Sunday, 13th May 2007 at 7:04 pm

Francois Pienaar: ladies’ man

How fleeting is fame? In the weeks after the 1995 World Cup, the triumphant squad wouldn’t have struggled to meet nice young ladies interested in a quiet evening of champagne and handcuffs. And topping that list, had he been so inclined, would have been the young blonde captain. But that was straight after a victorious tournament; how long would that appeal really last?

At least 12 years, it would appear. Now working as a bank teller with FNB in Goodwood, Pienaar played in the Pilsner Urquell SuperSport Shoot-out, and arrived to quite some reception. Pilsner’s promotional girls lost all sense of decorum when the former Springbok squad arrived, lifting him to their shoulders, and carrying him around triumphantly. A decade and more on, then, the man’s clearly still got it; World Cup fame doesn’t appear to have a shelf life.