From wilderness to world champions

BOOK OF THE WEEK: Springbok Rugby An Illustrated History by Chris Greyvenstein (New Holland, pounds 24.95)

As befits one of the world's heavyweight rugby nations, Chris Greyvenstein has marked South Africa's place in the global game with a heavyweight treatise, which belies its title.

At first glance this is another decorative picture book with the coffee table its natural resting place. But it is far more than that. Sure, it contains more than 400 photographs - the archive material being of exceptional quality - and is produced on fine-art paper, with a price to match. However, by any judgement, it deserves a slot on the bookshelf of every rugby lover.

In addition to the pictorial content, the scholarly Greyvenstein has included a welter of statistics, including a complete list of all those who have worn the Springbok jersey from 1891 to the World Cup in 1995. There is much else besides in the nine-page section at the rear of his book which makes it a valuable and reliable work of reference.

It is the second important book to emerge in recent months charting the history of one of the world's great teams. Sadly, like Clem Thomas who last year completed the History of the British Lions, Greyvenstein did not live to see his work in print. Both men deserve the grateful thanks of those with an interest in the game at large, and of the teams who will meet on the 12th Lions' tour to South Africa this summer.

In truth this year's visit by the Lions will only be the ninth, because not until 1910 did the four Home Unions co-operate to send a squad which fully represented Great Britain and Ireland. When W E "Bill" Maclagan's 20-strong party arrived at Cape Town in the first week of July 1891, there were no Welsh or Irish players among them.

Greyvenstein has faithfully recorded that pioneering era and paid generous tribute to the part Britain played in establishing rugby in his native country with additional missionary tours in 1896 and 1903. These came before South Africa first ventured overseas with a four-Test tour to Scotland, Ireland, Wales and England during the winter of 1906-07.

The legendary Paul Roos captained South Africa, who were only beaten by Scotland, and told reporters to call his players Springbokken. Roos's motto was: "Let the stumbling blocks be your stepping stones".

South Africa have made great strides as a power in international rugby since those uncertain days. The apartheid question, years in the wilderness and the Springboks' relative decline in the 1970s, when the Lions went unbeaten in 1974, are all tackled with a lack of bias and an authoritative critical objectivity by the late Chris Greyvenstein, who was rightly regarded as South Africa's most prolific chronicler of rugby lore.