At the end of the First World War, when there was once again a delay in sending the troops home from Europe, a tournament was arranged in the UK, with six sides competing, England, Royal Air Force, New Zealand, Australia, Canada and South Africa. New Zealand and England headed the table. South Africa finished fourth behind Australia. It was not that our side was weak for there were six past or future Springboks playing and possibly two more in Clive Van Ryneveld, father of the Springbok cricket captain of the 1950’s and Billie Sendin, who was in the 1921 side to New Zealand, and who to this day, is the lightest player ever to wear the Springbok jersey. However it is now thought that these two players were in the Royal Air Force side which included another eight South Africans one being, Herby Taylor, our national cricket captain and recognised as the first great South African batsman.

The success of this tournament resulted in the New Zealand Services side being invited by our national rugby board to tour this country on their way home. To look back today, it is truly amazing that our visitors accepted the invitation, having been away for four years fighting a tough war, they then spent three months travelling around this country playing fourteen matches against provincial teams. The tour was a huge success and resulted in an invitation for an official Springbok tour to New Zealand to take place two years later. An interesting fact about the 1919 Services side was that the captain, Charlie Brown, had previously played for the New Zealand Maori’s in 1913, which did not produce any comment at the time. It is doubtful whether the South African authorities were aware of the issue at the time.

The 1921 tour to New Zealand ended with the honours even, and when the All Blacks reciprocated in 1928 with a three-month tour of Southern Africa again the series ended even, two all. One can imagine the build up in tension for it would be another nine years before the two foes met again. During this period they would both be very successful against the other International sides. In 1937 the touring Springboks, led by Philip Nel, and containing many players who became legends and contributed so much to South African rugby both on the field and also in administering the game in this country after they retired. Names such as Gerry Brand, Danie Craven, Louis Babrow, Boy Louw, Ferdie Bergh, Jan Lotz and Tony Harris spring to mind. Harris being the last person to represent South Africa, at test level, in both rugby and cricket. This side was triumphant winning the series by two tests to one. They have been the only Springbok side to win a series over there and such was their standing in New Zealand that for many years thereafter they were considered the best side ever to leave New Zealand. Interesting that in comparison to the modern day set up, six players controlled the playing side of the tour selecting and coaching the team. The management's sole responsibility was for the day to day administration.  In fact the manager, Percy Day, boarded the ship and sailed home one week before the deciding final test was played.  

Naturally both nations were convinced they were the leading rugby nation and the rivalry was to increase with the outbreak of the Second World War. Both countries sent their armed forces to North Africa and the Middle East and there, and later in Italy and other parts of Europe, including Poland, famous ‘tests’ were played. Whenever soldiers from both countries met, little time was lost in arranging games. Be it on any level piece of ground, provided there was a ball, a whistle and thirty men available, the game was on. Some matches were played with the kit consisting only of shorts and army boots. One match was purposely arranged, at the insistence of the Military Commanders, to mislead the enemy. This was two days before the decisive Battle of El Alamein where Rommel’s Afrika Korp was defeated. The game took place under German air surveillance and in a German General’s book of the battle, he mentions the activity on the rugby field “which looked like fighting had broken out between the Allied soldiers!” The South African captain for this match was Louis Babrow of the 1937 Springbok side 

For many of these games, a mythical trophy was played for, known amongst the soldiers as ‘ The Book’. Allegedly each side believed that the other did not know the rules and it was recommended after the game that the losing side obtain a copy of the said book to improve their rugby. Eventually as the troops moved into Europe, a test was arranged between the South African 6^th Armoured Division and the 2^nd New Zealand Division. The match took place in Rome in 1944 with the national anthems being played beforehand by a military band. The South African side was again skippered by Louis Babrow, with Felix Du Plessis as his vice-captain. Felix, of course, the father of Morne, was to lead the Springboks in 1949 against the All Blacks. The match won by South Africa 8 – 3, and at the presentation after the game, the programme was handed over to the losing side and this became the official book. Famous players who played for the 6^th Division in other games were Basil Kenyon, leader of the triumphant 1951\52 side to the UK. Stephen Fry, the 1955 Springbok captain and Cecil Moss, a 1949 test wing and later the national coach. After the war before the Division returned to South Africa a tour through Europe was arranged, with the team being coached by Boy Louw.

Perhaps the most unique ‘Tests’ ever arranged were those played in Prisoner of War camps in both Germany and Poland. One may ask, how was this organised? Well in Stalag IVb in Germany, there were 700 South Africans out of 10,000 Allied soldiers held in the camp. To select a side a ‘hut’ league was established, much like the internal leagues, which have featured at our universities. Eight nations took part with South Africa winning the league, once again under the leadership of a Springbok, Fiks Van Der Merwe, capped in 1949 as a flank against the All Blacks. A similar format was used at the prison camp in Thorn, Poland where the South African selection panel consisted of Bill Payn, a 1924 Springbok as convenor, assisted by the son of Theo Pienaar, the 1921 Captain and Billy Millar Jnr, whose father led the Springboks to the UK in 1912\13. They picked a side, which was able to defeat the New Zealanders. Amongst the talent they found and nurtured was a young prop forward who honed his place kicking skills at the prison camp. He did so to such good effect that in 1949 he was to be the leading point scorer in the series against New Zealand, winning two of four tests by scoring all the points on his own. His name……… the legendary Okey Geffin.

Finally, in these matches behind the barbed wire fence, how did the South Africans turn out against the New Zealanders and the other nations in the camp at Thorn in Poland? In the Green and Gold naturally – national pride was at stake. The story of how that was achieved is a legend in itself. First of all the jerseys were prepared by a P. O. W. tailor from the Red Cross issue vests, which were white. These were then boiled together with the Russian battledress, which was freely available, to obtain the green colour. The gold was more problematical. However the South African Medical staff found an ingenious solution.

They boiled up a solution of anti-malaria tablets that were on hand to achieve the right result. The playing field was marked off with yellow clay lines on the vast sandy parade ground and with army boots considered too lethal, the players played with bare feet in the middle of a Polish winter. No wonder our rugby rode the crest of the wave for the first ten years after the war.