Errol Tobias
Birth name | Errol Tobias | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Date of birth | 18 March 1950 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Place of birth | Caledon, South Africa | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Height | 1.75 m (5 ft 9 in) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Weight | 76.66 kg (12 st 1 lb) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
School | Swartberg High School, Caledon | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Spouse | Sandra | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Children | Errol, Sidney | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Rugby union career | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Errol George Tobias (born 18 March 1950) is a former South African
Early life and rugby career
Errol Tobias was born on the farm Klipdrift, located outside
In August 1978, Tobias turned out at fly-half for a multi-racial South African Country Districts XV against the American Cougars. Tobias scored two tries at the Border Rugby Union Grounds, and helped in the scoring of two more. About 5,500 spectators witnessed the 44–12 victory over the American team.[2][3][4] The Associated Press erroneously reported this match as being the first in which a multi-racial team played against an international touring side in South Africa.[3] In fact, the first official multi-racial team to play a foreign national side was the South African Invitation XV which included four players of colour: John Noble, Turkey Shields, Toto Tsotsobe and Morgan Cushe. Selected by Danie Craven, the team beat the French on 7 June 1975 at Newlands in Cape Town by 18 points to 3.[5]
International career
Tobias' international career began when he was selected for the
On 4 June 1974 Tobias scored the only points (a penalty and a drop-kick) at fly-half as the
In 1979 Tobias was part of the first multi-racial
Tobias was a member of the Springbok touring party to South America in October 1980 which was denied visas to enter Argentina. Due to international political pressure to sever cultural and sporting ties with South Africa because of apartheid, the tour was wrapped in secrecy, and matches played against Paraguay, Uruguay and Chile drew crowds as small as one hundred.[11][12]
In 1981 Tobias was selected at centre for the Springboks to play against the touring Irish team. In the first test at Newlands on 30 May, a crowd of 37,000 watched as Tobias broke, then gave an inside pass to Rob Louw, who scored. Prior to the test Danie Craven warned Tobias that the game would be over before he would even realize that he was representing his country. The Springboks defeated the Irish 23–15, with Danie Gerber scoring one of the best tries ever seen at Newlands, Tobias recalled.[1][13]
Tobias received his call-up to the national team's tour to New Zealand in 1981 from Dr Danie Craven via telephone.[14] Before the ill-fated Springbok tour, managed by Johan Claassen and coached by Nelie Smith, Tobias prepared to play on the rain-soaked rugby fields that he expected to encounter by turning his back yard into a mud-bath.[15]
His selection was controversial at home and abroad, with some critics suggesting that he was included as a token Black player.[15] He was the target of placards and verbal abuse from the New Zealand anti-apartheid organisation Halt All Racist Tours, whose Dick Cuthbert called Tobias "an Uncle Tom".[16] Within the touring squad attitudes towards Tobias also differed. Naas Botha implied in 2006 that players were more accepting, while Johan Claassen admitted that team management possibly had an "anti-Errol" bias.[17]
International caps
No. | Opposition | Result | Position | Points | Date | Ground |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1. | Ireland | 23 - 15 | Outside Centre |
30 May 1981 | Newlands Stadium, Cape Town | |
2. | Ireland | 12 - 10 | Outside Centre | 6 June 1981 | Kings Park Stadium, Durban | |
3. | England | 33 - 15 | Fly-half |
2 June 1984 | Port Elizabeth
| |
4. | England | 35 - 9 | Fly-half | 6 (1 try, 1 conv.) | 9 June 1984 | Ellis Park Stadium, Johannesburg |
5. | South American Jaguars |
32 - 15 | Fly-half | 10 (2 conv., 2 pen.) | 20 October 1984 | Loftus Versfeld Stadium, Pretoria |
6. | South American Jaguars | 22 - 13 | Fly-half | 6 (2 pen.) | 27 October 1984 | Newlands Stadium, Cape Town |
Later life
Tobias worked as a brick-layer and later owned his own construction company. He is married and has a son, Sidney (Sid), who was selected for the
As co-commentator for provincial, Super Rugby, and test matches, Tobias drew positive comments from the public for his elegant use of Afrikaans, although others opined that he was not good at summarising.[1][23]
On 8 November 1995 he became the first black mayor of his home town, Caledon.
See also
- List of South Africa national rugby union players – Springbok no. 515
References
- ^ a b c "Tobias Nou Uitsaaier [Tobias Now a Broadcaster]". Beeld. 17 June 2004. Retrieved 25 December 2011.
- ^ "South Africans Down Americans". The News and Courier. Associated Press. 12 August 1978. Retrieved 21 December 2011.
- ^ a b "Sports Shorts". The Robesonian. Associated Press. 11 August 1978. Retrieved 19 December 2011.
- ^ Select Books (2010). "Sports Catalogue May 2010. [Opens .doc file directly.]". Archived from the original on 9 February 2012. Retrieved 21 December 2011.
- ^ Griffiths, John. "The first official multi-race team in SA, MPs with international honours and Varsity Blues". espnscrum.com. Retrieved 20 December 2011.
- ^ Morgan, Brad (3 July 2003). "Errol Tobias: a Black Bok in a White Team". SA Info. safrica.info. Archived from the original on 7 September 2008. Retrieved 18 December 2011.
- ^ "SAR Federation XV 6 v 37 British & Irish Lions". Archived from the original on 27 January 2013. Retrieved 26 December 2011.
- ^ South African Barbarians
- ^ "Springbok trailblazer: Errol Tobias". IRB.com. 12 March 2008. Archived from the original on 26 January 2013. Retrieved 18 December 2011.
- ^ "SA Barbarians 14 v 25 British & Irish Lions, 2nd July 1980, Kings Park". lionsrugby.com. Archived from the original on 18 December 2011. Retrieved 18 December 2011.
- ^ "Ons en die Poemas [Us and the Pumas]". Beeld. 7 November 2000. Retrieved 25 December 2011.
- ^ "Breyton Paulse Makes History by Playing in His Fiftieth Test for the Boks". SA History Online. Retrieved 25 December 2011.
- ^ "Ireland tour - Cape Town, 30 May 1981 South Africa (15) 23 - 15 (15) Ireland (FT)". ESPN Scrum. Retrieved 25 December 2011.
- ^ "Black Pearl of the High Veldt". The Scotsman. 11 June 2006. Archived from the original on 22 April 2016. Retrieved 18 December 2011.
- ^ a b "The Tale of Two Black Men". The Sydney Morning Herald. 19 July 1978. Retrieved 19 December 2011.
- ^ Brown, Malcolm (21 July 1981). "Big Pressure on 'Token' Black". The Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved 20 December 2011.
- ^ Geenty, Mark (31 August 2006). "1981 Springbok Tour Horrors Recalled". NZ Herald. Retrieved 24 December 2011.
- ^ Botha, Marco (27 October 2010). "WP-rugby Blom Oral [WP Rugby Flowers Everywhere]". Die Burger. Retrieved 24 December 2011.
- ^ Cronjé, Hendrik (26 November 2003). "Nelie Smith Brei Oud-Greysspan [Nelie Smith Coaches Old Greys' Team]". Beeld. Retrieved 25 December 2011.
- ^ Cronjé, Hendrik (16 January 2004). "Lombard Tog by Cats [Lombard Yet with the Cats]". Beeld. Retrieved 25 December 2011.
- ^ Gilbert, Morris (10 July 2007). "Bands lei Jong Turke in Potch [Bands Leads Young Turks in Potch]". Beeld. Retrieved 25 December 2011.
- ^ "Jets Run in Nine Tries to Win 57-29". 28 November 2011. Retrieved 24 December 2011.
- ^ Bekker, George (7 September 2003). "Skeidsregters Klop Kommentators [Referees Beat Commentators]". Beeld. pp. Opinion. Retrieved 25 December 2011.
- ^ "South African Athlete Becomes Mayor of Caledon" (PDF). Olympic Review, Vol. 26 No.6. December 1995. p. 10. Retrieved 24 December 2011.
- ^ Gilhooly, Daniel (8 August 2003). "Rugby saved Willemse from mean streets". NZ Herald. Retrieved 24 December 2011.
- ^ "ANC Moves into Municipal Power". ANC Daily News Briefing. 8 November 1995. Archived from the original on 26 April 2012. Retrieved 24 December 2011.
- ^ Roux, Erieka (12 September 1996). "Tobias Steun Caledon se Nuwe Eerste Burger [Tobias supports Caledon's New First Citizen]". Die Burger. Archived from the original on 25 April 2012. Retrieved 24 December 2011.
External links
- Rugby: Errol Tobias SouthAfrica.info
- Errol Tobias Rugby-Heroes.net
- Errol Tobias Scores During the Second Test vs. England, 9 June 1984. Accessed: 2011-12-17. Video on YouTube. (Archived by WebCite® at https://web.archive.org/web/20160312134804/https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cPW-W5Mmpx0