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Irné Philip Herbst (born 4 May 1993) is a South African rugby union player, currently playing with Italian side Benetton in the Pro14. His regular position is lock.
Rugby career
Schoolboy rugby
Herbst was born in Witbank and earned a call-up to represent Mpumalanga at primary school level at the Under-13 Craven Week in 2006. At high school level, he attended Hoërskool Waterkloof in Pretoria, where he was chosen to represent theBlue Bulls at the Under-18 Craven Week in 2011. He was included in a South Africa Schools squad that beat their counterparts from France 21–14 in August 2011.
Youth and Varsity Cup rugby
After high school, he joined the Blue Bulls academy, making nine appearances for aBlue Bulls U19 side that reached the final of the 2012 Under-19 Provincial Championship, where they lost toWestern Province U19.
He was selected in the South Africa Under-20 squad that played in the 2013 IRB Junior World Championship held in France. He started all five of their matches in the tournament, scoring a try in their semi-final defeat to Wales, a result which eliminated South Africa from the competition, eventually finishing third after beating New Zealand in their final match.
Herbst returned to domestic action in South Africa by making twelve appearances for theBlue Bulls U21 team in the 2013 Under-21 Provincial Championship. He scored one try in their defeat toWestern Province U21 as his side reached the final, where they lost to the same opposition.
He played in the 2014 Varsity Cup competition for Pretoria-based university sideUP Tuks, making four appearances, and then made a further eleven starts for the Blue Bulls U21s in the 2013 edition of the Under-21 Provincial Championship. In a repeat of the 2013 final, they again faced Western Province, but turned the tables on this occasion, winning the match 20–10 to be crowned champions.
Herbst's 2015 season again started with him representingUP Tuks in the Varsity Cup, where he made seven starts. He was also named in a Varsity Cup Dream Team at the conclusion of the tournament and played in their match against the South Africa Under-20 squad as they prepared for the 2015 World Rugby Under 20 Championship. However, he then suffered a knee injury that kept him out for the entire season.
He made his return in 2016, making his domestic first class debut in theBlue Bulls defeat toWestern Province in the 2016 Currie Cup qualification series.