Danie Gerber suffered in sporting isolation, but was rugby's greatest centre

I agree that we need to look beyond the obvious as the situation is far more complex. Apartheid produced terrible evils and that was (and still is) rightfully condemned. I would argue that the political landscape in South Africa post colonialism was always dire and that the cast was set even before the Union of South Africa was formed after the Boer Wars in 1910. What government do you think South Africa would have had if apartheid was abandoned in the 1960s when other countries like Australia extended the right to vote to Aboriginals? It is hypothetical but there are pointers. The ANC’s communist policies moderated after the collapse of the USSR when they abandoned nationalisation of assets etc. However, South Africans have been very disappointed by the performance of the ANC in government. Life expectancy went backward, so do living and educational standards, infrastructure is not maintained and the South-African economy is de-industrialising (GDP per capita continues to decrease). Even anti-apartheid activist like Peter Hain claims that South Africa is on path to become a failed state crippled by government corruption that implicates even cabinet ministers and the president. State enterprises are bankrupt and falling apart and the courts are unable to persecute high ranking officials like Zuma. Now that you have that picture, go back the 1960s and colour it in with Lenin style marxism. It may not be as binary as I state above, however Southern Africa state after state followed the same regression path - those that fought the colonialists enabled the marxists to take over. I hope that those that fought against apartheid will not abandoned South Africa as the most vulnerable still find life challenging and unfair.

That must have been Willie du Plessis…and he got the ball before Gerber!

Coker, Warne never did well in India, but that hasn't stopped him being acclaimed as arguably the greatest spinner of all time. Everyone has quiet moments, or series. Stanley was a lion-hearted performer, but he had half the skills of Gerber.

Bliksem, You would be aware of the joke often told against Nass Botha, especially by those from the coastal fringes of South Africa. After a provincial match in Cape Town, Botha was flying back to Pretoria when he looked long & hard at the guy sitting next to him on the aircraft. "Excuse me", said Botha, "but your face seems familiar to me". "It ought to be", replied the other passenger, "I was your inside centre this afternoon". Boom tish.....

Kind of like having someone refer to me as being in an aircon office in Sydney etc. It is always a bit disappointing when to praise a person's play results in one being said to be of their country, or to share their politics etc. Or that to ask that there just be a few lines in an article about the very particular circumstances relevant to their sporting isolation be included is asking for an invasion of social justice. C'est la vie. As I said, sitting in my aircon in Sydney, smashing avocadoes and apparently expressing misdirected 'outrage' (these bits came from someone else), I love your articles and my sense is that you love the game and the greats, wherever they are from and that, to me is a fantastic thing.

Bliksem, are you referring to my post or something you imagine was posted? I wrote "I don’t argue for ignoring Gerber or others like him. All I ask is that there be a few lines at least reminding us that while they got to play for their country, to display their prowess, they benefitted from several centuries of privilege based on race, that while they played, others were being shot at Sharpeville, Soweto, in the vicious bush wars in Angola, Namibia, ‘Rhodesia’, others were losing their chance to display their prowess because they spoke out – as Bedford did." I am not sure how that is even really controversial. I also went to some lengths to look beyond the simple - read my last para. I think some people are giving vent to their own issues not anything that is actually in what I wrote. Maybe that says more about their own psychology and needs than about what I wrote?

Sheek, I think I covered all that in my post. But let's not demean the people who did stand up, despite the survival instinct and the odds. I expressed empathy for Gerber - read the last para of my post. I wrote it whilst smashing avocado in my aircon office in Sydney, difficult though it was to see with my black and white lenses and outrage.

JN, I think you need to go back and actually read what I wrote rather than inventing some stuff and venting your spleen, including the capitalised words. As for the irony of your focus being on today (capitalised or not) when responding to an article and a post about the past, well what can I say? Let's just pretend that there is no past, except the good bits.

JN does your post relate to mine or is it a response to something else? Written from my airconditioned office in Canberra (surely even more disgraceful than Sydney).

Couldn't have voiced it better myself Sheek. Learning from the past is what we need to do and we shouldn't forget it either . But if one wants to be a social justice warrior , and there's place for that of course , there is more than enough causes in today's World to keep one busy . As a so called white South African who lived through the worst excesses of that system , both as an enabler having fought in the Border conflict , although we didnt see it as supporting Apartheid but rather halting the spread of Communism in Southern Africa , to becoming a few years later a founding member of the End Conscription Campaign which saw our meetings targeted by the Security Establishment including the bombing of our venue at The Seapoint Civic Centre , we have an ample supply of our own guilt and conscience to deal with . But today has its own challenges I'm afraid to say. I can't reverse history no matter how much outrage I expend .

Well I think being mistaken for a South African is kinda a compliment :laughing: :laughing: But of course I would , wouldn't I . :thumbup:

No one in this string of posts said that Gerber was not a good centre. You could say some things about Bradman's politics, but you could never say he wasn't a good batsman.

My sister's father in law was selected as an "honorary Springbok" in about 1948. He was a Xhosa man. He gave up rugby and took up politics partly in reaction to his racist treatment by SA Rugby authorities. They gave him a blazer and let him carry the drinks; he did not play because he was black. He and his immediate family were exiled later because of the politics. My brother in law was smuggled to safety in exile wrapped like a cauliflower on the handlebars of a bicycle. The player I'm talking about was Mtutu Mphele who became a minister/director of SA foreign affairs department in the government formed by Mandela after the free election. Mphele had a black teammate, also a lock, who got similar treatment, and left to play Rugby League in England. I wonder how such people would now be remembered as Rugby players if they had not had to endure the racist regime in South Africa.

If Gerber was not a good centre because he played during apartheid, then surely Bradman was not a good batsman as he played for Australia before Aboriginals couldn’t vote. Kolbe is then also not a good wing as he refuses to speak out against corruption in the ANC mafia government. Where do you draw the line? I agree with your sentiments around social justice and equality. However let’s judge these young men on their rugby and politicians on their politics. Gerber was the best centre I have seen and as he played outside Naas “the Boot” Botha where he seldom received a pass. It is a miraculous that he still managed to scored 19 tries in 23 tests!

@ Mr Darrow You must be Sth African. No one else would pick Gerber as the best international centre of his era. I remember him well. He never looked very dangerous in Test rugby partly cos the Boks obviously kicked the leather of it in those days so he rarely got an opportunity to attack. To be fair I'd slot Gerber somewhere between 5-10 in terms of best centres of that era. And he wouldn't have been a good combo with Sella at all imo. Any other Sth African players you'd like to grossly over-rate ??