Bennie Osler facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Bennie Osler

Birth name	Benjamin Louwrens Osler
Date of birth	23 November 1901
Place of birth	Aliwal North, Cape Colony
Date of death	28 April 1962(1962-04-28) (aged 60)
Height	1.73 m (5 ft 8 in)
Weight	70 kg (154 lb)
School	Rondebosch Boys High, CapeTown and Kingswood College, Grahamstown
Rugby union career
Position(s) Fly-half Provincial / State sides Years Team Apps (Points) Correct as of 2007-11-29 National team(s) Years Team Apps (Points) 1924–33 South Africa 17 (46) Correct as of 2007-11-29

Benjamin Louwrens Osler (born November 23, 1901 – died April 28, 1962) was a famous rugby union player from South Africa. He played for the South Africa national team, known as the Springboks. Bennie Osler mostly played as a fly-half. This position is like the quarterback in American football, guiding the team's attacks. He also played for his local team, Western Province.

Bennie Osler's Rugby Journey

Bennie Osler was born in a place called Aliwal North. He quickly became known for his rugby skills. His career was marked by many important matches and tours.

Starting His International Career

Bennie Osler first played for the Springboks on August 16, 1924. This was against the Lions, a team made up of players from Britain and Ireland. They were touring South Africa at the time. This match was the first of 17 games in a row that Osler played for South Africa.

He played in all four Test matches during that Lions tour. South Africa won three of these four games. The only game they didn't win was a 3–3 draw in Port Elizabeth. During that match, Osler was briefly injured.

Facing the All Blacks

In 1928, the Springboks played against the All Blacks from New Zealand. This was a big series, as the teams had only met once before in 1921. That earlier series had ended in a 1–1 draw.

The first game of the 1928 series was in Durban. The Springboks won 17–0. In that match, Bennie Osler scored 14 points, which was a world record at the time! He played in the other three games as well. The series ended in a 2–2 draw, just like the one in 1921.

Grand Slam Tour Captain

Bennie Osler went on his first overseas tour in 1931. He was the captain of the Springboks team. They toured the Home Nations, which are England, Ireland, Scotland, and Wales.

Osler led the team in all four Test matches. They played against England, Ireland, Scotland, and Wales. His team achieved a rare feat called a Grand Slam. This means they beat all four Home Nations teams on one tour. The Springboks were only the second team ever to do this! The tour continued into 1932. The team played 26 matches in total and only lost one game.

Final Test Series

In 1933, Bennie Osler played in his last Test series. This was when Australia toured South Africa. They played five matches. Osler played in all five games. The Springboks won the series by winning 3 out of the 5 matches. During this series, he scored a try, a conversion, and a drop-goal.

Osler's Unique Playing Style

Bennie Osler is remembered for his special way of playing as a fly-half. He often used a "kicking game." This means he would frequently kick the ball to gain territory instead of running with it or passing it to his teammates. His kicks were very accurate. This style allowed the South African teams he played in to focus more on their forwards (the bigger players in the team). This type of play was sometimes called "ten-man rugby."

His important contributions to international rugby were recognized later. He was added to the International Rugby Hall of Fame in 2007. Then, in 2009, he was also inducted into the IRB Hall of Fame. These honors show how important he was to the sport.