Where is former Springbok flank Francois ‘Flo’ Louw now?

Francois Louw was born in Cape Town to a rugby family – his grandfather, Jan Pickard, was a Springbok and a former president of Western Province. He attended Bishops school and graduated through the ranks of Western Province to make his senior professional debut in 2006.

He would go on to become one of the most revered players for WP and the Stormers, racking up over 100 caps between the two teams. His impressive performances with the Stormers, including a near Super Rugby title in 2010, earned him a call up to the Springboks.

Louw went on to represent the Springboks in 76 international matches, culminating in a World Cup victory in 2019, adding to the bronze he claimed in 2015. 

That World Cup win marked the end of Louw’s international career, and although he hoped to play out one final season with Bath, the English Premiership was put on hold due to the coronavirus.

It effectively led to the decision for him to call time on his prolific rugby career, which also included nearly 150 caps for Bath.

“My mind is willing, but I’ve got to consider how much punishment my body has taken over the years. I also have the opportunity to go out on my own terms,” he told SA Rugby magazine during an interview in 2020.

“There are so many things I didn’t achieve,” he admitted. “I didn’t win a Currie Cup with Western Province, a Super Rugby final with the Stormers or a Premiership final with Bath. I did win the Rugby Championship and World Cup with the Boks last year, though, and that has helped this decision. I can walk away with a full heart.”

There was an iconic moment from the 2019 World Cup that epitomised the career and qualities of former Springbok flank Francois Louw. With the scores deadlocked at 16-16, the ‘fetcher’ chose the perfect moment to pounce on the ball at the breakdown, winning a crucial penalty just inside South Africa’s half.

From there, the ball was kicked to touch, the Springboks set up a lineout maul and won a trademark penalty which ultimately resulted in the match-winning points.

“I guess for me, my thing was to force turnovers and penalties at the breakdown,” he later reflected during an interview for BokSquad. “You have to have quite a bit of courage to do it, because it can also backfire. If it comes off you can be a hero, but the reverse holds true if it doesn’t go according to plan.”

So what is former Springbok Francois Louw up to now?

Since hanging up his boots, Louw has transitioned into a new role as a financial advisor.

Most specifically, he is now a Wealth Manager at Skybound Connect, having made an incredibly successful transition into the financial sector. You can hear more about why he opted to make this career move in a video here.

“The finance world is something that always interested me,” he commented. “Throughout my career I was fairly hands-on with my affairs… What was evident to me is the state that a lot of pro athletes found themselves in with regards to that first transition when moving away from the game and into their next career, and how to successfully navigate that.”

Family man

As a dedicated family man, Louw has also enjoyed spending more time with his family and completing the transition from player to fan.

“When I told my six-year-old daughter about my decision to retire. She asked what that meant. Would I be spending more time with the family on the weekends? I said ‘yes’. Her whole face lit up. That put everything into perspective for me,” he also shared with SA Rugby magazine.

“I’m looking forward to watching games as a fan and shouting at the referee,” he added with a laugh.