Stephen Fry (rugby union)
Birth name | Stephen Perry Fry | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Date of birth | 14 July 1924 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Place of birth | Somerset West, South Africa | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Date of death | 29 June 2002 | (aged 77)||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Place of death | Somerset West, South Africa | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Height | 1.88 m (6 ft 2 in) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Weight | 90 kg (14 st 2 lb) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
University | University of Cape Town | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Occupation(s) | Engineer | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Rugby union career | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Stephen Perry Fry (14 July 1924 – 29 June 2002) was a South African rugby union player, most often playing as a flanker.[1] Fry played rugby for his home town of Somerset West and provincial rugby for Western Province. He won 13 caps for the South African national team (the Springboks), and captained the country in four matches against the British Lions.
Personal history
Fry was born in
Fry married Bettie, and they had two children, Juliet and Mark. He harboured ambitions to be a jazz pianist.[3]
Rugby career
Fry began playing rugby as a schoolboy, playing in an under-eleven side.
On his return to South Africa whilst at the University of Cape Town, he was chosen to represent the Western Province.[3] After completing his studies, he qualified as an engineer, joining the Villagers rugby team.[3]
1951 Springbok's Tour
In 1951 he was chosen to represent the South African national team, on their
Fry won his first international cap on 24 November 1951, in the encounter with Scotland. Scotland were totally overwhelmed, and lost the game 44–0; with Fry being the only South African forward not to score during the match.[9] Fry continued to represent South Africa in the Tests, and played in the wins over Ireland,[10] Wales[11] and England.[12] After the Welsh game the entire team, apart from Fonnie du Toit and Fry, were rested for the encounter with the Combined Services team. Fry was given the captaincy for the match, becoming the fifth player to hold the role during the tour.[13] After the final match of the British leg of the tour, the team travelled to France. Despite Fry being the only player on the tour to have experience of playing in France,[3] he was left out of the first match, against a South East France team. Fry was reselected for the final three games, playing at number eight, and again holding the captaincy for the match against South West France. He was back in his role as flanker against the France 'B' team and on 16 February 1952 played in the last game of the tour in a convincing win over France.[14]
1953 Australia tour of South Africa
The next year saw
1955 British Lions
Fry played his final matches for the Springboks when he captained the team for all four Tests against 1955 touring British Lions.[18][19][20][21] Despite being captain of the national team, Fry was not amongst the Western Province team who were beaten by the Lions in a pre-Test game on 14 July.[22] The first Test of the tour, at Johannesburg, saw the Lions win narrowly, 22–23. This was followed by a South African win in the second Test at Cape Town, but a 6–9 loss in the third Test in Pretoria meant that the final game would decide the tour. South Africa won the final game 22–8, drawing the tour. Fry never played for South Africa again, finishing his career with 10 wins from 13 games.[1]
Notes
- ^ a b "Stephen Fry: South Africa". ESPN Scrum.com. Retrieved 30 May 2011.
- ^ a b Stent (1952), p.23
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j Stent (1952), pp.33–34
- ^ "Helderberg Rugby Club Background & History". helderbergrugby.co.za. Retrieved 30 May 2011.
- ^ Stent (1952), p.212
- ^ Stent (1952), p.80
- ^ Stent (1952), p.211
- ^ Stent (1952) p.107
- ^ "South Africa tour – Murrayfield, 24 November 1951: Scotland (0) 0 – 44 (19) South Africa". ESPN Scrum.com. Retrieved 30 May 2011.
- ^ "South Africa tour – Lansdowne Road, 8 December 1951: Ireland (5) 5 – 17 (3) South Africa". ESPN Scrum.com. Retrieved 30 May 2011.
- ^ "South Africa tour – Cardiff, 22 December 1951: Wales (3) 3 – 6 (0) South Africa". ESPN Scrum.com. Retrieved 30 May 2011.
- ^ "South Africa tour – Twickenham, 5 January 1952: England (3) 3 – 8 (5) South Africa". ESPN Scrum.com. Retrieved 30 May 2011.
- ^ Stent (1952) p.167
- ^ "South Africa tour – Colombes, 16 February 1952: France (3) 3 – 25 (6) South Africa". ESPN Scrum.com. Retrieved 30 May 2011.
- ^ Griffiths (1987), p.6:10
- ^ "Australia tour – Durban, 19 September 1953, South Africa (10) 18 – 8 (0) Australia". ESPN Scrum.com. Retrieved 30 May 2011.
- ^ "Australia tour – Port Elizabeth, 26 September 1953: South Africa (9) 22 – 9 (9) Australia". ESPN Scrum.com. Retrieved 30 May 2011.
- ^ "British and Irish Lions tour – Johannesburg, 6 August 1955, South Africa (11) 22 – 23 (8) British and Irish Lions". ESPN Scrum.com. Retrieved 30 May 2011.
- ^ "British and Irish Lions tour – Cape Town, 20 August 1955, South Africa (3) 25 – 9 (3) British and Irish Lions". ESPN Scrum.com. Retrieved 30 May 2011.
- ^ "British and Irish Lions tour – Pretoria, 3 September 1955, South Africa (0) 6 – 9 (3) British and Irish Lions". ESPN Scrum.com. Retrieved 30 May 2011.
- ^ "British and Irish Lions tour – Port Elizabeth, 24 September 1955, South Africa (3) 22 – 8 (5) British and Irish Lions". ESPN Scrum.com. Retrieved 30 May 2011.
- ^ "Western Province 13 v 21 British & Irish Lions". lionsrugby.com. Retrieved 30 May 2011.
Bibliography
- Billot, John (1974). Springboks in Wales. Ferndale: Ron Jones Publications.
- Griffiths, John (1987). The Phoenix Book of International Rugby Records. London: Phoenix House. ISBN 0-460-07003-7.
- Parker, A.C. (1970). The Springboks, 1891–1970. London: Cassell & Company Ltd. ISBN 0-304-93591-3.
- Stent, R.K. (1952). The Fourth Springboks 1951–1952. London: Longmans, Green and Co.