Willem Ferdinand van Rheede van Oudtschoorn Bergh (2 November 1906 – 28 May 1973), better known as "Ferdie" Bergh, was a South African rugby union player.

Biography

He was originally from Stellenbosch, well known as a Springbok rugby breeding ground. He studied at Stellenbosch University, after which he went to Potchefstroom. He played his first provincial rugby for the and after that he played for four more provinces. Ferdie Bergh gained 17 caps for between 1931 and 1938, scoring seven tries in that period. Willem Ferdinand van Rheede van Oudtschoorn Bergh may hold the record for having the longest name in international rugby, comprising 43 letters in total, including seven words and five names ("Van Rheede" and "Van Oudtschoorn" counting as single names. He is most famous for scoring the winning try in the only test rugby series ever won by South Africa in New Zealand.

Test history