Cheeky Watson
Encyclopedia
Daniel "Cheeky" Watson was one of the first white South African rugby union
players to participate in a mixed race rugby game, during the period when mixed-race activities were forbidden by apartheid legislation.
province of South Africa. His father was a lay preacher who taught his sons Daniel, Valence, Ronald, and Gavin that all people are equal. Watson attended Graeme College
boarding school in Grahamstown
, where he began playing rugby union
. He later captained the Graeme College side.
After completing compulsory National Service, Watson returned to Port Elizabeth, where he played for the Crusaders Rugby Club.
As a 21-year old, Watson played for the Eastern Province team which lost by one point to the visiting All Blacks
in 1976. Mona Badela, black journalist and president of the KwaZakhele Rugby Union (Kwaru), invited him to practise his Christian convictions by coaching a black side in the townships. When Watson took the black rugby team to practise at the Saint George's sports ground in Port Elizabeth, they met with strong opposition.
Watson (2007 image ) was selected as a wing for the Junior Springboks in 1976. However he declined an invitation to participate in the trails for the 1976 senior Springbok team. He joined the Spring Rose Rugby Football Club in the black township of New Brighton, Port Elizabeth, which was affiliated with Kwaru. His wing partner was Zola Yeye, later manager of the 2007 Springbok squad
On 10 October 1976, Watson and Valance played with 13 black players for Kwaru against the South Eastern Districts Rugby Union (Sedru) in the Dan Qeqe
stadium in KwaZakhele township. Local authorities and the Crusaders Rugby Club tried to dissuade him from participating Non-racial sports meetings were at that time prohibited in terms of the apartheid-era Group Areas Act and the Separate Amenities Act. Armored vehicles circled the stadium, and Watson and brother Valence had to lie flat on the floor of a taxi that transported black Africans. The black rugby team regularly stayed in the Watson's home.
By 1978 the Watson family had been drawn into the anti-apartheid struggle, with dual membership in the then-banned African National Congress
and South African Communist Party
. Brother Ronnie reportedly gathered intelligence for such organizations
The Watsons were subsequently threatened, ostracised, and shot at. Their home was burned down in 1986,. Friends stopped visiting, either because they were being threatened by authorities, or because they disagreed with the Watsons' political stance.
Today Daniel Watson is a business consultant residing in the Newlands
suburb of Cape Town
, and has recently assumed the presidency of the Eastern Province Rugby Union based in Port Elizabeth, which operates the Mighty Elephants
Currie Cup team and is also the co-owner of a rugby franchise to be launched in June 2009 with the aim of eventual membership in Super Rugby
.
is also a rugby union footballer. Although he had many supporters in 2006, he was overlooked for selection by the 2007 World Cup winning Bok coach Jake White
. Watson attributed his son's non-selectionand to be due to his political activities a generation earlier.
Luke Watson was imposed on the 2007 Springbok squad as a result of a direct order from SARU against the wishes of the Springbok selectors.
In 2007, Watson stated he would not be supporting the Springboks at the World Cup in Paris because he did not believe the team was representative of the country. He also refused to comment on whether he supported John Smit as the captain.
Watson has since told South African newspapers that son Luke never wanted to play for the Springboks under White. Watson Snr also boycotted his son's capping ceremony, in protest against Coach White’s attitude towards his son.
Rugby union
Rugby union, often simply referred to as rugby, is a full contact team sport which originated in England in the early 19th century. One of the two codes of rugby football, it is based on running with the ball in hand...
players to participate in a mixed race rugby game, during the period when mixed-race activities were forbidden by apartheid legislation.
History
Watson grew up on a farm near Somerset East, in the Eastern CapeEastern Cape
The Eastern Cape is a province of South Africa. Its capital is Bhisho, but its two largest cities are Port Elizabeth and East London. It was formed in 1994 out of the "independent" Xhosa homelands of Transkei and Ciskei, together with the eastern portion of the Cape Province...
province of South Africa. His father was a lay preacher who taught his sons Daniel, Valence, Ronald, and Gavin that all people are equal. Watson attended Graeme College
Graeme College
Graeme College is a public school located in Grahamstown, Eastern Cape, South Africa. It caters for boys from Grade 1 to Grade 12 and offers both boarding and day options to its pupils...
boarding school in Grahamstown
Grahamstown
Grahamstown is a city in the Eastern Cape Province of the Republic of South Africa and is the seat of the Makana municipality. The population of greater Grahamstown, as of 2003, was 124,758. The population of the surrounding areas, including the actual city was 41,799 of which 77.4% were black,...
, where he began playing rugby union
Rugby union
Rugby union, often simply referred to as rugby, is a full contact team sport which originated in England in the early 19th century. One of the two codes of rugby football, it is based on running with the ball in hand...
. He later captained the Graeme College side.
After completing compulsory National Service, Watson returned to Port Elizabeth, where he played for the Crusaders Rugby Club.
As a 21-year old, Watson played for the Eastern Province team which lost by one point to the visiting All Blacks
All Blacks
The New Zealand men's national rugby union team, known as the All Blacks, represent New Zealand in what is regarded as its national sport....
in 1976. Mona Badela, black journalist and president of the KwaZakhele Rugby Union (Kwaru), invited him to practise his Christian convictions by coaching a black side in the townships. When Watson took the black rugby team to practise at the Saint George's sports ground in Port Elizabeth, they met with strong opposition.
Watson (2007 image ) was selected as a wing for the Junior Springboks in 1976. However he declined an invitation to participate in the trails for the 1976 senior Springbok team. He joined the Spring Rose Rugby Football Club in the black township of New Brighton, Port Elizabeth, which was affiliated with Kwaru. His wing partner was Zola Yeye, later manager of the 2007 Springbok squad
On 10 October 1976, Watson and Valance played with 13 black players for Kwaru against the South Eastern Districts Rugby Union (Sedru) in the Dan Qeqe
Dan Qeqe
Dan Dumile Qeqe was a prominent sports administrator who struggled to establish non-racial sport in the Eastern Cape province of South Africa...
stadium in KwaZakhele township. Local authorities and the Crusaders Rugby Club tried to dissuade him from participating Non-racial sports meetings were at that time prohibited in terms of the apartheid-era Group Areas Act and the Separate Amenities Act. Armored vehicles circled the stadium, and Watson and brother Valence had to lie flat on the floor of a taxi that transported black Africans. The black rugby team regularly stayed in the Watson's home.
By 1978 the Watson family had been drawn into the anti-apartheid struggle, with dual membership in the then-banned African National Congress
African National Congress
The African National Congress is South Africa's governing Africanist political party, supported by its tripartite alliance with the Congress of South African Trade Unions and the South African Communist Party , since the establishment of non-racial democracy in April 1994. It defines itself as a...
and South African Communist Party
South African Communist Party
South African Communist Party is a political party in South Africa. It was founded in 1921 as the Communist Party of South Africa by the joining together of the International Socialist League and others under the leadership of Willam H...
. Brother Ronnie reportedly gathered intelligence for such organizations
The Watsons were subsequently threatened, ostracised, and shot at. Their home was burned down in 1986,. Friends stopped visiting, either because they were being threatened by authorities, or because they disagreed with the Watsons' political stance.
Today Daniel Watson is a business consultant residing in the Newlands
Newlands, Cape Town
Newlands is an upmarket suburb of Cape Town, South Africa.It is located at the foot of Table Mountain in the Southern Suburbs of Cape Town, and is the wettest suburb in South Africa due to its high winter rainfall...
suburb of Cape Town
Cape Town
Cape Town is the second-most populous city in South Africa, and the provincial capital and primate city of the Western Cape. As the seat of the National Parliament, it is also the legislative capital of the country. It forms part of the City of Cape Town metropolitan municipality...
, and has recently assumed the presidency of the Eastern Province Rugby Union based in Port Elizabeth, which operates the Mighty Elephants
Mighty Elephants
The Eastern Province Kings are a South African rugby union team that participates in the annual Currie Cup and Vodacom Cup tournaments and are governed by the Eastern Province Rugby Union...
Currie Cup team and is also the co-owner of a rugby franchise to be launched in June 2009 with the aim of eventual membership in Super Rugby
Super 14
Super Rugby is the largest and pre-eminent professional Rugby union competition in the Southern Hemisphere...
.
Involvement in the career of his son, Luke Watson
Daniel Watson's son Luke WatsonLuke Watson
Luke Asher Watson is a South African rugby union footballer who can play at flank or eighthman. He has represented and captained the South African Schools rugby team , South Africa's under-19 and under-21 teams, as well as the Springbok Sevens team...
is also a rugby union footballer. Although he had many supporters in 2006, he was overlooked for selection by the 2007 World Cup winning Bok coach Jake White
Jake White
Jake White is a rugby union coach and former coach of the South Africa national rugby union team, the Springboks. His most notable achievements as coach include leading the Springboks to victory in 2007 Rugby World Cup and the 2004 Tri Nations title...
. Watson attributed his son's non-selectionand to be due to his political activities a generation earlier.
Luke Watson was imposed on the 2007 Springbok squad as a result of a direct order from SARU against the wishes of the Springbok selectors.
In 2007, Watson stated he would not be supporting the Springboks at the World Cup in Paris because he did not believe the team was representative of the country. He also refused to comment on whether he supported John Smit as the captain.
Watson has since told South African newspapers that son Luke never wanted to play for the Springboks under White. Watson Snr also boycotted his son's capping ceremony, in protest against Coach White’s attitude towards his son.
Sources
- Fiona Forde, "The struggle continues for Watson sons", Independent Online, 19 May 2007
- Vuyisa Qunta, Airbrushed out of rugby history. Mail & Guardian Online, 26 April 2007
- Kristin Williamson, Brothers to Us: The Story of a Remarkable Family’s Fight Against Apartheid, Harmondsworth, Penguin 1997.
- www.keo.co.za, Cheeky Snubs Boks
External links
- Clinton van der Berg and Lauren Cohen. "The gospel according to Luke", Sunday Times Online, 20 May 2007.
- Fiona Forde, Jacques van der Westhuyzen and Ashfak Mohamed. " 'Third force is running SA rugby'", Independent Online, 16 May 2007.