PLAYER PROFILE: MARIUS HOFMEYR HURTER BORN: 8/10/70 BIRTHPLACE: Potchefstroom HEIGHT: 6'1'' WEIGHT: 17st 13lb POSITION: Tight Head Prop

Marius Hurter learnt his intense scrumaging skills in the hard school of South African club rugby and whilst playing for the University of Pretoria. Not only his strength in the scrum, but his work in the loose, makes any opponents job a difficult and painful experience (as the Falcons themselves discovered during the Sanyo Cup). Hurter has made an indelible impression for Western Transvaal, Northern Transvaal and since 1998, Western Province in the South African Currie Cup, as well as on the international scene, playing 18 times for Springbok teams, including 13 tests. He was first selected as a member of the Springbok World Cup squad in 1995, making his test debut at the age of 24 against Romania on 30 May 1995 followed by two further internationals against Canada and Wales in the same year. He toured Argentina, France and Wales in 1996 and last represented his country in 1997.

All of us supporting the club have seen him living up to his name, crushing opposition's front rows. In the 1998/9 season Hurter became a rock, permanently filling the no.3 shirt, brilliant in attack, even better in defence.

Marius also told us that when he first became aware of possibly playing for Newcastle, he used our web site in order to keep in touch with movements within the club from South Africa. Friends from South Africa have also made contact with Marius since his arival on the message board posting articles in Afrikaans.

I has been in the 1999/2000 season that Marius has really made his mark as a permanent member of the front row. With Inga gaining an English passport, Marius is presently Newcastle's one of only two international players making him eligible to play in every fixture. His efforts this season were recognised by the Falcons supporters who deservedly voted him to be Player Of The Month.