Hannes Brewis
Encyclopedia
Johannes Daniel "Hannes" Brewis (15 June 1920 – 9 September 2007) was a South Africa
n rugby union
player. He was capped for South Africa
ten times, and was selected to play for the Springboks on the 1951-52 South Africa rugby tour of Great Britain, Ireland and France; playing in all five international games of that tour. The touring team of 1951/52 is seen as one of the greatest South African teams, winning 30 of the 31 matches, including all five internationals. Brewis represented Northern Transvaal
at regional level and is recognised as one of the great South African rugby players of the 1940s and early 1950s.
in 1920. He was educated at Oudtshoorn Boys' High and Langenhoven Commercial before moving to Pretoria. He became a a police officer, and by the 1960s was a police warrant officer in Pretoria
. On 28 September 1946 he married Priscilla Wilcocks of Bloemfontein with whom he had two daughters. He died in Pretoria in 2007.
, the same day Brewis was to marry Priscilla Wilcocks. Rather than miss the match, Brewis arranged to do both. In the match Brewis scored with two dropped goals, one from each foot. His last minute kick to the corner, with the score 8-9 in Western Province's favour, saw a defensive error allow Northern Transvaal to score an opportunistic winning try
. This was the first time Northern Transvaal had won the Currie Cup. After the game, Brewis left the celebrations to attend his wedding, and initially the parson of the Dutch Reformed Church refused to marry the couple due to the late hour. The minister was persuaded to change his mind and Brewis and Priscilla were married that day.
In 1949 South Africa played its first international match since the end of the Second World War. The opposition was the touring New Zealand 'All Blacks'. All 15 players of the South Africa team were uncapped, and Brewis was selected at fly-half partnered with scrum-half Ballie Wahl. South Africa rugby legend, Hennie Muller
, who made his name during the New Zealand tour, stated that the Springbok team was 'plainly worried' before the game and there were concerns as 'Hansie Brewis and Ballie Wahl, hardly new each other'. Despite the pre-match concerns the first Test of the series, played at Cape Town, saw South Africa beat New Zealand 15-11, all the South African points coming from penalties from Okey Geffin
. Brewis was reselected for the second Test against the All Blacks, but his half back partner was switched from Wahl to Fonnie du Toit. Brewis and du Toit would play together for the next eight internationals, a South African half back record. The second Test, played at Johannesburg, saw Brewis score his first international points, with a dropped goal and a try in a 12-6 victory. The final two Tests of the tour both ended in South African victories, a whitewash for New Zealand. Brewis played in both, and in the fourth Test was on the scoreboard again with another dropped goal. The same match also saw du Toit score his first international score with a try.
In 1951, South Africa undertook their Fourth Tour of Great Britain, taking in matches against the four Home Nation teams and later, France. Brewis was selected for the tour, the second fly half selected was Dennis Fry, younger brother of fellow tourist and future South Africa captain Stephen Fry
. Brewis played 14 matches of the 31 match tour, and initially was rotated with Fry for the early games against club and county teams. Although on a rota system, when the international games came around, Brewis and du Toit were always first choice selections. Brewis scored in the first three internationals, all South Africa wins, with dropped goals against Scotland
, Ireland
and Wales
. In both the Ireland and Wales matches Brewis had scored his dropped goals after an earlier miss. In the Wales game his score was vital, as the South Africans won by a narrow 6-3 margin. The final Home Nations match, against England
on 5 January 1952, saw Brewis play his final game on British soil. The South Africans beat England 8-3 to secure a Grand Slam of wins, but Brewis picked up an injury which ruled him out of the next four games. By the time Brewis was reselected the tour had moved onto France, where he played in two of the last four games. He faced a combined South-Western France team on the 7 February, and then lined up against France
in the final match of the tour. The Springboks won 25-3. Brewis finished the tour as the team's seventh highest scorer with 27 points, five tries and four dropped goals.
On his return to South Africa, Brewis was selected for one last international, the first Test of the 1953 touring Australia team. Played at Johannesburg, Brewis came into the squad partnered at centre with Hansie Oelofse. South Africa won 25-3. This was Brewis' final international, he had played in ten games, scored 18 points and never appeared on a losing side.
South Africa
The Republic of South Africa is a country in southern Africa. Located at the southern tip of Africa, it is divided into nine provinces, with of coastline on the Atlantic and Indian oceans...
n 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...
player. He was capped for South Africa
South Africa national rugby union team
The South African national rugby union team are 2009 British and Irish Lions Series winners. They are currently ranked as the fourth best team in the IRB World Rankings and were named 2008 World Team of the Year at the prestigious Laureus World Sports Awards.Although South Africa was instrumental...
ten times, and was selected to play for the Springboks on the 1951-52 South Africa rugby tour of Great Britain, Ireland and France; playing in all five international games of that tour. The touring team of 1951/52 is seen as one of the greatest South African teams, winning 30 of the 31 matches, including all five internationals. Brewis represented Northern Transvaal
Blue Bulls
The Blue Bulls, for sponsorship reasons known as the Vodacom Blue Bulls, or more popularly by their Afrikaans name die Blou Bulle, are a South African rugby union team that participates in the annual Currie Cup tournament...
at regional level and is recognised as one of the great South African rugby players of the 1940s and early 1950s.
Personal history
Brewis was born in Oudtshoorn, South AfricaSouth Africa
The Republic of South Africa is a country in southern Africa. Located at the southern tip of Africa, it is divided into nine provinces, with of coastline on the Atlantic and Indian oceans...
in 1920. He was educated at Oudtshoorn Boys' High and Langenhoven Commercial before moving to Pretoria. He became a a police officer, and by the 1960s was a police warrant officer in Pretoria
Pretoria
Pretoria is a city located in the northern part of Gauteng Province, South Africa. It is one of the country's three capital cities, serving as the executive and de facto national capital; the others are Cape Town, the legislative capital, and Bloemfontein, the judicial capital.Pretoria is...
. On 28 September 1946 he married Priscilla Wilcocks of Bloemfontein with whom he had two daughters. He died in Pretoria in 2007.
Rugby career
Brewis first came to note as a rugby player in the events of the 28 September 1946. On that day Northern Transvaal faced Western Province for the final of the Currie CupCurrie Cup
The Currie Cup tournament is South Africa's premier domestic rugby union competition, played each winter and spring , featuring teams representing either entire provinces or substantial regions within provinces...
, the same day Brewis was to marry Priscilla Wilcocks. Rather than miss the match, Brewis arranged to do both. In the match Brewis scored with two dropped goals, one from each foot. His last minute kick to the corner, with the score 8-9 in Western Province's favour, saw a defensive error allow Northern Transvaal to score an opportunistic winning try
Try
A try is the major way of scoring points in rugby league and rugby union football. A try is scored by grounding the ball in the opposition's in-goal area...
. This was the first time Northern Transvaal had won the Currie Cup. After the game, Brewis left the celebrations to attend his wedding, and initially the parson of the Dutch Reformed Church refused to marry the couple due to the late hour. The minister was persuaded to change his mind and Brewis and Priscilla were married that day.
In 1949 South Africa played its first international match since the end of the Second World War. The opposition was the touring New Zealand 'All Blacks'. All 15 players of the South Africa team were uncapped, and Brewis was selected at fly-half partnered with scrum-half Ballie Wahl. South Africa rugby legend, Hennie Muller
Hennie Muller
Hendrik "Hennie" Scholtz Vosloo Muller was a South African rugby union footballer. Born in Witbank, Muller is considered one of the greatest South African footballers, captaining the national side, the Springboks in nine tests, and is a member of the International Rugby Hall of Fame...
, who made his name during the New Zealand tour, stated that the Springbok team was 'plainly worried' before the game and there were concerns as 'Hansie Brewis and Ballie Wahl, hardly new each other'. Despite the pre-match concerns the first Test of the series, played at Cape Town, saw South Africa beat New Zealand 15-11, all the South African points coming from penalties from Okey Geffin
Okey Geffin
Aaron "Okey" Geffin was a South African rugby union player.He is sometimes considered the greatest Jewish rugby player of all time, and he was inducted into the International Jewish Sports Hall of Fame in 1998....
. Brewis was reselected for the second Test against the All Blacks, but his half back partner was switched from Wahl to Fonnie du Toit. Brewis and du Toit would play together for the next eight internationals, a South African half back record. The second Test, played at Johannesburg, saw Brewis score his first international points, with a dropped goal and a try in a 12-6 victory. The final two Tests of the tour both ended in South African victories, a whitewash for New Zealand. Brewis played in both, and in the fourth Test was on the scoreboard again with another dropped goal. The same match also saw du Toit score his first international score with a try.
In 1951, South Africa undertook their Fourth Tour of Great Britain, taking in matches against the four Home Nation teams and later, France. Brewis was selected for the tour, the second fly half selected was Dennis Fry, younger brother of fellow tourist and future South Africa captain Stephen Fry
Stephen Fry (rugby player)
Stephen Perry Fry was a South African rugby union player, most often playing as a flanker. Fry played rugby for his home town of Somerset West and provincial rugby for Western Province...
. Brewis played 14 matches of the 31 match tour, and initially was rotated with Fry for the early games against club and county teams. Although on a rota system, when the international games came around, Brewis and du Toit were always first choice selections. Brewis scored in the first three internationals, all South Africa wins, with dropped goals against Scotland
Scotland national rugby union team
The Scotland national rugby union team represent Scotland in international rugby union. Rugby union in Scotland is administered by the Scottish Rugby Union. The Scotland rugby union team is currently ranked eighth in the IRB World Rankings as of 19 September 2011...
, Ireland
Ireland national rugby union team
The Ireland national rugby union team represents the island of Ireland in rugby union. The team competes annually in the Six Nations Championship and every four years in the Rugby World Cup, where they reached the quarter-final stage in all but two competitions The Ireland national rugby union...
and Wales
Wales national rugby union team
The Wales national rugby union team represent Wales in international rugby union tournaments. They compete annually in the Six Nations Championship with England, France, Ireland, Italy and Scotland. Wales have won the Six Nations and its predecessors 24 times outright, second only to England with...
. In both the Ireland and Wales matches Brewis had scored his dropped goals after an earlier miss. In the Wales game his score was vital, as the South Africans won by a narrow 6-3 margin. The final Home Nations match, against England
England national rugby union team
The England national rugby union team represents England in rugby union. They compete in the annual Six Nations Championship with France, Ireland, Scotland, Italy, and Wales. They have won this championship on 26 occasions, 12 times winning the Grand Slam, making them the most successful team in...
on 5 January 1952, saw Brewis play his final game on British soil. The South Africans beat England 8-3 to secure a Grand Slam of wins, but Brewis picked up an injury which ruled him out of the next four games. By the time Brewis was reselected the tour had moved onto France, where he played in two of the last four games. He faced a combined South-Western France team on the 7 February, and then lined up against France
France national rugby union team
The France national rugby union team represents France in rugby union. They compete annually against England, Ireland, Italy, Scotland and Wales in the Six Nations Championship. They have won the championship outright sixteen times, shared it a further eight times, and have completed nine grand slams...
in the final match of the tour. The Springboks won 25-3. Brewis finished the tour as the team's seventh highest scorer with 27 points, five tries and four dropped goals.
On his return to South Africa, Brewis was selected for one last international, the first Test of the 1953 touring Australia team. Played at Johannesburg, Brewis came into the squad partnered at centre with Hansie Oelofse. South Africa won 25-3. This was Brewis' final international, he had played in ten games, scored 18 points and never appeared on a losing side.