Craven – always “Doc” – and the Union were both born in 1910 and the centenaries of these two South African institutions have passed almost without comment.
Danie Craven always seemed old, so it came as a surprise to find he would have reached 100 only a week go.
Of the two, the Doc had the greater influence on our lives: he could make you a Springbok, but you might first have to play for Stellenbosch. He once promised the Springbok fullback berth to Bossie Clarke, but Clarke left Maties to play wing for Villagers and never played for the Boks, as much as he may have deserved to.
Craven, who was chosen for South Africa while he was a student at Stellenbosch University – even before he had represented Western Province – played 16 Tests, captaining in four. He was never in a losing series, including the famous 1937 one in New Zealand and, remarkably, played in four different positions: 12 as a scrumhalf, twice as a flyhalf and once as a centre and No8.
From his debut in 1931 up to his death in 1993, Craven was never uninvolved in South African rugby. After his playing days, he was either coach of the Boks, a selector, or the president of SA rugby.
Even when he was no longer a selector, you could discern his hand in Springbok selections. He once stepped in to prevent the Broederbond foisting their candidate – a mediocre Northern Transvaal flank – on the Boks as captain. Instead, they got Morne du Plessis – a far better choice, you will agree.
Doc was a towering figure in life and is all but forgotten 17 years after his death. Here and there old-timers will remember him, but even in Stellenbosch there are some who have no idea who he was.
A friend who played rugby and cricket at Stellenbosch, while Doc was huisvader at Wilgenhof koshuis, was back at the university recently. As he was passing the statue of Doc and Bliksem that stands near Craven stadium, he overheard a student on a cellphone: “I’m here at that place with the dude and his dog.”
The dude and his dog were once Matie celebrities (of a kind), and feared too. When Doc and Bliksem were on the touchline at training, no one within sight would dare shirk. Craven, while coaching his beloved Maties, once stopped the practice to summon an eighthman from the next-door field and berate him for not scrumming with sufficient intensity.
Maties, of course, were Doc’s first love, followed closely by Wilgenhof, and the Springboks not far behind. He seldom had time for Western Province, if only not to show any bias as national rugby leader. He had a special aversion for the Newlands crowd, whom he claimed never treated his Maties fairly.
Of other bêtes noires, his favourites were referees and rugby writers. So it was odd that his right-hand man was a former journalist. Today, when South African rugby is administered by a vast bureaucracy, it is hard to remember how Doc and Alex Kellerman ran the game, virtually out of the boot of Craven’s Jaguar.
We can only speculate on how Doc would regard rugby today. Would Maria Ramos have received a blast from him, or would he have agreed that transformation in rugby was too slow?
Before he died, Doc had certainly changed his political tune. Although he was never quite at odds with the National Party government as he often claimed to be, he would have embraced every black Springbok. He definitely would have abhorred professionalism.
He would have had something to say about College Rovers – a Durban team for goodness’ sake! – beating Maties in the club championship. Then, again, it might not have happened if Doc had been there for the team talk, and made his usual speech, quoting – and I am not kidding here – tracts from Louis L’Amour’s cowboy books.
Article written by Archie Henderson
Danie Craven
Full names: Daniël Hartman
Date of birth: 11 Oct 1910
Place of birth: Lindley, South Africa
Debut test province: Western Province
Date of death: 4 Jan 1993 (Age 82)
http://www.genslin.us/bokke/
LTR Hall of Fame – Danie Craven by Lardus van der Merwe
Everyone that knows or understand rugby would agree that the name Danie Craven is synonym with rugby. Craven was often labeled as controversial, but was known all over the world as “Mr Rugby”. He was an influential rugby genius who represented the Springboks and coached the national side with distension before becoming South Africa’s best known rugby administrator.
Daniël Hartman Craven was born on 11 October 1910 at Lindley in the Orange Free State. He finished his studies at the University of Stellenbosch in the Western Cape where he achieved several doctors degrees. He was a fine track and field athlete and excelled in cricket, tennis, water polo, swimming, soccer and baseball.
On 5 December 1931, at the age of 21, Craven made his debut at scrum half for the Springboks against Wales at St Helens, Swansea. At the time of his selection, Craven had not played in a single provincial rugby match. During the 1937 tour to New Zealand, Craven served as vice-captain of the team and went on to captain the Springboks against the All Blacks at Carisbrook, Dunedin at the end of the tour. He also led the Springboks the following year against the 1938 British Lions, little knowing that it would be his last test series. The outbreak of World War II in 1939 effectively ended the 27 year old Craven’s career, as South Africa had to wait eleven years before they could play another test. He represented the Springboks in 16 test matches between 1933 – 1938, scoring 3 tries.
The talented Craven was a very versatile player and represented South Africa in five positions on the rugby field ; scrum half, fly half, center, and number eight (during test matches). He also played a game at fullback for South Africa against Queensland and was credited with perfecting the dive pass, which more rapidly delivered the ball from the scrum to the backs.
Craven represented Western Province and later also Eastern Province on provincial level. In 1938, while serving as director of physical education at the Military college in Pretoria, Craven became the first captain of the newly formed Northern Transvaal Rugby Union.
After his rugby playing career ended, he became a national selector until he was appointed Springbok coach in 1949. He started his coaching career with a bang, winning 10 matches in a row, including a 4-0 whitewash of New Zealand in their 1949 tour to South Africa. Under his coaching, the Springboks were undefeated from 1949 to 1952. Craven coached the Springboks in 23 tests, winning 17 (73%) – an achievement that makes him one of South Africa’s greatest coaches in history.
In 1956, Craven became the president of the South African Rugby Board (SARB), a position that he held for 37 years until his death on 4 January 1993. In the late 1950’s he was elevated to chairman of the International Rugby Football Board (IRB) and chaired it in 1962, 1973 and 1979. Craven was also made a honorary vice president for life of the French Rugby Federation in 1992. He played an influential roll in ending South Africa’s rugby isolation, and was elected in 1992 as the first chairman of the South African Rugby Football Union (SARFU).
Craven was a true rugby legend who left a legacy that will remain for centuries to come. In 1964, South Africa’s annual schoolboy rugby tournament was established and named after him (The Craven Week). The Danie Craven stadium at Coetzenburg in Stellenbosch was also named after him – a stadium which hosted a few matches during the 1995 Rugby World cup in South Africa.
Craven, who had a dog named “Bliksem”(Afrikaans for “Rascal”), stayed for most of his life in his beloved Stellenbosch. It was here that he met his mentor, the legendary A.F. (Oubaas) Markotter who once told him: “Remember Craven, I only shout at people I like”.
Later in his life Craven wrote several book on rugby, including “Danie Craven on Rugby”, “Springbok Story 1949-53”and his autobiography “Ek Speel vir Suid-Afrika”.
In 1997, Danie Craven became the third inductee into the International Rugby Board’s Hall of Fame.
Well known South African singer and comedian Leon Schuster wrote an Afrikaans song, “Dink jy darem nog aan my?” whereby the singer asks in a typical Craven accent if the people still remember him (Craven).
Doc Craven, how could we ever forget you…??
Daar is mos ‘n soort van rugbymuseum by Coetzenburg, maar elke keer as ek in SBosch is en ‘n draai gooi is dit toe en niemand wil help!
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