LOCAL FARMER LOOKS BACK ON HIS SPRINGBOK GLORY DAYS
Mandela walking into change room overwhelming
From the excitement of being in the limelight as a top South African rugby player and a member of the 1995 Springbok team that won the World Cup – to the more sedate life of an Eastern Cape farmer.
This is the story of Garry Pagel, owner of Glenhope Farm near Martindale in the Bathurst district.
Educated at Piet Retief Technical High School in Adelaide, it was Pagel’s dream to play for the Springboks one day. Little did he realise at the time that this would become a reality, let alone that he would follow in the footsteps of the famous Os du Randt. Du Randt was also educated at Piet Retief and both men played in the front row.
During his years at school, it soon became obvious that Pagel was a talented rugby player and that he had a future in the game. After his under-15 year, he was immediately selected to play in the school’s first XV and went on to do so for three years, also captaining the side. He was awarded both his colours and honours blazers and it came as no surprise when he was selected to play in the then North East Cape schools team in the annual Craven Week competition.
After matriculating in 1984, Pagel moved to Port Elizabeth where he joined Telkom as a fitter and turner. It was here that his rugby career took off and he got his first taste of provincial rugby when he represented the province in 25 matches between 1990 and 1992.
With a promising rugby career ahead of him, Pagel received a job offer through the famous Villagers Rugby Club in Cape Town and moved to the Mother City in 1992. As a member of the club, he was selected to play for Western Province in the same year and went on to be capped more than 100 times during the next five years.
Pagel had started making his mark in South Africa and was rewarded in 1992 when he was included in the Junior Springbok team to play the All Blacks. Two years later he was selected to play for the South African A side against the touring Argentinians and England.
With the World Cup looming in 1995, Pagel’s hopes of possibly playing for the Springboks were raised when he was invited to attend the initial squad training sessions two months before the final team was announced. This obviously involved a lot of hard work as players from all parts of the country flew to Johannesburg every Monday morning and returned the same evening. Pagel explained that this was to enable then coach Kitch Christie to get a better idea of those players on the short list.
Obviously hopeful to make the final team, Pagel was not expecting to be included. So it came as a surprise when the South African manager, former Springbok captain Morne du Plessis, called him at home on a Sunday morning to give him the wonderful news that he had been selected.
Asked how he had reacted, Pagel said: “I told him he must be joking. It was a special day and a huge honour to be at a Cape Town hotel that evening when the team was officially announced to the country on TV.”
The team was together for six continuous weeks preparing for this rugby showpiece. One of their training sessions was attended by then president Nelson Mandela when he flew to the grounds by helicopter.
Once the tournament got underway, South Africa’s first game was against Australia. Pagel explained this was a game that was important to win as, not only was it obviously good to start with a victory, but it would take the pressure off the team and also influence their pool games.
He played in this game, as he did against Romania and Canada, but was on the bench for the French match.
Then came the big one – the final against the mighty All Blacks. Here Pagel started on the bench, but replaced Balie Swart 15 minutes in the second half and was, of course, also on the field for the extra time after the match had ended as a 12-all draw after full time.
Asked what the atmosphere was like in the changing room before the game started, Pagel replied that the players were quietly confident as they had been prepared well. They were fit and had a good team spirit.
“But what had a huge impact was when president Mandela walked into the change room wearing captain Francois Pienaar’s No 6 jersey. He spoke to us all individually and told us the whole country was behind us,” Pagel added. The game and result is history. Pagel said that the devastating All Black wing Jono Lomo had rocked the whole World Cup with his storming runs, but some strong tackles on him seemed to unsettle the All Blacks and the Springboks were more confident that they weren’t going to lose the game.
When the final whistle eventually went after extra time, Pagel said the players were “overwhelmed and did not seem to realise what they had just achieved”.
It was only at the function afterwards when the players received their medals that they realised the significance of this wonderful result, not only for themselves but also for the country.
Of coach Kitch Christie, Pagel said: “He was a very straightforward man and you knew where you stood with him. He was a fair man who believed in his players. He was also strong on discipline and you never called him Kitch – it was always coach or Mr Christie. Pienaar was also a fine captain.”
Pagel completed his rugby career when he signed a contract to play for the Northampton Saints in England.
After four years, Pagel decided to call it a day before any “serious injuries” and returned to SA and his second love, that of farming, with cattle, sheep and boer goats.
He is married to Anna, and the couple have a daughter.