By Lehlohonolo Lehana.
Dawie de Villiers during the opening ceremony of the Springbok Experience museum at the V&A Waterfront in Cape Town on 27 March 2013. (Photo by Carl Fourie/Gallo Images).
Former Springbok captain Dr Dawie de Villiers has passed away at the age of 81 at his Stellenbosch home on Saturday night.
Dr De Villiers’ family said in a statement he died at his house in Stellenbosch on Saturday night. He had been ill for some time.
“Dawie has been systematically deteriorating over the last few months, but we were privileged to be able to provide him with the assistance of professional help at home,” the statement said.
Mark Alexander, President of SA Rugby, described Dr De Villiers as a great servant of the country.
“Dawie de Villiers captained the Springboks as the winds of change were beginning to blow through the political climate of sport and his final tour was the 1969-70 ‘demo tour’ of the UK, said Alexander.
“To lead South Africa for as long as he did in the amateur era and to hold the record for tests captained until the arrival of professionalism says all you need to know about his stature as a player and leader,” added Alexander.
“He was a great and loyal servant of Springbok rugby and we pay tribute to his dedication and the service he gave to the sport and South African life in general.”
Dr De Villiers was born on 10 July 1940 in Burgersdorp. After he finished his schooling at Bellville High School, he studied theology at Stellenbosch University.
Provincially, Dr De Villiers played scrumhalf for Western Province, Boland and the Lions (then still Transvaal). He played 25 Tests and a total of 53 matches for the Springboks between 1962 and 1970, and was captain in 22 Tests – the first against the All Blacks in New Zealand in 1965 at the age of 25.
During his Test career, Dr De Villiers was on the winning side in two series against the British & Irish Lions (1962 and 1968), France (1967), and Australia (1969), while his international swansong was in the triumphant series against the All Blacks in South Africa in 1970, when the Boks won three of the four Tests.
Dr De Villiers also held the record for the most number of Tests as Springbok captain until he was overtaken by Francois Pienaar in 1995.
Outside of the game De Villiers was an ordained minister in the Dutch Reformed Church and was a former government politician, with him South African Ambassador to the United Kingdom from 1979-1980 and a minister in various departments from 1980 to 1996.
He was later a minister in the old National Party regime, but also in the first democratically elected government under the late former president, Nelson Mandela. Dr De Villiers also served as South African ambassador in London, as well as was a lecturer in philosophy (in which he completed his doctoral studies).
He is survived by his wife Suzaan, three daughters and a son, as well as nine grand-children.