Farmer's Weekly (South Africa)
Small-time rugby, big-time family feuds
Rugby team loyalty can lead to family feuds, and nowhere are these disagreements more intense than in small communities. Luckily, as Graham Jooste recounts, the game has seen plenty of laughs, too.
In years gone by, the Free State towns of Smithfield, Rouxville and Zastron all competed fiercely, but in a friendly, sportsmanlike way, on the rugby field. In the late 1930s, however, all the good will that had been built up between them evaporated abruptly.
The trouble started when a talented young rugby player (let’s call him Jan) returned from agricultural college to farm with his father in the Zastron district. Because he was the only son, Jan also had to work on the family’s two other farms in the Smithfield and Rouxville districts respectively.
To complicate matters, Jan’s mother was originally from Smithfield and Jan’s favourite uncle was the Rouxville rugby coach. The result was that the rugby presidents of all three towns each claimed that
Jan had an obligation to play for that particular town!
Jan’s sweetheart worked at the Rouxville Post Office, and the couple often went down to Aliwal North together with her family to enjoy the hot springs there. Her father was an ardent Rouxville supporter and a close friend of the youngster’s uncle.
But the manager of the Smithfield farmers’ co-op, who was a cousin of the young man’s mother, said the lad had a ‘financial obligation’ to support the Smithfield cause. Jan’s mother told him to mind his own business.
The girlfriend’s mother, who felt strongly about these things, then declared that if Jan wanted to see her daughter again he would have to play for the Rouxville side. The father demurred; he would be happy if
Jan played for Rouxville, he said, but it was unfair to use their daughter to influence Jan’s choice. This did not go down well, and he found himself banished to the spare room!
An aunt from Wepener, who had heard all about the squabble from Jan’s mother, now waded in with the suggestion that if Jan played for Wepener, they could all support him. A stunned silence followed.
INTERNATIONAL RUGBY INTERVENES
At the time, South Africa was in the grip of rugby fever because of the Springboks’ Test Series defeat of the All Blacks in 1937. It had also been announced that the British Lions would be touring South Africa the following winter.
Free State platteland rugby supporters’ hearts beat even faster when it was announced that a match was scheduled
between an OFS Platteland side and the tourists at Kroonstad in June. An uncle from Bethlehem got in touch with the family and said that Jan was needed to help on his farm and, incidentally, Bethlehem was searching for a fullback of class! Jan was on the next train heading north. The rest is history. He was chosen for the Platteland side, which went down to the British Lions 18-3. Jan slotted a penalty to score the only points for the local side. Unfortunately he was unable to play again that season because of an injury received during the match.
The young couple later announced their engagement at a family function in Smithfield. They were married in Rouxville and settled on the Zastron farm. Jan played for Zastron, because he was born there! Everybody understood, and the friendly rugby rivalry of old between the three towns resumed.
LEG BEFORE WICKET
At a Villagers’ home game in Cape Town, the referee was continually under fire from a group of Hamilton supporters, who were of the opinion that he was failing to see the mistakes made by the home side. They were particularly upset about the set scrums, where they felt the ball was not being put in correctly.
On one occasion, as the scrum half put the ball in, it appeared to rebound into his hands directly off the prop’s leg. The referee allowed the play to continue, when suddenly a plaintive voice from the crowd bellowed: “Ag please, Mr Ref! How about lbw [leg before wicket], then?”
• Source: Jooste, GK. 2005.
Rugby Stories from the Platteland (Thirty Degrees South Publishers). Graham Jooste is an author and historical researcher. Email him at farmersweekly@caxton.co.za. Subject line: Great tales.
JAN’S GIRLFRIEND’S MOTHER SAID THAT IF HE WANTED TO SEE HER DAUGHTER AGAIN, HE HAD TO PLAY FOR ROUXVILLE