SA Rugby pays tribute to former Springbok captain Dawie de Villiers

SA Rugby on Sunday paid tribute to former Springbok captain Dawie de Villiers who died at the age of 81.

De Villiers' family said in a statement that he died at his house in Stellenbosch on Saturday night. He had been ill for some time."Dawie has been systematically deteriorating over the last few months, but we were privileged to be able to provide him with the assistance of professional help at home," the statement said. President of SA Rugby, Mark Alexander, said that De Villiers was one of South Africa's greatest ever captains in a tribute released to the media on Sunday. 

“Dawie de Villiers captained the Springboks as the winds of change were beginning to blow through the political climate of sport and his final tour was the 1969-70 ‘demo tour’ of the UK,” said Alexander.

“By that time, he had established himself as one of the Springboks’ greatest ever captains and the fact that he was carried from the field on the shoulders of UK Barbarians greats Gareth Edwards of Wales and Mike Gibson of Ireland in his final match, proves the respect and standing in which he was held.

“That respect later saw him become part of those winds of change in political life as our country moved to democracy. He was a great servant of the country.”

De Villiers was born on 10 July 1940 in Burgersdorp. After finishing his schooling at Bellville High School, he studied theology at Stellenbosch University.

He served as a minister in Parliament pre-1994 and under Nelson Mandela after the first democratic elections held in the country. 

De Villiers also served as the South African ambassador to the United Kingdom, was a lecturer of philosophy and Dutch Reformed Church reverend. 

De Villiers too played a role in the dawning of a democratic South Africa