- Byname of:
- Daniel Hartman Craven
- Born:
- October 11, 1910, Lindley, South Africa
- Died:
- January 4, 1993, Stellenbosch (aged 82)
Danie Craven
-
Who was Danie Craven?
Danie Craven (1910–1993) was a South African rugby icon as a player, coach, and administrator. Known as "Mr. Rugby," he played 16 Test matches for South Africa between 1931 and 1938, and captained the team in 1937 and 1938. He excelled in multiple positions and is credited with perfecting the dive pass.
Craven earned three doctorates and became the first professor of physical education at the University of Stellenbosch in 1947, also coaching rugby there. He became president of the South African Rugby Board (SARB) in 1956 and chairman of the International Rugby Football Board (IRB) in 1959.
His legacy is complex due to his failure to challenge segregation in rugby during apartheid. Despite this, he attempted to shield rugby from political interference and, at times, coached a "Coloured" team. Today, Craven Week and the Danie Craven Stadium commemorate his contributions to the sport.
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What sport did Danie Craven play?
Danie Craven, a South African, was famous as a rugby union player, coach, and administrator. Between 1931 and 1938, he played 16 Test (international) matches for South Africa, usually as a scrum half. In 1937, he was the team's vice-captain during their tour of Australia and New Zealand. He captained the team in their match against New Zealand in Dunedin and again in the series against the British Lions in 1938. He also played fly half, center, number eight, and even one game as fullback for South Africa against Queensland. He was known for perfecting the dive pass, which allowed for faster ball delivery from the scrum to the backs.
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Which position did Danie Craven play in rugby?
Danie Craven primarily played as a scrum half for South Africa in 16 Test matches between 1931 and 1938. During the 1937 tour of Australia and New Zealand, he was the team's vice-captain. In 1938, he captained the team against New Zealand and in the series against the British Lions. Although he mainly played as a scrum half, Craven also played fly half, centre, number eight, and even one game as fullback for South Africa against Queensland. He was also known for perfecting the dive pass, which allowed for faster ball delivery from the scrum to the backs.
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How did Danie Craven contribute to rugby after his playing career?
After his playing career, Danie Craven transitioned to coaching and administration, significantly shaping South African rugby. In 1947, he became the first professor of physical education at the University of Stellenbosch, also serving as the university's rugby coach.
Craven became the selector and manager/coach of the South African national team (Springboks) in 1949 and served as president of the South African Rugby Board (SARB) from 1956 until his death in 1993. In 1959, he became chairman of the International Rugby Football Board (IRB). Moreover, Craven has a youth tournament and the University of Stellenbosch’s rugby stadium named after him.
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Why is Danie Craven known as an important administrator in South African rugby?
Danie Craven, also known as "Mr. Rugby" in South Africa, was an influential figure in rugby as a player, coach, and administrator. He played in 16 Test matches for South Africa between 1931 and 1938 and captained the team in 1937 and 1938.
Craven became the first professor of physical education at the University of Stellenbosch in 1947, also serving as the university’s rugby coach. In 1949, he became the selector, manager, and coach of the South African national team (Springboks). From 1956 until his death in 1993, Craven was president of the South African Rugby Board (SARB). In 1959, he became chairman of the International Rugby Football Board (IRB).
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How did Danie Craven influence the development and policies of rugby in South Africa?
Danie Craven, known as "Mr. Rugby" in South Africa, significantly shaped the sport as a player, coach, and administrator Danie Craven. Between 1931 and 1938, he played 16 Test matches for South Africa and captained the team in 1938. Credited with perfecting the dive pass, he also coached at the University of Stellenbosch and directed physical education at the Military College in Pretoria Danie Craven.
Craven became a selector and manager/coach for the South African national team in 1949. He served as president of the South African Rugby Board (SARB) from 1956 until his death in 1993 and was chairman of the International Rugby Football Board (IRB) in 1959 Danie Craven. Despite criticisms for not challenging segregation during apartheid, he attempted to shield rugby from political interference Danie Craven.
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Danie Craven (born October 11, 1910, Lindley, South Africa—died January 4, 1993, Stellenbosch) was a South African rugby union football player, coach, and administrator who was one of the most influential and controversial figures in the history of the sport. He was known as “Mr. Rugby” in South Africa.
Craven played 16 Test (international) matches for South Africa, primarily as a scrum half, between 1931 and 1938. He served as vice-captain of the team on its 1937 tour of Australia and New Zealand and captained the team when it traveled to take on New Zealand at Carisbrook stadium in Dunedin and then again in the series against the British Lions (now the British and Irish Lions) in 1938. He also played a variety of other positions, including fly half, centre, and number eight, and even played a game at fullback for South Africa against Queensland. He was credited with perfecting the dive pass, which more rapidly delivered the ball from the scrum to the backs.
Craven held three doctorates, and he became the first professor of physical education and head of the department of physical education (now human movement studies) at the University of Stellenbosch in 1947. He also served as the university’s rugby coach. He had been director of physical education at the Military College in Pretoria in 1938 when he became the first captain of the newly formed Northern Transvaal Rugby Union. While serving in the army (1944–48), he founded the Physical Training Battalion and turned many medically unfit men into soldiers.
In 1949 Craven became selector and manager/coach of the South African national team (known as the Springboks), and he served in that capacity for several years. In 1956 he became president of the South African Rugby Board (SARB), a position he held until his death in 1993. In 1959 he was elevated to chairman of the International Rugby Football Board (IRB).
Craven was an enigma, loved by many who knew him, yet also hated for doing little to challenge segregation in South African rugby, a sport central to white South African identity, during the apartheid era. He did, however, attempt to protect rugby from undue political interference as the secret Afrikaner-Broederbond organization tried to influence selection policy. He was derided for allegedly having stated that there would be a black Springbok “over my dead body.” A fact little known to outsiders was that Craven did provide occasional coaching expertise for a “Coloured” (mixed race) rugby team in the 1940s and ’50s. He led the SARB into unsuccessful negotiations for rugby unity in 1987 when South Africa was excluded from the inaugural IRB Rugby World Cup.
Respected by rugby men internationally, Craven was made an honorary vice president for life of the French Rugby Federation in 1992. Craven Week, South Africa’s national youth tournament that was begun in 1964, was named for him, as was the University of Stellenbosch’s rugby stadium, which hosted matches during the 1995 Rugby World Cup.