’Bok tour ‘setting newspaper records’

Press, 19 August 1981, Page 46

’Bok tour ‘setting newspaper records’

PA Greymouth The Springbok rugby tour has generated enormous interest in South Africa, according to the utility back, Gawie Visagie. The younger brother of the 1970 Springbok against the All Blacks, Piet Visagie, he joined the fifth Springbok team in New Zealand in Greymouth on Tuesday following a series of flights which took him from Durban

to Capetown, Johannesburg, London, Zurich, Abu Dabi. Singapore, Auckland, Christchurch, and Greymouth. “I am sure that the greatest number of newspapers ever to have been sold in South Africa have been sold during the tour,” he said yesterday. Sales might have dropped in the past few days, however, as the large South African media corps is now staying in Queenstown. He said that the television coverage of tour matches had also generated tremendous interest, but that viewers were somewat concerned when they watched the demonstration leading up to the cancellation of the Waikato fixture.

“People are just not used to that sort of thing,’’ he said. Visagie joined the team — permissible as an additional

player under a new International Rugby Board agree-

ment — after the team's second-string halfback, Barry Wolmarans, limped from the

field with a minor hamstring twinge in last Tuesday’s game against Otago at Carisbrook. The Springbok coach, Mr Nelie Smith, had the fair-

haired, freckle-faced player working both at centre and half-back.

However, Visagie, who is surprisingly tall at just under

180 cm (6ft) for a half-back, said that he prefers that position best.

He has played for Natal at full-back, centre, first fiveeighths, and half-back — which will make him a useful member of the team.

Happily for Mr Smiht and his fellow tour committee members, Wolmarans is

making a speedy recovery from his injury