Floris Van Der Merwe

University of Stellenbosch, South Africa

The history of the Springbok emblem is another of the obscure chapters of the South African sport inheritance. Ivor Difford immortalised his name by writing the History of South African Rugby Football, but was grievously mistaken when speculating on the origin of the Springbok emblem. He not only got the dates wrong, but also confused the athletes and cyclists. He, for example, mentions that in 1894 the Blignaut brothers (who were athletes) travelled to England with Laurens Meintjes (a cyclist).1 In truth Meintjes travelled to England and America in 1893 where he became Africa's first world champion and record holder.2

The Blignaut brothers, Piet and Philip J., as well as H.D. Gradwell and P. Hunter represented the South African Amateur Athletic Association at the English championships in London in 1895.3 Parker, writer of the first general sport book in South Africa and secretary of the S.A. Rugby and Cricket associations, described them as "the men who donned the green and orange".4 Research in Britain and America revealed no description of Meintjes' clothing. It is, however, feasible that he represented his club, the Wanderers' Amateur Cycling Club, and most probably wore their colour (which was green) during the races.5

The family of the Blignaut brothers insist that the Springbok emblem originated with them. The brothers lived in Cape Town and evidently often went hunting springboks in the North-West region of the Cape. It was here where they conceived the idea of using the springbok as emblem. Their eldest sister then embroidered a springbok emblem on the vest of each brother. After they had apparently worn this in England they acquainted Paul Roos with the custom that athletes had of wearing emblems on their chests at sport events. Paul Roos' idea thus originated with the Blignaut brothers.6 An athletics programme of the Caledonian Society of Johannesburg, dated 1897, shows that in those years athletes ran in their own colours. P.J. Blignaut's colours are recorded as being green and gold.7

The first sports team to be called Springboks was the 1906-07 rugby touring team to Great Britain and France, under the leadership of Paul Roos. On their arrival at Southampton on 20 September 1906, the Daily Mail reported as follows:

"The team's colours would be myrtle green jerseys with gold collar. They would wear blue shorts and dark blue stockings, and the jersey would have embroidered in mouse-coloured silk on the left breast a springbok, a small African antelope which is as typical of Africa as the Kangeroo is of Australia."8

The previous, incorrect, assumption was that while visiting a London zoo Paul Roos was asked what he was going to call his team. While gazing at a small herd of springboks, he supposedly conceived the idea of baptising his team "Springbokken".9 It is, however, a fact that the Springbok emblem already existed when Paul Roos' team left South Africa.

According to the minutes of the South African Rugby Council (currently known as the South African Rugby Football Union) the the Springbok as emblem dates from as far back as 1903. In March of that year Gerald Orpen (the Transvaal representative) suggested that the national rugby team play against the visiting British touring team in green and gold jerseys with a springbok (in natural colours) on the left chest. Six weeks later, on 6 May 1903, the suggestion was accepted with a small modification, namely that white would replace the gold.10

The following quotation from a special general meeting of the South African Rugby Council confirms the above:

"It was proposed by Mr Wood, seconded by Mr Anderson, and agreed to, that the S.A. Colours be:- Green jersey, with white collar, and Springbuck, in natural colours, on left breast, black knickers, and blue stockings with 2 white stripes at top."11

Practical implications however led to the South African team playing the three tests first in white, then blue and the last test in green jerseys. The latter jerseys were those of Bishops (Diocesan College in Cape Town). After the conclusion of the test series, caps were made that were described as:

"green, with gold trimmings, and a small Springbok with the letter S+A on either side of it, and date underneath, in front".12

In 1906 these caps were distributed gratis to the players of the 1903 test series, but players who had represented the national team in earlier tests had to buy them. This decision in fact means that the allocation of the Springbok as emblem of national rugby players, dates as far back as 1891!13

The springbok emblem for the jersey was accepted in April 1906. Orders for the manufacturing of jerseys and socks soon followed and when Paul Roos took his Springbok team on the field at Northampton on 27 September 1906, they were fully clad in the now world renown green and gold colours. The blazers were only ordered once they had arrived in Great Britain.14

When Paul Roos' team were on their way back to South Africa, in 1907, the national soccer body applied to the Rugby Council to use the Springbok as emblem for their national teams as well. The fact that South Africa's first Olympic team were wearing Springbok colours in 1908, indicates that the various types of sport used the rugby emblem after the 1906/07 tour.15

Finally it is interesting to note that the Cape Argus of 19 June 1858 reported that the "Springbok" arrived in London from Algoa Bay and that G.A. Parker in his book South African sports, placed an advertisement for "Springbuck cycles" in 1897.16 This serves to illustrate that in the previous century the name had already been in use in various fields.

References

Caledonian Society of Johannesburg, The. The sixth annual Scottish gathering and record reign sports, 22nd and 24th May 1897.

Difford, I.D. The history of South African rugby football (1875-1932) (Wynberg: The Specialty Press of South Africa, 1933).

Jacobsz, W. Personal interview, November 1989.

Le Roux, G. 90 Gold jare/Golden years (Pretoria: South African Amateur Athletic Union, [1984]).

Parker, G.A. South African sports (London: Sampson Low, Marston, 1897).

South African Rugby Board. Minutes of a Special General Meeting, May 6, 1903.

Straeuli, H. Personal correspondence, 24 August 1989.

Van der Merwe, F.J.G. The volle verhaal van Laurens Smitz Meintjes (1868-1941) (Stellenbosch: Words Unlimited, 1989).

Van der Schyff, P. Geboorte van the Springbok, De Kat, Augustus (1992), pp.58-60.

Notes

1 Difford, 1933, p.34.

2 Van der Merwe, 1989, pp.1-49.

3 Le Roux, 1984, p.10.

4 Parker, 1897, p.112.

5 Van der Merwe, 1989, pp.1-2,8.

6 Straeuli, 1989; Jacobsz, 1989.

7 Caledonian Society of Johannesburg, 1897, p.17.

8 Difford, 1933, p.34.

9 Van der Schyff, 1992, p.58.

10 Van der Schyff, 1992, pp.58-59.

11 S.A. Rugby Board, 1903, p.2.

12 Van der Schyff, 1992, p.59.

13 Van der Schyff, 1992, p.59.

14 Van der Schyff, 1992, pp.59-60.

15 Van der Schyff, 1992, p.60.

16 Parker, 1897, p.xlvi.

Go to top of Page BSSH Home Page Comments