hospital, CHOC (The Children’s Haematology and Oncology Clinic) and the Reach for a Dream Foundation. In November 2000, he was awarded an honorary doctorate by the University of Hertfordshire.

He is a member of both the International Rugby Hall of Fame and the International Rugby Board Hall of Fame.

Worldwide, he continues to reinforce his reputation as the face of South African rugby. His charisma, leadership and strength of character place him much in demand to speak about the game he loves with a passion all over the world.

In 2002, he returned to South Africa and he currently lives in Cape Town with his wife and two sons.

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Speaker profile last updated by AAE Talent Team on 09/09/2024.

Francois Pienaar Speaking Topics

  • Uniting a People and a Country: Nelson Mandela & François Pienaar

  • Invictus: The Unconquerable Spirit that Makes Dreams Reality

  • The Courage to Lead

Francois Pienaar Videos

  • Francois Pienaar Interview - Invictus - YouTube
  • CSA Celebrity Speakers - Francois Pienaar - YouTube
  • Francois Pienaar on his friendship with Mandela - YouTube

Francois Pienaar Books

  • Rainbow Warrior
    Rainbow Warrior

FAQs on booking Francois Pienaar

  • How do I book Francois Pienaar to speak at my event?

    Our experienced booking agents have successfully helped clients around the world secure speakers like Francois Pienaar for speaking engagements, personal appearances, product endorsements, or corporate entertainment since 2002. Click the Check Availability button above and complete the form on this page to check availability for Francois Pienaar, or call our office at 1.800.698.2536 to discuss your upcoming event. One of our experienced agents will be happy to help you get speaking fee information and check availability for Francois Pienaar or any other speaker of your choice.
  • What are the speaker fees for Francois Pienaar

    Speaking fees for Francois Pienaar, or any other speakers and celebrities, are determined based on a number of factors and may change without notice. The estimated fees to book Francois Pienaar are for live events and for virtual events. For the most current speaking fee to hire Francois Pienaar, click the Check Availability button above and complete the form on this page, or call our office at 1.800.698.2536 to speak directly with an experienced booking agent.
  • What topics does Francois Pienaar speak about?

    Francois Pienaar is a keynote speaker and industry expert whose speaking topics include Innovation, Inspirational, Leadership, Motivational, Teamwork & Teambuilding, Virtual.
  • Where does Francois Pienaar travel from?

    Francois Pienaar generally travels from South Africa, but can be booked for private corporate events, personal appearances, keynote speeches, or other performances. For more details, please contact an AAE Booking agent.
  • Who is Francois Pienaar’s agent?

    AAE Speakers Bureau has successfully booked keynote speakers like Francois Pienaar for clients worldwide since 2002. As a full-service speaker booking agency, we have access to virtually any speaker or celebrity in the world. Our agents are happy and able to submit an offer to the speaker or celebrity of your choice, letting you benefit from our reputation and long-standing relationships in the industry. Please click the Check Availability button above and complete the form on this page including the details of your event, or call our office at 1.800.698.2536, and one of our agents will assist you to book Francois Pienaar for your next private or corporate function.
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    AAE Speakers Bureau is a full-service speaker booking agency, meaning we can completely manage the speaker’s or celebrity’s engagement with your organization from the time of booking your speaker through the event’s completion. We provide all of the services you need to host Francois Pienaar or any other speaker of your choice, including offer negotiation, contractual assistance, accounting and billing, and event speaker travel and logistics services. When you book a speaker with us, we manage the process of hosting a speaker for you as an extension of your team. Our goal is to give our clients peace of mind and a best-in-class service experience when booking a speaker with us.
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    If you’re looking for the best, unbiased speaker recommendations, paired with a top-notch customer service experience, you’re in the right place. At AAE Speakers Bureau, we exclusively represent the interests of our clients - professional organizations, companies, universities, and associations. We intentionally do not represent the speakers we feature or book. That is so we can present our clients with the broadest and best performing set of speaker options in the market today, and we can make these recommendations without any obligation to promote a specific speaker over another. This is why when our agents suggest a speaker for your event, you can be assured that they are of the highest quality with a history of proven success with our other clients.

Francois Pienaar is a keynote speaker and industry expert who speaks on a wide range of topics such as Uniting a People and a Country: Nelson Mandela & François Pienaar, Invictus: The Unconquerable Spirit that Makes Dreams Reality and The Courage to Lead. The estimated speaking fee range to book Francois Pienaar for your event is available upon request. Francois Pienaar generally travels from South Africa and can be booked for (private) corporate events, personal appearances, keynote speeches, or other performances. Similar motivational celebrity speakers are Vince Papale, Jim Davidson, Jim Morris, Jon Bergmann and Paul Deegan. Contact All American Speakers for ratings, reviews, videos and information on scheduling Francois Pienaar for an upcoming live or virtual event.

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