Errol Tobias facts for kids

Errol George Tobias, born on March 18, 1950, is a famous former South African rugby union player. He made history as the first player of colour to play in a test match for the South African national team, the Springboks. This happened between 1981 and 1984, during a time when South Africa had a policy called apartheid. Apartheid was a system that separated people based on their race.

Errol Tobias's selection was very important. It helped open the door for other black players to join the national team. Two of these players were Avril Williams and his nephew, Chester Williams. Errol Tobias played 21 games for the Springboks in total, and six of these were official test matches.

Errol Tobias's Early Life and Rugby Journey

Errol Tobias was born on a farm called Klipdrift. This farm is located outside Caledon in the Overberg area of the Western Cape province.

In August 1978, Errol Tobias played as a fly-half for a special team. This team was called the South African Country Districts XV. It was a multi-racial team, meaning it had players of different races. They played against the American Cougars. Tobias scored two tries and helped his team win 44–12. Many people thought this was the first time a multi-racial South African team played against an international team. However, the first official multi-racial team to play a foreign national side was the South African Invitation XV in 1975.

Playing for South Africa: International Career

Errol Tobias's international rugby journey started in 1971. He was chosen for the Proteas' tour of Britain. The Proteas team was part of the Coloured South African Rugby Football Federation. At that time, South Africa had four different rugby associations, each for a different racial group.

On June 4, 1974, Tobias scored all the points for the South African Proteas. He kicked a penalty and a drop-kick. But his team still lost 6-37 to the touring Lions team. This game took place at Goodwood Showground in Cape Town.

In 1979, Tobias joined the first multi-racial South African Barbarians team. This team toured the United Kingdom. He also played for the South African Barbarians again in 1980. They played against the British Lions and lost 14–25. His teammates included famous players like Hugo Porta.

In October 1980, Tobias was part of the Springbok team that toured South America. However, the team was not allowed to enter Argentina. This was because of international pressure against South Africa's apartheid policy. The tour was kept very secret. Matches against Paraguay, Uruguay, and Chile had very small crowds, sometimes as few as one hundred people.

Tobias's First Test Match

In 1981, Errol Tobias was chosen to play for the Springboks. He played as a centre against the touring Irish team. His first test match was on May 30 at Newlands Stadium in Cape Town. About 37,000 fans watched the game. Tobias made a great play, breaking through the defence and passing to Rob Louw, who scored a try. The Springboks won the game 23–15.

Before this big game, Danie Craven, a famous rugby figure, told Tobias that the game would be over very quickly. He said Tobias might not even realise he was representing his country. Tobias remembered that Danie Gerber scored one of the best tries ever seen at Newlands during that match.

The Controversial New Zealand Tour

Later in 1981, Dr Danie Craven called Errol Tobias to tell him he was selected for the Springbok tour to New Zealand. This tour was managed by Johan Claassen and coached by Nelie Smith. Tobias prepared for the wet rugby fields he expected in New Zealand by turning his own backyard into a muddy area to practice.

Tobias's selection for this tour caused a lot of discussion. Some people thought he was chosen just to show that the team was diverse, not because of his skill. He faced protests and insults from a New Zealand group called Halt All Racist Tours. One member even called him an "Uncle Tom", which is an offensive term. Inside the Springbok team, opinions about Tobias were mixed. Naas Botha said in 2006 that players were generally accepting. However, Johan Claassen admitted that the team management might have had a bias against Errol.

Errol Tobias's International Test Matches

Errol Tobias played in six official test matches for the Springboks. Here's a quick look at them:

• On May 30, 1981, he played against Ireland as an Outside Centre. South Africa won 23-15.
• On June 6, 1981, he played against Ireland again as an Outside Centre. South Africa won 12-10.
• On June 2, 1984, he played against England as a Fly-half. South Africa won 33-15.
• On June 9, 1984, he played against England as a Fly-half. He scored 6 points (1 try, 1 conversion). South Africa won 35-9.
• On October 20, 1984, he played against the South American Jaguars as a Fly-half. He scored 10 points (2 conversions, 2 penalties). South Africa won 32-15.
• On October 27, 1984, he played against the South American Jaguars again as a Fly-half. He scored 6 points (2 penalties). South Africa won 22-13.

Later Life and Community Work

After his rugby career, Errol Tobias worked as a bricklayer. Later, he started his own construction company. He is married to Sandra and has two sons, Errol and Sidney. His son Sidney, also known as Sid, played for the Western Province Under-21 team. His other son, Errol Junior, played rugby for the Old Greys club in Bloemfontein. Errol Junior also tried out for the Cats Super 12 team and played for the Leopards. In 2011, Sid Tobias played for the Sale Jets in England.

Errol Tobias also worked as a rugby commentator. He received good feedback for how well he spoke Afrikaans during his commentary.

On November 8, 1995, Errol Tobias became the first black mayor of his hometown, Caledon. He was part of the Caledon Community Association, which aimed to improve life for local residents. His group won 5 out of 13 seats and worked with the African National Congress. As mayor, he focused on bringing people together. He did this by running rugby training camps that included everyone. In 1996, he lost his position as mayor. However, he continued to serve as a councillor. He later committed to working with the new mayor for the good of the town.

See also

• List of South Africa national rugby union players – Springbok no. 515

Images for kids

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  Flag of the South American Jaguars rugby team