STORY OF A RUGBY
ICON: IAN WILLIAM ROBERTSON
It’s Christmas Day,
sometime in the mid 1970’s, and as I walk with beer in hand from the Old
Hararians Club bar to the marquee on the cricket ground for a sumptuous lunch I
pass the rugby field. There, in the blazing heat of the mid-day sun, is the
lone figure of Ian Robertson, practising his kicking skills, hour upon hour.
As his great friend
Keith Delport remarked: “I have had more beers on a Friday night than Ian had
in his life.”
At the age of 65 Ian
William Robertson (born Harare 28 April 1950), Rhodesia’s (now Zimbabwe)
Springbok rugby icon, so very sadly passed away in Umhlanga, South Africa, on
the morning of Tuesday, 25 August, 2015. His adoring wife of 43 years, Sonia
(nee Chick; Olympic hockey Gold Medallist at Moscow in 1980) was at his side as
Ian succumbed to cancer after a heroic battle that lasted more than three
years.
It was in May 2012 that
the man who was always supremely fit was diagnosed with Myloidfribrosis, a
treacherous cancer of the bone marrow. He was treated with an experimental drug
that showed some signs of hope, but this was immediately ceased when a
secondary cancer, Acute Myeloid Leukaemia (AML), was diagnosed in
September 2014. The ever-determined Ian endured chemo injections for a week
every month for seven months, together with red blood transfusions and
platelets.
The tributes from all
over the globe continue to pour in for a man whose fanatical dedication, fierce
determination and brilliant natural talent established him as one of the most
successful and inspiring sportsmen to come from his homeland, Zimbabwe. Social
media is awash with tributes that all have a common thread with truly
meaningful words like Inspiring, Iconic, Supreme, Motivated, Hero.
Said one: “Ian, passed
from this life, yet immortal in our memories; hero to our nation, the epitome
of the Rhodesian spirit.” Another recalls “those torpedo throws he would make
to Ray Mordt on the wing.” Ah yes, those pin-point long overhand passes were
the mark of a man well ahead of his time in tactical thinking, innovative and
precision play that only came from long and gruelling hours of practice.
Legend 2/….
Team-mate and another
Springbok legend, Ray Mordt, refers to Ian (seven years his senior) as his
“oldest brother” and credits him with much of his success as a powerful wing.
“We have been friends since 1977 and Ian was not only a national hero but also
my mentor throughout my career. He had incredible discipline and could play any
sport.”
Ray said Ian had been
an integral part of his family’s life, with Mom Eileen and his late dad, and
all loved him. He recalled one particular Springbok trial when he spoke with
coaches Butch Lochner and Nellie Smit who said that Ian Robertson was the
fittest of them all on show.
“Ian could not have
trained any harder,” said Ray. “We used to meet each other every day and
practise for up to three hours; he was the consummate perfectionist and as a
person was always there to advise and help. Ray admits that he might have
“taken the wrong track at certain times” but Ian always hauled him back to do
it right with no compromises.
He recalled how he and
Nick Topping would go on 8 km training runs with Ian. “We somehow managed to
keep up but for the last 2 km we never saw Ian, he was the fittest man on the
planet, a phenomenon, a winner and a world-class rugby player who was ahead of
his time with his unorthodox styles at a time when South African rugby was very
conservative.”
Ian Robertson’s
uncompromising search for perfection saw him play five tests for South Africa
against France and New Zealand. His first-class career started when he was a
confident 19-year-old in his first year out of Prince Edward School in Harare.
Playing an ice-cool role as fullback for Old Hararians 1st XV, under
the guidance of great friend Brian Murphy, he soon made a mark and made his
debut for Rhodesia against South West Africa (now Namibia) in 1969.
In 1971 he moved to
Johannesburg in order to try to fulfil his dream of playing for the Springboks.
He played Transvaal B and, during this time, married Sonia (Chick) which he
described as “the most important day of my life.” He returned to Rhodesia in
1973 to play a vital part in a season regarded as one of the best in the
country’s history, only he, Des Christian and front-ranker Dick Coleshaw played
in all 10 matches that included an international against Italy.
This was the coach Ian
McIntosh’s era – who cultivated an open brand of attacking rugby based on the
Welch influence and Robertson was a vital cog in that pattern as fullback for
the first six matches with devastating aggression and a flair in attack.
Legend 3/…..
Then, against Eastern
Province, Robertson was moved to fly-half and immediately stamped his class and
authority on the position, a versatility that was later to earn him Springbok
colours as a centre in three internationals.
In 1974 he made his
Springbok debut as centre against France in Lyons; played in both tests and was
top try scorer on this tour. Job offers came in during this tour and in June
1974 he left Rhodesia again to settle in Cape Town where he played for
Villagers and in August 1975 made his debut for western Province at full-back.
Again he returned to
Rhodesia in 1976 which was to become his greatest season. He became the first
Rhodesian since hooker Ronnie Hill in 1963 to be selected for the Springboks
for a home Test series, at centre against the mighty All Blacks no less in
Durban. He was switched to fullback when Dawie Snyman withdrew at the last minute
and his home debut was a dream –m a rock-solid display in defence and he was
prominent in several raking attacks that steered South Africa to a 16-7
victory. He rounded off this game with a magnificent long-range drop-goal. NZ
captain Ian Leslie said: “I consider Robertson to be South Africa’s best back.”
He played centre in the
second Test, was on the bench for the third and then came back in his rightful
position as number one choice fullback in the fourth and final Test. At the end
of the series Robertson and his Rhodesian colleague “Spike” McKenna were
invited to play for a World XV in Cardiff in the famous club’s centenary match
– a significant indication of their high rating in the world of rugby.
Robertson’s rugby
career came to a shattering end in 1979 with an injury against Transvaal. He
was capped 56 times for Rhodesia with a career total of 437 points from 12
tries, 60 penalties, 21 drop goals and 73 conversions. He played in 12 matches
for South Africa, five of them Tests.
As he bade farewell to
the game Ian said: “Since 1969 I have trained as hard as I think is possible in
trying to achieve my ambitions. I have trained through every off-season….I can
honestly say that I haven’t missed 10 days of training in all that time and
I’ve never taken a holiday. I was determined to succeed.” In paying tribute to
his wife Sonia he said: “It’s time I repaid her some loyalty and compliments.
She has given up so much for me and my sport. We’ve rarely gone out at nights
because getting the right amount of sleep has been important to me and she has
never complained….she is the greatest.”
Legend 4 last
Some interesting facts
on Ian Robertson’s timeline:
Family:
Ian married a Chick twin (Sonia), who (together with her sister Sandy) was a
member of the Zimbabwe team that won the inaugural Gold Medal for women’s
hockey at the 1980 Moscow Olympic Games. They have been married for 43 years
and have two sons (Brendon and Gareth) and a daughter Natalie, who are all married.
The sons each have twin girls and boys respectively.
1986-1996:
Opened Executive Health Spa in Harare.
1996-2000:
Coached Prince Edward School 1st XV in Harare
2000:
Left Harare for Durban to take up position as back-line coach and assistant
coach with Rudolph Streauli for the Sharks.
2000:
Opened a take-away Fish and Chips shops called Trawler’s in Durban North.
2001:
Opened Taste Coffee Shop in the up-market La Lucia Mall which became a popular meeting
place for Zimbabweans.
2012:
In May was diagnosed with Myloidfribrosis, cancer of the bone marrow.
2014:
In September was diagnosed with a secondary cancer Acute Myeloid Leukaemia
(AML).
ends
Posts
No comments:
Post a Comment