The death of great All Blacks scrumhalf Sid Going on Friday, aged 80, calls for reflection on the times he played rugby for New Zealand, especially in teams against SA.
The first recorded tour of the All Blacks to SA took place in 1928.
That tour and subsequent ones, took place without Maori players, as the South African government did not want to see a racially mixed team.
This was evident during the Springboks' tour of New Zealand in 1921. When they were given an all-Maori team, they complained that they were made to play “a band of coloured natives, and they found this disgusting.”
The New Zealand public waged a campaign during an impending tour of the All Blacks to SA in 1960: No Maoris — No Tour!
An all-white All Blacks team was opposed. The team flight took off secretly for SA to escape demonstrators.
The 1970 All Blacks Tour of SA was also mired in controversy because of apartheid policies.
The All Blacks featured four “non-white” players including Bryan “Beegee” Williams of Samoan descent, and three Maoris, Going, Buff Milner and Blair Furlong.
The New Zealand Rugby Football Union had made it clear to SA that their side would not continue to tour the country if they were not allowed to select a representative side.
SA then decided to afford the four players “honorary white status” so that it would be “understandable” as to why they would be allowed to play against the Springboks.
The All Blacks finally arrived in SA in June 1970 with a squad of 30, coached by Ivan Vodanovich.
They stayed for three months in SA, playing a total of 26 matches. These included four Tests against the Springboks, and many provincials and picks.
They played 10 matches and won them all, before the opening Test in Pretoria.
Chris Laidlaw, one of the All Blacks players, remembers that many of these pre-Test matches were inconsequential as they won easily.
The All Blacks enjoyed feasts, parties, fatty foods and free drinks. They were also taken to game parks and this may have been a distraction ahead of the first Test.
They forgot to study the opposition.
“When the first Test came, it hit us like a typhoon. We weren’t ready for it,” Laidlaw said.
SA Rugby president Danie Craven added to the distraction and deception as he attended the parties, telling the All Blacks they were the best side ever to tour SA as they spun the ball very well.
Thus, the All Blacks lost the opening Test 17-6.
However, the All Blacks won the second 9-8 in Cape Town.
The Springboks then clinched the third Test 14-3 in Port Elizabeth before closing the series 3-1, winning 20-17 at Ellis Park.
Going did well as he played 14 matches on tour, including the first and the fourth Tests, and he and Williams returned to SA for the 1976 All Blacks Tour.
The other four Maori players not on the 1970 tour were Bill Bush, Bill Osborne, Kent Lambert and Tane Norton.
As was the case in 1970, they were given the “honorary white status”.
This time, there were 31 players in the tour group coached by Noel Stanley and captained by Andy Leslie.
They were in the country from June to September 1976, playing a total of 24 matches that included four Tests, of which they won 18 and lost six.
Wins against regional sides included a 24-0 drubbing of the Border and North East Cape combination in East London on June 30.
They also beat Eastern Province 28-15 at the former Boet Erasmus Stadium on July 3.
The Test match results were: SA 16 All Blacks 7, Kingsmead; SA 9 All Blacks 15, Bloemfontein; SA 15 New Zealand 10, Newlands; and SA 15 All Blacks 14, Ellis Park.
The Boks won the series 3-1.
Going played in 13 matches including all four Tests.
While he played scrumhalf, he doubled up as a kicker as players who were assigned kicking duties were injured during the tour.
Some of his accolades included winning the Maori Player of the Year six times and consecutively, from 1967 to 1972.
He played 86 matches in his professional career. He faced the British Lions and other top European sides, and retired in 1978.
He continued being involved in the game as coach and selector until 1996.
In 1978, Bob Howitt wrote a biography of Going titled Super Sid — The Story of a Great All Black.
“Sid was a special player and man in our game,” All Blacks coach Scott Robertson said.
“He lit up the field with his ability and energy. He lit up people’s hearts off it — that was his trademark.”
DispatchLIVE
Final salute to ‘Super Sid’
Legendary All Black scrumhalf who lit up the field dies at 80
Image: Adrian Murrell/Allsport
The death of great All Blacks scrumhalf Sid Going on Friday, aged 80, calls for reflection on the times he played rugby for New Zealand, especially in teams against SA.
The first recorded tour of the All Blacks to SA took place in 1928.
That tour and subsequent ones, took place without Maori players, as the South African government did not want to see a racially mixed team.
This was evident during the Springboks' tour of New Zealand in 1921. When they were given an all-Maori team, they complained that they were made to play “a band of coloured natives, and they found this disgusting.”
The New Zealand public waged a campaign during an impending tour of the All Blacks to SA in 1960: No Maoris — No Tour!
An all-white All Blacks team was opposed. The team flight took off secretly for SA to escape demonstrators.
The 1970 All Blacks Tour of SA was also mired in controversy because of apartheid policies.
The All Blacks featured four “non-white” players including Bryan “Beegee” Williams of Samoan descent, and three Maoris, Going, Buff Milner and Blair Furlong.
The New Zealand Rugby Football Union had made it clear to SA that their side would not continue to tour the country if they were not allowed to select a representative side.
SA then decided to afford the four players “honorary white status” so that it would be “understandable” as to why they would be allowed to play against the Springboks.
The All Blacks finally arrived in SA in June 1970 with a squad of 30, coached by Ivan Vodanovich.
They stayed for three months in SA, playing a total of 26 matches. These included four Tests against the Springboks, and many provincials and picks.
They played 10 matches and won them all, before the opening Test in Pretoria.
Chris Laidlaw, one of the All Blacks players, remembers that many of these pre-Test matches were inconsequential as they won easily.
The All Blacks enjoyed feasts, parties, fatty foods and free drinks. They were also taken to game parks and this may have been a distraction ahead of the first Test.
They forgot to study the opposition.
“When the first Test came, it hit us like a typhoon. We weren’t ready for it,” Laidlaw said.
SA Rugby president Danie Craven added to the distraction and deception as he attended the parties, telling the All Blacks they were the best side ever to tour SA as they spun the ball very well.
Thus, the All Blacks lost the opening Test 17-6.
However, the All Blacks won the second 9-8 in Cape Town.
The Springboks then clinched the third Test 14-3 in Port Elizabeth before closing the series 3-1, winning 20-17 at Ellis Park.
Going did well as he played 14 matches on tour, including the first and the fourth Tests, and he and Williams returned to SA for the 1976 All Blacks Tour.
The other four Maori players not on the 1970 tour were Bill Bush, Bill Osborne, Kent Lambert and Tane Norton.
As was the case in 1970, they were given the “honorary white status”.
This time, there were 31 players in the tour group coached by Noel Stanley and captained by Andy Leslie.
They were in the country from June to September 1976, playing a total of 24 matches that included four Tests, of which they won 18 and lost six.
Wins against regional sides included a 24-0 drubbing of the Border and North East Cape combination in East London on June 30.
They also beat Eastern Province 28-15 at the former Boet Erasmus Stadium on July 3.
The Test match results were: SA 16 All Blacks 7, Kingsmead; SA 9 All Blacks 15, Bloemfontein; SA 15 New Zealand 10, Newlands; and SA 15 All Blacks 14, Ellis Park.
The Boks won the series 3-1.
Going played in 13 matches including all four Tests.
While he played scrumhalf, he doubled up as a kicker as players who were assigned kicking duties were injured during the tour.
Some of his accolades included winning the Maori Player of the Year six times and consecutively, from 1967 to 1972.
He played 86 matches in his professional career. He faced the British Lions and other top European sides, and retired in 1978.
He continued being involved in the game as coach and selector until 1996.
In 1978, Bob Howitt wrote a biography of Going titled Super Sid — The Story of a Great All Black.
“Sid was a special player and man in our game,” All Blacks coach Scott Robertson said.
“He lit up the field with his ability and energy. He lit up people’s hearts off it — that was his trademark.”
DispatchLIVE
Would you like to comment on this article?
Register (it's quick and free) or sign in now.
Please read our Comment Policy before commenting.
Trending Now
Latest Videos