Dougie Dyers’ legacy celebrated after local rugby legend laid to rest

Pictured at a reunion of Federation players held in Kuils River in 2020 are De Villiers Visser, Dougie Dyers, Hempies du Toit, Abie Williams, Norman Langley, Jack Juries, Pompies Williams, Johnny Joubert and Craig Wilson.

The contribution by the late 85-year-old Dougie Dyers from Belhar to South African rugby is well-documented and cannot be understated.

He was a pioneer as a coach, mentor, administrator and the first coach of colour who won the Sport Pienaar Trophy in 1990 with Wilfred Cupido from Bellville as captain and Johnny Joubert from Wynberg as vice-captain at the time.

Here are some of the firsts in his illustrious career of rugby during apartheid and the unification of rugby in South Africa:

• He toured with a coloured team to the UK and the Netherlands in 1971, where they played eight games, won five, lost two and drew one. He campaigned in the apartheid era for the same rights for black and coloured players as those of white players in the structures of South African rugby.
• In 1972, he captained the Proteas against the English side of John Pullen at Goodwood Showgrounds, (where GrandWest is currently situated).
• He captained the Proteas against the British and Irish Lions of Willie-John McBride in 1974, the same year he retired and switched to coaching.
• He was one of two selectors of colour (the other being Albert Dwezi) of the South African Rugby Association at the mixed trials at Loftus Versfeld in 1977.
• In 1978, the South African Rugby Football Federation (SARFF) competed in the competitions of the former SA Rugby Board of Doc Craven as the WP Federation.
• For the first time in 1980, the front row and locks of the Proteas consisted of five white players to give the backline a better opportunity to score tries. The five WP players were Henning van Aswegen, Robert Cockrell, Hempies du Toit, De Villiers Visser and Hennie Bekker.
• In 1981, the WP Federation was divided into Boland League, WP League and SWD League to compete in the Sport Pienaar Competition and Errol Tobias became the first black Springbok. Dyers coached the WP League in 1990 to win the Sport Pienaar Trophy after unification in 1992.

Dyers was life-long vice-president at WP Rugby Union until he retired 15 years ago.

People’s Post spoke to players who were coached by Dyers through the years. Here are their tributes:

• Johnny Joubert said: “Dougie Dyers was one of the most complete human beings I had the honour to know as a brilliant rugby coach, caring team manager, life mentor and true friend.

“My time as a member of the WP League side under Dougie Dyer’s guidance was incredibly rewarding and humbling and I feel incredibly privileged to have been part of the brilliant job Dougie did in the transformation of rugby. M

“He played a massive role in my development as a leader and I will be forever grateful to him for who he was.”

• Bryn Morse from Wynberg said: “A family man – one who loved his children and, in many respects, he infused the family culture into our team.

“He was a man of unquestionable integrity; a man who achieved so much – often against the odds – yet remained humble and modest; a man who genuinely cared for and brought out the best in those around him; a kind man, often gentle by nature yet rock solid in stature and resolve; a courageous man who feared to tread where others feared to go or simply refused to go; a wise man in many ways ahead of his time, particularly with his views on that wonderful game rugby and how it should be played.

“It did not surprise me that Dougie and Doc Craven were close friends. When I played for Maties Doc’s stock phrase said during our pre-match team talks was ‘Manne, remember the game is bigger than any individual – you and me included’, and I know Dougie felt very much the same way.”

• Abie Williams from Pinelands said: “My friendship with Dougie started in 1961 until his passing. Through the years, he gave his life for rugby and to help create the same chances for coloureds and blacks as their white counterparts.

“With the late Norman Langley, they initiated the Junior Federation Week, because blacks and coloureds were not allowed at Craven Weeks before 1980.

“With Doc Craven and the late Ian Kirkpatrick, they established the Fish Factories Tournament in Velddrif and later in Saldanha.

“Doc also helped me and Dougie to host coaching clinics in the rural areas.

“As a friend, we shared a passion for rugby and rugby-related matters.

“I was one of the last people who visited him the day before his passing on Tuesday.

“I’ll miss him and his legacy in rugby will never be forgotten.”