Publisher Description

Jonty Winch traces the complicated history of South African rugby from its establishment in the Cape in 1879 through to the 2019 World Cup championship. As he explores key events and questions entrenched narratives, Winch opens a compelling new window on colonialism, apartheid, and the evolution of South African society.

Author Biography

Jonty Winch received a Master of Arts degree with distinction from De Montfort University's International Centre for Sports History and Culture, and was then awarded his Ph.D. from Stellenbosch University. He has balanced his career interests in photography, journalism and education with involvement in more than a dozen books on sporting history in southern Africa. His research has also led to articles on the game for accredited international academic publications, and winning the British Society of Sports History 'Best Article in Sport in History' in 2008.

In recent years, he has played a prominent role in the task of recording a full history of South African cricket and placing the development of the game in political context. He co-authored Cricket & Conquest: The History of South African Cricket Retold 1795–1914 (2016); Cricket & Society in South Africa 1910-1971: From Union to Isolation (2018); and Too Black to Wear Whites: The Remarkable Story of Krom Hendricks, a Cricket Hero who was Rejected by Cecil John Rhodes's Empire (2020).

Table of Contents

• Introduction
• Chapter 1: 'Mission Accomplished'
• Chapter 2: The Origins of Rugby at the Cape
• Chapter 3: Rugby, Soccer and Segregation at the Cape during the Nineteenth Century
• Chapter 4: First Steps towards International Sport
• Chapter 5: 'A Progressive of Progressives'
• Chapter 6: From Healdtown and Lovedale to the 'Amadoda' of Orlando
• Chapter 7: Establishing a South African Rugby Identity
• Chapter 8: 'Most Unfortunate Match Ever Played'
• Chapter 9: Rhodes, Rugby and the Road to Springboxford, 1903-1953
• Chapter 10: 'Men Worthy of Springbok Chance'
• Chapter 11: The IRB and Interchangeable National Identities
• Chapter 12: The Quest for World Rugby Supremacy
• Chapter 13: 'The Fight for the Control of Rugby'
• Chapter 14: The Black Springboks
• Chapter 15: Veritable Tom Browns to Springbok Captain
• Chapter 16: Wind of Change
• Chapter 17: SARU, SACOS and Multinationalism
• Chapter 18: The Last British Influence
• Chapter 19: Tours of the 1980s: Politics, Protestors and Payments
• Chapter 20: Front Runners in the Formation of the NSC
• Chapter 21: The Unification of Rugby
• Chapter 22: Madiba Magic
• Chapter 23: Balancing Transformation with a Winning Team
• Chapter 24: Role Models for the Rainbow Nation
• Appendix
• Index

Review

"Jonty Winch has written the definitive book on the history of rugby in South Africa. From the very first match to the World Cup triumph in Tokyo, Winch explores the story of the game using deep research and passionate narrative. He uncovers the lost history of black and coloured rugby, reassesses the controversies of the past, and examines why rugby is so important to South Africans of all backgrounds. For anyone interested in rugby and its place in South African life, this is essential reading." - Tony Collins, Emeritus Professor of History at De Montfort University

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