He played for the Free State Cheetahs in the Currie Cup, former club of other past and present Leinster players, Ollie Le Roux and CJ van der Linde.
Strauss stayed with the Central Cheetahs until 2009 when he signed a contract with Heineken Cup champions Leinster Rugby.
Strauss played in his second game a week later as a substitute in Leinster's Celtic League win over the Cardiff Blues.
By this stage, Strauss had established himself as a firm fan favourite and his barn-storming loose displays and solid set-piece played an integral part in Leinster's triumph.
[2][3] However, he made a surprising early return in Leinster's Heineken Cup round 6 pool match against the Ospreys on 17 January 2014.