Rugby pioneer Dougie Dyers dies

Rugby pioneer Dougie Dyers has died aged 86.

Dyers, the first captain of a black national side to leave SA, was an influential player, coach, selector and administrator.

“When it comes to major role players in the history of SA rugby, ‘Oom’ Dougie’s name stands alongside all the greats,” said SA Rugby Union (Saru) president Mark Alexander.

“A courageous player, he was a true servant of the game at all levels who captained SA at a time when a large part of the population was excluded from playing for the Springboks,” he said of the former loose forward.

Dyers was part of a rugby dynasty. His grandfather moved from Bredasdorp to Parow in the early 1900s and established the Parow and Districts Rugby Union. Dyers later moved to Walvis Bay and established a club there.

Making history

Dyers made history when he led the Proteas on their tour of Europe in 1971.

The next year he captained the first coloured side to play an international side when they met England on SA soil. He also captained the Proteas against the British & Irish Lions in 1974.

His decision to play against touring teams at the height of apartheid made him a polarising figure. He was, however, driven by the desire to compete.

“To lead the Proteas on historic occasions such as these puts into perspective the big role ‘Oom’ Dougie played in SA rugby history,” said Alexander.

“Rugby played a huge part in his life and I have nothing but endless admiration for a man who was central to the game for a very long time, in club and provincial colours, green and gold, and later on training fields and in boardrooms.”

Dyers made his union debut for Parow at the age of 19 and soon established himself as a player and leader in the team, before moving to Walvis Bay in 1961.

At the end of 1971 Dyers captained the Proteas on a seven-match tour to England and the Netherlands, where they won four, lost two and drew one. In May 1972 he led the team against the touring England side, with the visitors winning the match 11-6 in Cape Town, a few weeks before they beat the Springboks in Johannesburg.

“The match between the Proteas and England in 1972 was the first international in which blacks played against whites on SA soil, shortly before the African Leopards also faced the tourists,” SA Rugby said in a statement.

Into coaching

After he retired from playing, Dyers went into coaching and later took charge of the Proteas, before being appointed to coach the SA Barbarians team in 1979, the first of its kind to tour outside SA.

A year later he had his second taste of the British & Irish Lions, when he coached the SA Barbarians in their tour game, and in 1983 Danie Craven offered Dyers a position on the SA Rugby Board.

He was a national selector for 17 years. While in that position Errol Tobias was selected to play for the Springboks against England in 1984.

From 1991 until his retirement in 2002, Dyers served with the Western Province Rugby Football Union, working on development structures. He was later elected as junior vice-president of the union.