Latest news with #WillieJohnMcBride
IOL News
3 days ago
- Sport
- IOL News
Canadians cause a riot against Springboks in Battle of Boet Erasmus II
The big winner of the Battle of Boet Erasmus at the Rugby World Cup 1995 between the Springboks and Canada, was Chester Williams, who did not even play in the clash. Photo: AFP Image: AFP Those who were there swear there was something sinister simmering in the air above Algoa Bay the night the Springboks hosted Canada in a Pool A match at the 1995 Rugby World Cup. Older fans would later say they had experienced the same combative atmosphere on July 13, 1974, when the original Battle of Boet Erasmus took place. That was the infamous third Test between the British Lions and a desperate Springbok. At week earlier, at Loftus Versfeld, the Boks had suffered a record 28–9 humiliation and arrived at Boet Erasmus Stadium in a savage mood. But the wily Lions knew what was coming and had devised a call to arms they named '99'. Rugby World Cup 1995 | In retrospective Image: Independent Media Video Player is loading. Play Video Play Unmute Current Time 0:00 / Duration -:- Loaded : 0% Stream Type LIVE Seek to live, currently behind live LIVE Remaining Time - 0:00 This is a modal window. Beginning of dialog window. Escape will cancel and close the window. Text Color White Black Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Background Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Transparent Window Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Transparent Semi-Transparent Opaque Font Size 50% 75% 100% 125% 150% 175% 200% 300% 400% Text Edge Style None Raised Depressed Uniform Dropshadow Font Family Proportional Sans-Serif Monospace Sans-Serif Proportional Serif Monospace Serif Casual Script Small Caps Reset restore all settings to the default values Done Close Modal Dialog End of dialog window. Advertisement Next Stay Close ✕ Ad loading When captain Willie John McBride sensed extreme hostility, he would scream '99' and each Lion would punch the nearest Springbok. McBride reasoned that if all 15 Lions were simultaneously brawling, it would be impossible for the referee to send anyone off. The Lions won the fight and the rugby, and the Boks fared only marginally better than in Pretoria, losing 26–9. In 1995, a contributing factor to the incendiary atmosphere was the late kick-off at 7.45pm. It had been a long time since Gqeberha had hosted a Test match, and the excited locals had all day to imbibe in the throbbing beachfront pubs, before they partied up the road to nearby Boet Erasmus Stadium – a ramshackle cauldron where rusty old railway carriages presided atop the openside stand. The volatile expectancy was ramped up when the lights failed as the teams lined up for the national anthems. The 31 000 spectators thronged to the stadium pubs once more. Also pre-match, there had been the curious sight of SA Rugby Football Union CEO Edward Griffiths personally threading his way across that boisterous openside stand to implore holders of the old South African flag to lower their colours. Some did; others mocked him. The teams retreated to their changing rooms when the lights failed. The Canadians continued to whip themselves into a frenzy. That week, captain Gareth Rees had said: 'We're not a particularly good side, but through physical confrontation, we're hoping to set up a battle that we can win. "Nothing illegal … Just good old confrontational rugby that can win or lose you the game.' In fact, Canada were a relatively good side — Rees was an accomplished flyhalf; their Western Province centre Christian Stewart would later play for the Boks; while Rod Snow and Al Charron were among the best tight forwards in Welsh club rugby. But the Canadians knew they could not beat the Boks in a fair exchange. Former Canada captain Gareth Rees. Photo: AFP Image: AFP When the game eventually kicked off, just before 9pm, the Canadians set out to niggle, annoy, and unsettle — an elbow here, a jersey tug there, hidden punches in the rucks, and plenty of inflammatory chatter. This match was the Boks' third game of the World Cup. They had gloriously beaten defending champions Australia in the opening match and taken care of Romania with a B-side. Discipline had been a non-negotiable cornerstone of the Boks' campaign under ultra-strict coach Kitch Christie, and in the first half, the Boks literally rolled with the punches and maintained their focus on getting the result that would secure them a quarter-final. After all, if they had lost to Canada, there was a mathematical chance they would not make the play-offs. The Boks comfortably led 17–0 at half-time, but the only further score in the match would be a Joel Stransky penalty early in the second half. The game lost shape as the niggling intensified, and the powder keg was ignited when Canada wing Winston Stanley, hurtling down the touchline, was clattered into the advertising boards by an over-exuberant Pieter Hendriks. All hell broke loose when Stanley got up and tried to throttle Hendriks. Players flew in like missiles, and among them — perhaps inevitably — was James 'Bullet' Dalton. At that time, the law emphasised that the third party arriving with hostile intent at a tussle, had to be heavily penalised. Referee David McHugh incorrectly identified Dalton as the third arrival, when replays clearly showed it was Canadian fullback Scott Stewart who had escalated the situation. Virtually every player on the field traded blows, but it was the unfortunate Dalton who was sent off by McHugh, along with Rees and Snow. Dalton, for once in his life, was innocent. He never threw a punch and was injudiciously banned from the rest of the tournament. The great fear was that if the Boks' semi-final against France had been rained off — and it very nearly was — they would have been out of the World Cup because Les Bleus had the better disciplinary record.
Irish Times
23-05-2025
- Sport
- Irish Times
Gerry Thornley: Take criticism of Lions squad make-up with a hefty pinch of salt
Rarely, one imagines, can a British & Irish Lions selection have caused so little argument or controversy, save for predictable sources irritated and maybe even a little flabbergasted by the audacity of the best team from these islands in the last four years actually being the most numerously represented. Eh, seeing as it's little auld Ireland . What's happening to the world? And the temptation is also to avoid giving any oxygen to the headlines or red herring (dilute to taste) generated by Willie John McBride's comments on the inclusion of seven players in the squad who were born in the southern hemisphere. Yet McBride is a five-time tourist who played in a remarkable 17 Tests for the Lions, and who captained the undefeated side in South Africa in 1974. He also made 63 appearances for Ireland in a virtually unbroken run over 14 seasons, including 11 as captain, and was inducted into the World Rugby Hall of Fame in 2009. There's no doubt that McBride is one of the game's most iconic figures and is regarded as a Lions legend, not least in South Africa. In his squad for this summer's Lions tour, Andy Farrell included seven players – Jamison Gibson-Park, Bundee Aki, Mack Hansen, James Lowe, Pierre Schoeman, Sione Tuipulotu and Duhan van der Merwe – who were born in New Zealand, South Africa or Australia. READ MORE 'One thing that does bother me is that eight (sic) members of the squad are not born in Britain or Ireland,' McBride told South African publication Rapport. 'That's how things have changed over the past 60 years. In my day, the team consisted only of native players.' Of course, it is faintly ridiculous that the commitment of the aforementioned seven players to their adopted countries could be questioned, or that only 'native' players should be allowed wear the Lions jersey. Ireland, of all countries, should surely accept the right of, say, Mack Hansen representing the country from which his mother emigrated. Given Ireland's history of forced emigration, be it through famine or economic factors, it should be a welcoming country, one which embraces diversity. 'We've all done our time,' said Lowe. 'I am fully embedded in the culture of Ireland. Sione's captained Scotland. You don't have to question where his allegiance lies. My old man walks around in an Ireland jersey and a Leinster jumper. 'Everyone's got a different story, my story just didn't start in Ireland. But I can see it ending in Ireland. My two kids were born in Ireland. My wife and I are super happy with everything Ireland has given us and we don't see ourselves moving.' McBride's words probably carry more weight in South Africa (where he has been described as the Burly Britisher) than anywhere else. He has always retained a strong affinity with the country. Back in 1989, while South Africa was under the reprehensible apartheid regime and Nelson Mandela was still imprisoned in Victor Verstar Prison (he release came the following year), McBride was manager of a World Rugby XV tour to South Africa. The tour was opposed by the Irish Anti-Apartheid Movement and the Irish government. It was in clear breach of the UN policy on the sporting boycott of South Africa. Archbishop Desmond Tutu said the IRFU's support for the tour at a time when black children were being beaten, tear-gassed and detained without trial was 'obscene'. The IRFU subsequently expressed its regret over the tour but McBride was unrepentant. 'I will maintain that rugby players should be allowed to play against whomever they please, without politics spoiling everything,' he said. How convenient. The fact remains that the obscene tour of 1989 flew in the face of increasing global condemnation of apartheid and the sporting boycott of South Africa. More than any other sport, World Rugby's continuing ties with South Africa helped to validate the apartheid regime. More than any other sport, rugby's eventual conversion to boycotting South Africa – McBride and a few others apart – helped bring down the apartheid regime. So, if McBride is 'bothered' by the inclusion of seven players who happen to have been born outside of Britain and Ireland, then the rest of us probably shouldn't be remotely concerned.
Times
19-05-2025
- Sport
- Times
Foreign-born stars James Lowe and Sione Tuipulotu ‘all in' with the Lions
Sione Tuipulotu and James Lowe. An Australian accent and a Kiwi accent. One has a Scottish grandmother, the other has Irish citizenship. Both are now British & Irish Lions, a fact that does not sit comfortably with one of the greats to have worn the jersey. Willie John McBride, who played 70 games for the Lions over five tours, said recently that he was bothered by the number of players in the squad not born in Britain and Ireland. 'That's how things have changed over the past 60 years,' he said. 'In my day, the team consisted only of native players.' The world has certainly changed, with natural migration, multinational families and the globalisation of professional rugby, but it has never been quite as straightforward
Telegraph
19-05-2025
- Sport
- Telegraph
Sione Tuipulotu: I'll show you I'm all in for Lions
Whether by coincidence or design, the British and Irish Lions have been quick to address the thorny issue of the number of overseas-born players in Andy Farrell's squad. Players born outside of Britain and Ireland have been representing the Lions since Jack Clowes, who was born Philadelphia, was selected for the original tour in 1888 to New Zealand and Australia and you could come close to selecting at least two Lions XVs of overseas-born players who have pulled on the famous red jersey since. Yet with seven overseas-born players selected in Andy Farrell's squad, including five who qualified for their national sides on residency grounds, the number was enough to cause the legendary Lions captain Willie John McBride to raise an eyebrow. At the Lions' first media engagement, three of the four players who were put up for interview, Sione Tuipulotu, James Lowe and Jamison Gibson-Park, were born and raised in the southern hemisphere and made compelling cases for their inclusion. Tuipulotu, who along with Mack Hansen qualifies on ancestry grounds – his grandmother Jaqueline Thomson was born in Greenock in Scotland – was the most passionate of the trio, desperate to make the most of his chance to play against his native Australia, having just returned to play from a pectoral injury that sidelined him for four months. The Scotland captain's desire to prove his allegiance can be traced back to making his debut in 2021. 'Genuinely in those early days, just to be completely transparent, you have that feeling of, 'am I part of this?'' he recalled. 'But going back to how I prepare mentally for games, I always feel like talking about it is one thing, but showing people how much it means to you with how I play and how I speak [is another]. When my gran came over before the Australia game (last November), it allowed the public to put a face to the story, listen to how much it meant to her. I think that gave eyes to the public that my story is authentic. Of course you get those feelings that you want to prove yourself, and the best way to do that is on the field and show your commitment that way. 'My gran stayed up with my mum and dad to watch the [Lions squad] announcement. I genuinely can't believe how the last six to eight months have gone for me, with the whirlwind of my injury, my granny coming over to watch me play against Australia, and now getting picked to play for the Lions and going back to play in front of her again. It's something that I am so grateful for and I don't put it all up to me, I really feel like it is divine intervention.' Special moment between Sione Tuipulotu and his gran after he scores the opening try of the game 🥹 They flew her in to see him play ❤️🏴 — BallCarrier (@BallCarrier_) November 24, 2024 So does he feel hurt if people question his allegiance to Scotland, and now to the Lions? 'I think when I play rugby, I play better when there is a chip on my shoulder anyway,' he added. 'That is how I play rugby. All of that just adds to that. I've been nothing but embraced by the Scottish public since I've been playing for Scotland. There are always going to be a couple of people like there are for some of the Irish boys, but I take that in my stride because I don't blame those people, either. I didn't grow up dreaming of playing for Scotland or the Lions. That's the truth. But this is where my path has led me. I'm all in for this Lions team, for Scotland, for Glasgow, for everything – and I genuinely believe this is where I'm supposed to be anyway. I've been led here for a reason.' And his message to Lions supporters? 'I'm all in. I'm looking forward to showing how committed I am to playing for the Lions with how I play, and I can't wait to get over there.' Lowe, who is now an Irish resident, played against the Lions for the New Zealand Maori on the tour in 2017. It was in the pouring rain in Rotorua that night that Lowe, who a couple of months earlier had signed for Leinster, experienced first-hand the passion his opponents had for the red jersey in a 32-10 defeat. 'I played full-back that evening and I'm pretty sure I had Rieko Ioane on one wing and Nehe Milner-Skudder on the other – so I was the dud at the back compared to those two,' recalled Lowe, who now has 40 caps for Ireland. 'I think everyone would admit that was their first actual Test match, the first one they properly turned up for. They blew us off the park in terms of intensity, the basics of the game, the ferocity at the breakdown. 'We were beaten off the park that day, and we went into the game with a boatload of confidence. Conor Murray was putting up box kicks on me, Sexto [Johnny Sexton] was screaming, 'go at his left foot!' and all that sort of stuff. It was an introduction into what it actually meant to the boys playing for the Lions and a level of intensity that was unmatched.' Lowe insists he feels that attachment now. Ireland is his home and he does not see himself returning to New Zealand after his playing career is over. 'When I was first selected for Ireland, all the people came out of the woodwork saying, 'how is this person representing Ireland?'' he added. 'I'm sure Sione was the same growing up in Australia and then moving over. But the rules are there. We've all done our time. I am fully embedded in the culture of Ireland. Sione's captained Scotland. You don't have to question where his allegiance lies. His parents are considering moving to Scotland because his younger brother is playing at Edinburgh, and he's got another younger brother who is pretty good and could be moving this way. My old man walks around in an Ireland jersey and a Leinster jumper. In 30 degrees, he'll have a rain jacket on with one of the crests, that's just how proud we are. 'It means so, so much. The boys will still slag me for my accent, but we are so well connected in so many ways. Everyone's got a different story; my story just didn't start in Ireland. But I can see it ending in Ireland. My two kids were born in Ireland. My wife and I are super happy with everything Ireland has given us and we don't see ourselves moving. We've got our residency, and I don't think you are going to get rid of us any time soon.'
Daily Mail
19-05-2025
- Sport
- Daily Mail
Forget the Aussie accent, Tuipulotu is 'all in' on securing a Tour victory for the Lions Down Under
When the big screen at London's O2 Arena cut live to Glasgow on the day of the British & Irish Lions squad announcement earlier this month, an image of a beaming Sione Tuipulotu appeared almost instantaneously. The Scotland captain then began to speak from the heart, emphasising his delight at Lions selection after months of injury turmoil and worry. As he did so, there was a noticeable sense of shock in the room at Tuipulotu's Australian accent. It seemed many were somehow oblivious to the powerful centre's background. Tuipulotu is not the only 2025 Lion whose journey began in the southern hemisphere. He and fellow Scots Pierre Schoeman and Duhan van der Merwe, as well as Irishmen Bundee Aki, Jamison Gibson-Park, Mack Hansen and James Lowe were all born and started their rugby careers in either Australia, South Africa or New Zealand. Their selection by Lions head coach Andy Farrell has attracted criticism in some quarters, mainly from those ignorant both of World Rugby's eligibility rules and the global world in which we all live in the year 2025. Lions great Willie John McBride was one voice of note. McBride said he was 'bothered' by the selection of those players. But at the first Lions meet-up in Richmond over the weekend, Tuipulotu, Lowe and Gibson-Park all hit back at the critics, reiterating how much Lions selection has meant to them. 'I really wanted to be a Lion because I know how much it means to people over here,' said Tuipulotu, who made his long-awaited return from injury for Glasgow last weekend. 'I had gone all in with Scotland. I just felt what better way to prove my allegiance to Scotland than go all in and try and make the Lions? That's why it meant so much to me. 'In those early days (with Scotland), you have that feeling of 'Am I part of this?' I feel like talking is one thing, but showing people how much it means with how I play is another. Of course, you get those feelings you want to prove yourself. 'The best way to do that is on the field and show your commitment that way.' Well said. It will be extra special for Tuipulotu that it is Australia, the country of his birth, who he will face with the Lions. Tuipulotu, 28, qualifies for Scotland through his Greenock-born grandmother Jaqueline Thomson, who watched him take on the Wallabies last autumn. 'When my gran came over before the Australia game, it gave eyes to the public that my story is authentic,' Tuipulotu said. 'I'm looking forward to showing how committed I am to the Lions with how I play. I play better when there is a chip on my shoulder. 'All of that (criticism) just adds to that. I've been nothing but embraced by the Scottish public since I've been playing for Scotland. There are always going to be a couple of people (critics) like there are for some of the Irish boys, but I take that in my stride. 'I don't blame those people. I didn't grow up dreaming of playing for Scotland or the Lions - that's the truth. But this is where my path has led me. I'm all in for this Lions team, for Scotland and for Glasgow. I genuinely believe this is where I'm supposed to be. 'I've been led here for a reason.' Leinster wing Lowe qualified for Ireland under residency rules rather than through a direct relative. Now, he too is a Lion and a fully deserving one at that. 'When you don't have the blood running through your veins, there is a little bit of that (criticism),' Lowe said. 'When I was first selected for Ireland, all the people come out of the woodwork saying: 'How is this person representing Ireland?' 'I'm sure it was the same for Sione. But the rules are there. We've all done our time. I am fully embedded in the culture of Ireland. Sione's captained Scotland. You don't have to question where his allegiance lies.' Born in Nelson, New Zealand, Lowe will become one of just a handful of players to have featured both for and against the Lions this summer. In 2017, he was part of the Mâori All Blacks side who faced the might of Britain and Ireland. Now, he is poised to wear a red shirt. 'It means so, so much,' Lowe, 32, said of his new life in Ireland. 'Leinster and Ireland have given me everything. They've made me a lot better as a rugby player, they've looked after me physically and they've given me time off to get back to New Zealand when I need it. 'It's something I'll forever be grateful for. The boys still slag me for my accent, but we are so well connected in so many ways. Everyone's got a different story. My story didn't start in Ireland. But I can see it ending in Ireland. My two kids were born in Ireland. My wife and I are super happy with everything Ireland has given us and we don't see ourselves moving. 'We've got our residency and I don't think you are going to get rid of us any time soon.' Like Lowe, scrum-half Gibson-Park was also born in New Zealand but qualified for Ireland on residency. 'We don't make the eligibility rules. We're eligible to play,' said the man who is likely to be Farrell's first-choice Lions No 9 in Australia. 'It's not something I give a whole lot of thought to. People obviously have their opinions. That's fine.' Lowe added: 'I've been fortunate to represent Ireland and I still pinch myself every time I get to wear that jersey. To be recognised and picked (for the Lions) is surreal. My old boy back in Nelson, where I grew up, walks around in Leinster, Ireland and now Lions kit. Everyone thinks: 'Who is this crazy old boy in all this kit?' He's just a proud boy now.' Given his other position as Ireland boss, it will be surprising if Farrell doesn't call heavily on the players he knows well. Gibson-Park and Lowe are two of 15 Irishmen in the 38-man Lions squad. Powerful ball carrier Tuipulotu is also a likely Test starter in the centre. He missed the Six Nations due to a pectoral injury which put his Lions place in severe doubt, but played 40 minutes in Glasgow's United Rugby Championship defeat by Leinster last Saturday. The Dublin game was Tuipulotu's first rugby since January. 'I was just stoked to get through it,' he added. 'I don't think I've been much more nervous before a game than that one because of my injury. 'It was the first time I was out for that long.' Tuipulotu described himself as feeling 'fresh as a daisy' ahead of the Lions tour and Glasgow's end-of-season URC run-in. He added: 'I was generally really happy playing rugby. I've looked around the Glasgow changing room recently and obviously with all the injuries we've had, some of the boys have had to play so much rugby. I've had three or four months getting my body right. 'My legs felt amazing. I'm just fresh, mentally as well. I think that's the most important thing for me. I just feel very eager to contribute. I feel kind of responsible as well because I've been out for four months. I feel like it's time for me to lift a load now and try and get us over the line again.' Defending URC champions Glasgow face the Stormers in the first round of the league's play-off structure. Then will come the Lions in Australia. It promises to be a trip to remember, especially for first-time tourists like Tuipulotu, Lowe and Gibson-Park. Some may have questioned their selection. But you certainly can't doubt their commitment. 'Any athlete coming back from a long-term injury battles doubts,' Tuipulotu said. 'Will you be the same player? I felt all those doubts didn't really matter because I don't doubt my appetite for the game. I wanted to be in control of whether I got selected or not. 'I believed I was doing that up to the point I got hurt. When you get that, I suppose the chance to influence the situation is taken away from you. I just felt it was over for me. 'I was emotional because I'd been playing the best rugby of my life up until that point and then you get hurt and you feel like it's all gone. 'But I believe genuinely in God's timing and I think maybe this is how my journey was supposed to go. I feel rejuvenated, fresh and ready to go and contribute. 'And that's why I speak about divine intervention. That's what I feel it is. I just feel like it's not all me. And that's why I'm just grateful. I just want to grab this opportunity because I'll never get it again - to go back to Australia and play for the Lions. Now, I feel like I'm in career-best shape mentally and physically and ready to go.' All 38 Lions players were present at the team's first camp at various points over the course of Sunday and Monday. Farrell's squad met as a group for the first time, bonding over coffee. They also signed Lions jerseys and undertook media, sponsorship and commercial duties. Tuipulotu, Lowe and Gibson-Park all addressed the press. It felt like the Lions wanted to get the issue of what it must be remembered has been minimal criticism of their selection out of the way and that was a canny move. Now, all roads lead to Australia once the small matter of domestic titles across Britain and Ireland are sorted out. This is a tour that can't come soon enough for many, especially as the last Lions trip to South Africa in 2021 was ruined by the Covid-19 pandemic. 'I always backed myself that I could have healed fast enough to make myself eligible. With all my injuries in my career, I've come back quickly,' Tuipulotu said. 'I put that down to a lot of things, maybe my genetics. But also when I'm hurt, I don't muck around and get my body right. I put it down to my discipline. 'I'm not happy when I'm not playing rugby. I never had a doubt that I would get my body right and ready to go.'
