Born in Nelspruit and the son of former Springbok lock Fritz van Heerden, Emile van Heerden was educated at Paarl Boys' High School, where he grew into a towering second-rower. He represented Western Province at age-group level before being snapped up by the Sharks, and locked the Junior Springbok scrum at the World Rugby U20 Championship.
Van Heerden made his senior Sharks debut in Round 11 of the 2021 Currie Cup against the Free State Cheetahs and has since become a mainstay of the Durban pack, featuring in the URC, Currie Cup and Champions Cup. He has developed into the Sharks' primary lineout caller, marshalling one of the URC's most effective lineout units during the 2025/26 season.
At two metres tall with a growing reputation as a set-piece general, Van Heerden has been widely tipped for higher honours, and he enters 2026/27 with the Springbok jersey firmly in his sights.
