Kurt-Lee Arendse (born 17 June 1996) is a South African professional rugby union player who plays as a wing for the in the United Rugby Championship and for the South Africa national team. Known for his pace, agility and finishing ability, he has become one of the Springboks’ most influential outside backs since his debut in 2022.
Early life Arendse was born in Paarl and attended Paulus Joubert Secondary School, where he earned selection for the sevens team at the 2014 SARU Under-18 Sevens tournament.
Despite his promise, he did not enter the mainstream provincial rugby system after matric and worked at a local butchery in Paarl. During one of SA Rugby’s youth weeks, while representing a Boland Academy side, he was spotted by former Springbok winger Chester Williams. Williams subsequently offered him an opportunity to join , providing Arendse with a route into competitive rugby.
Club career Arendse progressed through the junior structures of Boland and Western Province, representing in the 2015 Under-19 Provincial Championship, in the 2016 Under-20 Provincial Championship, and in the 2017 Under-21 Provincial Championship.
He later joined the in Pretoria in 2020, transitioning fully into the fifteen-a-side game after the COVID-19 pandemic halted the international sevens circuit where he had been representing South Africa. He made an immediate impact in domestic competition and quickly established himself as a key member of the Bulls’ United Rugby Championship and Currie Cup squads.
International career Arendse made his international debut for South Africa on 9 July 2022 in a Test against Wales in Bloemfontein. He soon became a first-choice wing for the Springboks, noted for his speed, aerial ability and finishing.
He started in the 2023 Rugby World Cup final, helping South Africa secure a 12–11 victory over New Zealand. Arendse has also been part of the Springbok squads that won the 2023 Rugby Championship and 2024 Rugby Championship.
Blitzboks Arendse’s rise to elite rugby was strongly shaped by sevens. After excelling in the Varsity Cup structures and being named MVP of the 2018 Varsity Cup Sevens tournament, he joined the South African Rugby Sevens Academy in December 2018.
Following an impressive 2019 Varsity Cup season for , he earned selection for the Blitzboks at the Vancouver Sevens.
He made his World Series debut in a 31–12 semi-final victory over Fiji and was part of the squad that defeated France 21–12 in the final.
He also represented Monaco in the 2020 Supersevens tournament before focusing full-time on fifteens with the Bulls.
Statistics Test match record
Opponent P W D L Try Pts %Won 4 3 0 1 1 5 3 2 0 1 6 30 4 4 0 0 2 10 3 2 0 1 2 10 1 1 0 0 1 5 4 1 0 3 2 10 3 3 0 0 3 15 1 1 0 0 2 10 7 6 0 1 4 20 1 1 0 0 1 5 1 1 0 0 1 5 3 2 0 1 2 10 Total 35 27 0 8 27 135
International tries
As of 13 September 2026
TryOpposing teamLocationVenueCompetitionDateResultScore1Mbombela, South AfricaMbombela Stadium2022 Rugby Championship6 August 2022Win26–102Durban, South AfricaHollywoodbets Kings Park2022 Rugby Championship24 September 2022Win38–213Dublin, IrelandAviva Stadium2022 Autumn Nations Series5 November 2022Loss19–164Marseille, FranceStade Vélodrome2022 Autumn Nations Series12 November 2022Loss30–265 Genoa, Italy Stadio Luigi Ferraris 2022 Autumn Nations Series 19 November 2022 Win 21–6367London, EnglandTwickenham Stadium2022 Autumn Nations Series26 November 2022Win13–278 Pretoria, South Africa Loftus Versfeld Stadium 2023 Rugby Championship 8 July 2023 Win 43–1291011London, EnglandTwickenham Stadium2023 Rugby World Cup warm-up matches25 August 2023Win7–3512Marseille, FranceStade Vélodrome2023 Rugby World Cup10 September 2023Win18–313Saint-Denis, FranceStade de France2023 Rugby World Cup15 October 2023Win28–2914Pretoria, South AfricaLoftus Versfeld Stadium2024 Ireland tour of South Africa6 July 2024Win27–2015Bloemfontein, South AfricaFree State Stadium2024 mid-year tests20 July 2024Win64–2116 Brisbane, Australia Lang Park 2024 Rugby Championship 10 August 2024 Win 7–331718Cardiff, WalesMillennium Stadium2024 Autumn Nations Series23 November 2024Win12–4519Pretoria, South AfricaLoftus Versfeld Stadium2025 Italy tour of South Africa5 July 2025Win42–2420Mbombela, South AfricaMbombela Stadium2025 mid-year tests19 July 2025Win55–1021Johannesburg, South AfricaEllis Park Stadium2025 Rugby Championship16 August 2025Loss22–3822 London, England Wembley Stadium 2025 end-of-year tests 1 November 2025 Win 7–612324Johannesburg, South AfricaEllis Park Stadium2026 Nations Championship4 July 2026Win45–2125Durban, South AfricaKings Park Stadium2026 Nations Championship18 July 2026Win43–026Johannesburg, South AfricaFNB Stadium2026 New Zealand tour of South Africa5 September 2026Win29–2427baltimore, United StatesM&T Bank Stadium2026 New Zealand tour of South Africa12 September 2026Win43–28
Honours South Africa
Rugby World Cup: Winner: 2023
The Rugby Championship: Winner: 2024, 2025
• Greatest Rivalry Tour: ° Winner: 2026 Blitzboks
World Rugby Sevens Series tournament titles: Winner: 2019 Canada Sevens, 2019 Singapore Sevens, 2019 Dubai Sevens, 2020 USA Sevens
Bulls
Super Rugby Unlocked: Winner: 2020
Currie Cup: Winner: 2020–21
United Rugby Championship: Runner-up: 2021–22 Runner-up: 2023-2024 Runner-up: 2025-2026
Individual
United Rugby Championship Player of the Month (South Africa): March 2022
United Rugby Championship Elite XV: Named in: 2022–23, 2023–24 Bulls Awards: Vodacom Bulls Heineken Champions Cup Player of the Year: 2022–23 Vodacom Fans Player of the Year – APP: 2023 Vodacom Players’ Player of the Year: 2023 Vodacom Player of the Year: 2023 References
External links Kurt-Lee Arendse at Springboks